The extraction of β-Carotene from palm mesocarp via green sub-critical carbon dioxide

Abstract

This study provides an explanation on experiments involving subcritical carbon dioxide extraction of palm oil from treated palm mesocarp to determine palm oil yield and the concentration of s-Carotene. As a comparison, Soxhlet extraction with six different solvents is posited as the conventional method. The overall oil yield is measured as the weight of oil per weight of sample, while anti-oxidant activity is determined by using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryihydrazyl radical scavenging method. The sub-critical extraction is conducted at a constant temperature of 30°C and four different pressures at 10 MPa, 15 MPa, 20 MPa and 25 MPa. Results show that the sub-critical extraction may produce a higher concentration of s-Carotene than Soxhlet extraction, despite having a lower oil yield. Besides, the anti-oxidant analysis indicates a similar trend to the concentration of s-Carotene. Then, the best condition for a sub-critical extraction is found to occur at 25 MPa and 30°C.