title: Application of a Box-Behnken design for optimizing the extraction process of agave fructans (Agave tequilana Weber var. Azul).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Agave (Agave tequilana Weber var. Azul) is an industrially important crop in México since it is the only raw material appropriate to produce tequila, an alcoholic beverage. Nowadays, however, these plants have also a nutritional interest as a source of functional food ingredients, owing to the prebiotic potential of agave fructans. In this study, a Box-Behnken design was employed to determine the influence of temperature, liquid:solid ratio and time in a maceration process for agave fructan extraction and optimization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The developed regression model indicates that the selected study variables were statistical determinants for the extraction yield, and the optimal conditions for maximum extraction were a temperature of 60 °C, a liquid:solid ratio of 10:1 (v/w) and a time of 26.7 min, corresponding to a predicted extraction yield of 37.84%. Through selective separation via precipitation with ethanol, fructans with a degree of polymerization of 29.1 were obtained.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Box-Behnken designs are useful statistical methods for optimizing the extraction process of agave fructans. A mixture of carbohydrates was obtained from agave powder. This optimized method can be used to obtain fructans for use as prebiotics or as raw material for obtaining functional oligosaccharides. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology and Bioengineering Department, CINVESTAV-IPN, Av. IPN 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, C. P. 07360 México, DF.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Flores-Girón
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology and Bioengineering Department, CINVESTAV-IPN, Av. IPN 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, C. P. 07360 México, DF.
authors.forename: Juan Alfredo
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Salazar-Montoya
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology and Bioengineering Department, CINVESTAV-IPN, Av. IPN 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, C. P. 07360 México, DF.
authors.forename: Emma Gloria
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Ramos-Ramírez
mesh_terms: D027882:Agave / Q000737:chemistry*; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000737:chemistry*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D005630:Fructans / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008800:Mexico; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010316:Particle Size; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000737:chemistry*; D058105:Polymerization; D056692:Prebiotics / Q000032:analysis*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005630:Fructans; D010936:Plant Extracts; D056692:Prebiotics; D012997:Solvents; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Box-Behnken designs; agave; fructans; prebiotic; response surface