Separation of carotenoids from palm oil by adsorption on clays

Abstract

Separation of carotenoids from palm oil was carried out by adsorption on six types of Thai clays, namely bentonite, diatomite, talcum, china clay (Lampang), china clay (Ranong) and ball clay. The efficiencies of acid activated clays and ion-exchanged clays for beta-carotene adsorption were investigated. The preliminary study of factors affecting degradation of beta-carotene extraction in palm oil were antioxidant, which was found that using activated clay without antioxidant to adsorb carotene resulted in degradation of beta-carotene. Then, different types of clays, adsorption temperature, ratios of clay to palm oil, adsorption time and types of eluting solvents were investigated to determine the effect on the percentage of beta-carotene adsorption and beta-carotene recovery, respectively. Results showed that the optimum conditions for beta-carotene adsorption on clays were carried out by using acid activated bentonite which was treated with antioxidant at a ratio of 1:5 by weight of clay to palm oil, at 70 ํC adsorption temperature for 70 minutes could adsorb 99.78 % beta-carotene. The suitable condition for beta-carotene desorption from clay was carried out at room temperature by using tetrahydrofuran as an eluting solvent resulted in 73.73 % beta-carotene desorption. From the above conditions, overall beta-carotene recovery from crude palm oil corresponding to 73.56 % by weight of carotenoids in crude palm oil