Tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) oil: A review of bioactive compounds, extraction technologies, potential hazards and applications

Tiger nut is a tuber of a plant native in the Mediterranean coastal countries, which is of great interest in food industry due to its richness in carbohydrates, lipids, starches, minerals, etc. Recent studies have focused on the analysis of the phytochemical composition of tiger nut, including six essential nutrients, polyphenols, and the extraction of proteins, starches, and phenolic compounds from the by-products of tiger nut milk ‘horchata’. Few works were focused on the possibility of using tiger nut oil, a nutritious oil comparable to olive oil, as an edible oil. Therefore, this review discussed some extraction technologies of tiger nut oil, and their effects on the properties of oil, such as bioactive compounds, oxidative stability and potential hazards. The information on the emerging applications of tiger nut oil was summarized and an outlook on the utilization of tiger nut oil by-products were also reviewed.