Beta-Carotene Extraction via Green-Solvent: Effect of Enzyme and Surfactant Pretreatments

To meet the consumer's interests for natural remedies, food and pharmaceutical industries calls for a safe and green methods for food aims extraction. Besides, carrot juice industry, possess high potential for processing the less expensive by-products to extract high-value ingredients named carotenoids. The purpose of the present study was therefore to extract beta-carotene from carrot pomace using green solvent (distilled water containing 2% ethanol and 4% surfactant). Results showed that among the used solvents for one-cycle extraction, 1-propanol and ethanol without significant differences (P> 0.05) were the most efficient with respectively 0.56 and 0.51 mg/g of CP beta-carotene content. Whiles, for four-cycle extraction the ethanol was the most capable (0.92 mg/g of CP). In addition, the poor ability of 2% ethanol containing distilled water (0.04 mg/g of CP) was significantly increased in the expense of enzyme hydrolysis via Endozym ® Pectofruit  (61 U as pectinase activity). Moreover, the 4% of all of the surfactants (soy lecithin, span 20, tween 20 and 80) were significantly increased the extraction capability of the green solvent, wherein, the highest beta-carotene content was extracted with tween 80 (0.29 mg/g of CP). As well, all surfactants showed synergistic effect with enzyme pretreatment resulting up to 62% efficiency for tween 80 compared to four-cycle extraction with ethanol. All in all, the composed of distilled water: ethanol: tween 80: span 20 (94:2:2:2) led to a green extraction of beta-carotene from carrot pomace with 0.84 mg/ g of CP beta-carotene content and 90% extraction yield.