Optimization of simultaneous carotenes and vitamin E (tocols) extraction from crude palm olein using response surface methodology

In this study, response surface methodology was utilized to determine the optimal conditions for the extraction of carotenes (α- and β-carotene) and tocols (α-tocopherol, α-, γ-, and δ-tocotrienol) from crude palm olein using ethyl lactate (EL) and ethanol (EtoL) in a temperature-controlled mixer-settler system. Central composite design with four factors including temperature (X₁), mixing time (X₂), volume fraction (VF) of olein (X₃), and VF of EtOL (X₄) was used to investigate the multivariate relationship with the five responses including enrichment factor and recovery of both carotenes and tocols. The optimum extraction conditions were determined at 20°C, 10 min of mixing, 48% of crude palm olein, 31.2% of EL and 20.8% of EtoL (corresponding to 0.5 VF of olein and 0.4 VF of EtoL). The enrichment factors of carotenes and tocols were 0.88 and 2.56, respectively while 11.3% of carotenes and 31.2% of tocols were recovered.