A Comparative Examination of the Quality of Jojoba Seed Oil Harvested on the Mesaoria Plain of Cyprus Island

Jojoba is a drought resistant, perennial woody shrub and its seeds contain a unique oil, i.e. a liquid wax, which has wide applications from cosmetics to industrial lubricants. It can be an important source of income for local farmers of an arid land and also for those who are working in jojoba oil industry and commerce. Although it is being native to North Mexico and South US, the commercial farming of jojoba shrub across the arid lands and deserts of the world including Middle East has increased rapidly after late 1970's. A jojoba test plantation has been grown since 2004 near Nicosia located in the semi-arid Mesaoria Plain of Cyprus Island. Because jojoba has been a new test crop in the region, it has become necessary to characterize the oil characteristics from those jojoba shrubs raised under local environment. The intention of the current survey has been: (i) to study and maximize the oil extraction from jojoba seeds harvested from the test plantation; (ii) to inspect the physical and chemical quality of the oil as specified by the International Jojoba Export Council (IJEC); (iii) to compare these properties with those reported in the literature. Jojoba oil was extracted from its seeds using an oil expeller that was designed and manufactured as a part of the study. The physiochemical properties of jojoba oil listed in the IJEC were determined in three different laboratories accredited by TURKAK. The current results were within the limits of IJEC standard and also in agreement with the other surveys carried out in the Middle East.