Optimum extraction process of total phenols from wild onion, Urginea maritima pulps

Abstract

The present study deals with optimization and mathematical modeling of the extraction process of total phenolic compounds from wild onion ( Urginea maritima ) pulps collected from lawns and mountains of Kurdistan region of Iraq. Effect of solvent type, extraction time and the kinetics of the extraction process were investigated throughout preliminary experiments, then 16 extraction experiments were conducted based on an adopted experimental design to model and optimization the extraction temperature, acid catalyst: solvent, and solid: liquid ratios using response surface methodology. The total phenols were quantified for each experiment and the experimental total phenols yields were analyzed. The experimental results indicated that total phenols yield ranged from 85.0.4 to 303.27mg GAE/g obtained at 46.5 o C, 0.6 acid: solvent (ml/20ml), 0.02 solid/liquid (g: ml), and 65 o C, 0.2 acid: solvent (ml/20ml), 0.1 solid: liquid (g: ml), respectively. The response analysis results showed that solid: solvent ratio is the most significant parameter affected positively the total phenols yield followed by acid: solvent ratio with negative effect. The model analysis estimated an optimum value of total phenols 1541.37mg GAE/g reflecting that more than 4 times increase in total phenols yield could be achieved without acidification at 69.84 o C and 0.12 solid/liquid ratio. The optimized results are important from economical point of view for cost reduction of the extraction process as the yield of extraction could be promoted without using the acid catalyst.