title: Optimized extraction of polysaccharides from corn silk by pulsed electric field and response surface quadratic design.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Corn silk is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, which has been widely used for treatment of some diseases. In this study the effects of pulsed electric field on the extraction of polysaccharides from corn silk were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Polysaccharides in corn silk were extracted by pulsed electric field and optimized by response surface methodology (RSM), based on a Box-Behnken design (BBD). Three independent variables, including electric field intensity (kV cm(-1) ), ratio of liquid to raw material and pulse duration (µs), were investigated. The experimental data were fitted to a second-order polynomial equation and also profiled into the corresponding 3-D contour plots. Optimal extraction conditions were as follows: electric field intensity 30 kV cm(-1) , ratio of liquid to raw material 50, and pulse duration 6 µs. Under these condition, the experimental yield of extracted polysaccharides was 7.31% ± 0.15%, matching well with the predicted value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results showed that a pulsed electric field could be applied to extract value-added products from foods and/or agricultural matrix.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutrition and Functional Food, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, PR China.
authors.forename: Wenzhu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhipeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jingbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yiding
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yongguang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Songyi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D005591:Chemical Fractionation / Q000379:methods; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / Q000379:methods; D056626:Inflorescence / Q000737:chemistry*; D007700:Kinetics; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D011134:Polysaccharides