Extraction of inulin using super critical fluid extractor
Super critical fluid extraction was employed for the extraction of inulin from chicory roots and Response Surface Methodology was used to optimize the effects of processing of extraction yield of inulin considering parameters such as solvent ratio, pressure (bar) and temperature (oC). Tri-dimensional response surfaces and optimal conditions were determined. Contour plots were determined from the mathematical model. In accordance with super critical fluid extraction, maximum inulin yield was obtained as 0.8% at the temperature of 40oC and 100 bar pressure. Conventional extraction technique yields a maximum inulin content of 6.22 % with a solvent ratio of 1:30 at a temperature of 70oC and time 30 mins while the yield of extract (Total soluble solids) was estimated to be 59.09%. Super critical fluid extraction may be used for the extraction of inulin from the roots of chicory for its use as a nutraceutical in functional applications.