| Autor: |
Souza DES; Postgraduate Program Process Engineering, Tiradentes University (UNIT), Campus Farolandia, Aracaju 49032-490, SE, Brazil., Melo JJC; Postgraduate Program Process Engineering, Tiradentes University (UNIT), Campus Farolandia, Aracaju 49032-490, SE, Brazil., Santos FFD; Postgraduate Program Process Engineering, Tiradentes University (UNIT), Campus Farolandia, Aracaju 49032-490, SE, Brazil., Vasconcelos ALDS; Postgraduate Program Process Engineering, Tiradentes University (UNIT), Campus Farolandia, Aracaju 49032-490, SE, Brazil., Jesus ADS; Postgraduate Program Process Engineering, Tiradentes University (UNIT), Campus Farolandia, Aracaju 49032-490, SE, Brazil., Freitas LDS; Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Sergipe (UFS), São Cristóvão 49100-000, SE, Brazil., Souza RL; Postgraduate Program Process Engineering, Tiradentes University (UNIT), Campus Farolandia, Aracaju 49032-490, SE, Brazil.; Institute of Technology and Research (ITP), Aracaju 49032-490, SE, Brazil., Soares CMF; Postgraduate Program Process Engineering, Tiradentes University (UNIT), Campus Farolandia, Aracaju 49032-490, SE, Brazil.; Institute of Technology and Research (ITP), Aracaju 49032-490, SE, Brazil. |
| Abstrakt: |
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of microwave-assisted and conventional extraction using ethanol, hexane, and petroleum ether as solvents, and to optimize the process for extracting oil from Moringa oleifera Lam. seeds, with a focus on improving food-grade oil production. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to enhance the extraction process of the oil. Central composite rotational design (CCRD) was used to analyze the impact of solid-liquid ratio (x 1 ), power (x 2 ), and temperature (x 3 ) on oil yield. The optimization identified the optimal conditions as a solid/liquid ratio of 1:38, power of 175 W, and temperature of 50 °C, achieving a 42% oil yield. Notably, the microwave-assisted extraction reduced the processing time from 8 h (using conventional Soxhlet extraction) to just 1 h. Conventional extraction with hexane and petroleum ether was also performed for comparison, resulting in similar oil content and fatty acid profiles, predominantly, oleic acid. FTIR analysis confirmed that the microwave-extracted oil contained fatty acids and had similar characteristics to the conventionally extracted oil. Thus, the use of ethanol as a green solvent in the microwave has shown significant improvement in terms of time and energy savings compared to the Soxhlet method with toxic solvents. This study concludes that microwave-assisted extraction with ethanol provides a more energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and time-saving alternative for food-grade oil production, aligning with advancements in food engineering and production. |
