# Thermal and Physical Properties of Crude Palm Oil with Higher Oleic Content
###### Abstract  
Investigac hybridization of oil palms (_E. guinensis \(\times\) E. oleifera_) was initially exploited to provide disease resistance and, consequently, increased oleic acid content. Besides the growing importance of this cultivar to the market, there is little information about this oil's properties. In this context, this study aimed to determine a comprehensive physicochemical and thermal characterization of hybrid palm oil (HOPO) compared with the better-known African palm oil (APO). Differences in the distribution of fatty acids, carotenoids, and tools were observed. Minor differences in density and viscosity were found between the oils, with no relevance for the materials' processing design. Nevertheless, HOPO showed unique crystallization behavior, which potentially can affect industrial operations, such as fractionation. HOPO did not present the two thermal characteristic regions of APO, attributed to olein and stearin fractions. The HOPO demonstrated a decrease in the melting point of more than 3 \({}^{\circ}\)C in relation to APO, and a reduction in the crystallization point of more than 6 \({}^{\circ}\)C. Furthermore, besides the higher content of unsaturated fatty acids, HOPO was more stable than APO due to a higher antioxidant content. These results could be useful to establish operation conditions for processes using palm oil from hybrid oil palm. crude palm oil; interspecific hybridization; melting; crystallization; carotenes +
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compared to its two parental species [7]. Commonly, _E. guinensis_ oil presents about 50% of saturated fatty acids, i.e., 44% of palmitic, 5% stearic, and traces of myristic, in addition to unsaturated fatty acids which correspond to approximately 40% oleic and 10% linoleic acids [8]. Regarding _E. guinensis_\(\times\)_E. oleifera_ oil, the fatty acids profile corresponds mainly to oleic (56%), palmitic (27%), linoleic (11%), and stearic (3.5%) acids [6]. The Codex Committee on Fats and Oils recommends commercializing such oil with the denomination of palm oil with higher oleic content [9]. In the literature, there are several studies regarding hybrid oil palm trees and their oils' characterization. The studies describe the cultivar's growth and its vegetative characteristics and characterization regarding oil composition in terms of fatty acids, acylglycerols, and minor compounds [5; 7; 8; 10; 11; 12]. All those previously mentioned studies regard chemical composition and fatty acid profile. However, there is a lack of scientific studies on the processing and physical properties of palm oil from the hybrid cultivar. Undeniably, the fatty acid profile determination assumes great importance since it is related to vegetable oils' physical properties. The wide range of food and non-food applications is due to palm oil's unique fatty acid composition, which allows its easy fractionation [13; 14; 15]. Under controlled thermal conditions, palm oil can be fractionated into two components in a single step: a solid fraction (stearin, which contains more trisaturated triacylglycerol and will crystallize) and a liquid fraction (olein, which contains less trisaturated triacylglycerol, remaining liquid) [2; 13]. This fractionation process can determine some of the chemical and physical properties of the oleins and stearins produced. In the food industry, those two fractions have different applications; for instance, olein may be used as frying oil and stearin as a butter substitute [16]. Each fraction's yield highly depends on the triacylglycerol composition and palm oil's crystallization behavior [13; 17; 18]. Besides, fatty acids also play an important role in terms of their effects on human health. An oil with a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic acid, can lower bad cholesterol levels and protect against heart disease [5; 6]. On the other hand, saturated fatty acids, such as palmitic acids, are related to a higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases and obesity [7; 8].