title: Production of all trans-beta-carotene by using impinging flow of supercritical carbon dioxide anti-solvent pulverization.
abstract: This work investigated column elution chromatography coupled with supercritical anti-solvent precipitation to produce carotenoid rich microsized particulates from microalgal Dunaliella salina species. The extract contained carotenoids ranging from 61.3 mg/g(salina) to 72.5 mg/g(salina) using ultrasonic stirred ethyl ether or tetrahydrofuran (THF) extraction. When 10 L of ethyl alcohol was employed to elute the THF extract, purity of trans-β-carotene is 823.6 mg/g with a recovery of 86.2%. It was found that the supercritical anti-solvent of THF solution at 160 bar and 318 K produced powdered particulates with a purity of carotenoids above 90%. Subsequently, a central composite response surface design method was used to design supercritical anti-solvent precipitation of carotenoid-rich THF solution. This was accomplished by increasing the pressure from 140 bar to 180 bar and the time from 40 min to 60 min at a feed flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. A CO(2) flow rate of 15 L/min and a temperature of 318 K were also used to determine the effects on purity and recovery of trans-β-carotene. The combined process produced micronized precipitates with a mean particle size ranging from 3.5 μm to 19 μm and the purity of trans-β-carotene attained was 926.8 mg/g with a recovery of 54%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, 250, Kuo-Kuang Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Lee-Muei
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Chng
authors.forename: Yuan-Chuen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chwen-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Shieh
authors.forename: Kuo-Li
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shih-Lan
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Hong-Nong
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Chieh-Ming J
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D005591:Chemical Fractionation / Q000379:methods*; D025924:Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D005663:Furans / Q000737:chemistry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D011312:Pressure; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013010:Sonication; D016823:Volvocida / Q000737:chemistry*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D005663:Furans; D012997:Solvents; D019207:beta Carotene; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; C018674:tetrahydrofuran