Oil Extraction and Evaluation from Yellow Horn Using a Microwave-Assisted Aqueous Saline Process

This study investigates an aqueous salt process (ASP) combined with microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) for the seed oil extraction from yellow horn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge). The NaCl concentration in the oil extraction process affected the oil extraction yield. Box–Behnken design (BBD) and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to optimize the extraction process. The optimal operating parameters were: 24 g/L NaCl, 300 W microwave power, 4:1 water to material ratio, an 80 min extraction time, and 45 °C extraction temperature. The chemical composition of the extracted seed oil was analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This extraction technique for yellow horn seed oil provided high throughput and high-quality oil. The present research offers a kind of green extraction method for edible oil in the food industry.