Author(s)

Ling Wang, Yun Liu

College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China..

The optimum total carotenoids (TC) extraction from rapeseed with solvent extraction method by UV-visible spectrophotometer determination was investigated by using response surface methodology (RSM). Extraction duration, re-peated extraction cycles, solvent-solid ratio and extraction temperature were assumed to be the most important factors affecting solvent extrac-tion for the determination of TC. Optimum sol-vent extraction conditions for maximizing the determination of TC were: extraction duration 7.3h, repeated extraction three times, ratio of solvent-solid (v/w, mL/mg) 29:1, extraction temperature 42°C. Under the optimal conditions, the yield of TC was up to 4.79 mg /100g. The model had a satisfactory coefficient of R2 (= 0.912) and verified experimentally. The results showed that the conditions were mild and use-ful for maximizing a quantitative spectropho-tometer determination of TC in rapeseed.

Carotenoids; Optimization; Solvent Extraction; Response Surface Methodology; Rapeseed

Wang, L. and Liu, Y. (2009) Optimization of solvent extraction conditions for total carotenoids in rapeseed using response surface methodology. Natural Science, 1, 23-29. doi: 10.4236/ns.2009.11005.