Poster Presentation 7-19

 

Extraction of Nutraceuticals from Milk Thistle:  2.  Hot Water Extraction

 

J. F. Alvarez Barreto,  D. J. Carrier, S. Wallace and E.C. Clausen

 

University of Arkansas, Department of Chemical Engineering

3202 Bell Engineering Center, Fayetteville, AR 72701

 

Telephone: (501) 575-5412; Fax: (501) 575-7926; E-mail: eclause@engr.uark.edu

 

 

High value specialty chemicals are usually obtained by extracting with generally-regarded-as-safe (GRAS) solvents.  The use of these solvents typically implies high operating and disposal costs.  When compared to traditional solvents, water can be viewed as an interesting alternative because of its low operating and disposal costs.  Milk thistle contains flavanolignans (taxifolin, silychristin, silydianin and silybinin), which display hepatoxic protection properties.  This paper examines the extraction of flavanolignans from seed meal in 50oC, 70oC, 85oC and 100oC water.   Overall coefficients for the four compounds are calculated and used as extraction performance indicators.

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