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Gavril (Rațu) RN, Constantin OE, Enachi E, Stoica F, Lipșa FD, Stănciuc N, Aprodu I, Râpeanu G. Optimization of the Parameters Influencing the Antioxidant Activity and Concentration of Carotenoids Extracted from Pumpkin Peel Using a Central Composite Design. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1447. [PMID: 38891255 PMCID: PMC11174748 DOI: 10.3390/plants13111447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
It has been discovered that the peel of a pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima), regarded as a waste product of pumpkin processing, has significant amounts of carotenoids and other antioxidants. This study aims to identify the most effective extraction parameters for an ultrasonic-assisted extraction method to extract the total carotenoids (TCs) and assess the antioxidant activity (AA) of pumpkin peel. To determine the effects of the extraction time, temperature, and material-to-solvent ratio on the recovery of TCs and AA, a response surface methodology utilizing the central composite design (CCD) was used. The extraction temperature (6.25-98.75 °C), extraction duration (13.98-128.98 min), and solvent ratio (0.23-50.23 mL) were the variables studied in the coded form of the experimental plan. The carotenoid concentration varied from 0.53 to 1.06 mg/g DW, while the AA varied from 0.34 to 7.28 µM TE/g DW. The findings indicated that the optimal extraction parameters were an 80 °C temperature, a 10 mL solvent ratio, and a 100 min extraction time. The study confirmed that the optimum extraction conditions resulted in an experimental TC yield of 0.97 mg/g DW and an AA of 7.25 µM TE/g DW. Overall, it should be emphasized that the extraction process can be enhanced by setting the operating factors to maximize the model responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana Nicoleta Gavril (Rațu)
- Department of Food Technologies, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” University of Life Sciences, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700489 Iasi, Romania; (R.N.G.); (F.D.L.)
- Department of Food Science, Food Engineering, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Dunărea de Jos University of Galati, 800201 Galați, Romania; (O.E.C.); (E.E.); (N.S.); (I.A.)
| | - Oana Emilia Constantin
- Department of Food Science, Food Engineering, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Dunărea de Jos University of Galati, 800201 Galați, Romania; (O.E.C.); (E.E.); (N.S.); (I.A.)
| | - Elena Enachi
- Department of Food Science, Food Engineering, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Dunărea de Jos University of Galati, 800201 Galați, Romania; (O.E.C.); (E.E.); (N.S.); (I.A.)
| | - Florina Stoica
- Department of Pedotechnics, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” University of Life Sciences, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700489 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Florin Daniel Lipșa
- Department of Food Technologies, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” University of Life Sciences, 3 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700489 Iasi, Romania; (R.N.G.); (F.D.L.)
| | - Nicoleta Stănciuc
- Department of Food Science, Food Engineering, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Dunărea de Jos University of Galati, 800201 Galați, Romania; (O.E.C.); (E.E.); (N.S.); (I.A.)
| | - Iuliana Aprodu
- Department of Food Science, Food Engineering, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Dunărea de Jos University of Galati, 800201 Galați, Romania; (O.E.C.); (E.E.); (N.S.); (I.A.)
| | - Gabriela Râpeanu
- Department of Food Science, Food Engineering, Biotechnology and Aquaculture, Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Dunărea de Jos University of Galati, 800201 Galați, Romania; (O.E.C.); (E.E.); (N.S.); (I.A.)
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