Soxhlet extraction of Momordica cochinchinensis fruit peel for β-carotene recovery

Abstract

β-Carotene, a potent natural antioxidant, was recovered from the peel of Momordica cochinchinensis (gac) fruit peel using Soxhlet extraction. Experimental results indicated that both the sample mass and solvent flow rate exerted a positive influence on the yield of β-carotene. The β-carotene extraction achieved the highest yield with a solvent mixture of ethyl acetate and acetone in a 6 : 4 (v/v) ratio. Thermal stability assessments revealed that β-carotene exhibited greater stability in acetone compared to ethyl acetate under oxygenated conditions. A kinetic model was developed to describe the β-carotene extraction, facilitating the estimation of key parameters including the extraction rate constant, degradation rate constant, and the maximum extractable β-carotene in the gac peel. The model demonstrated good correlation with experimental data, providing valuable insights for optimizing β-carotene extraction protocols.