The extraction of lutein and β-carotene from spinach (Spinacia oleracea L) leaves is important to the dietary supplement industry A Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to investigate the effect of process variables on the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of lutein and β-carotene from spinach Three independent variables, extraction temperature (°C), extraction power (%) and extraction time (min) were studied Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) followed by UV visualization and densitometry was used as a simple and rapid method for both identification and quantification of lutein and β-carotene during UAE Methanol extracts of leaves from spinach and authentic standards of lutein and β-carotene were separated by normal-phase TLC with ethyl acetate-acetone (5:4 (v/v)) as the mobile phase In this study, the combination of TLC, densitometry, and Box-Behnken with RSM methods were effective for the quantitative analysis of lutein and β-carotene from spinach extracts The resulting quadratic polynomial models for optimizing lutein and β-carotene from spinach had high coefficients of determination of 096 and 094, respectively The optimal UAE settings for output of lutein and β-carotene simultaneously from spinach extracts were an extraction temperature of 40 °C, extraction power of 40% (28 W/cm 3 ) and extraction time of 16 min The identity and

/pdf/employing-response-surface-methodology-for-the-optimization-4jak70ejqs.pdf

Employing Response Surface Methodology for the Optimization of Ultrasound Assisted Extraction of Lutein and β-Carotene from Spinach

Continuous agricultural innovations are required to feed the exploding human population through natural or artificial resources. Though light is ample on earth, two-third of unavailable ocean and one-third of available soil are major limiting factors to free growth. Excessive fertilizer usage is irreversibly altering the chemical ecology of soil, further reducing the available area. Seed metabolism might be a potential answer to this resource crunch. Without genetic modification and thus maintaining the existing biodiversity, manipulation of seed metabolism at the very onset of germination is a sustainable alternative. The current work presents seed priming with iron pyrite (FeS2) prior to sowing as one such sustainable and innovative intervention to reduce fertilizer consumption in vegetable (beetroot, carrot), spice (fenugreek), fodder (alfalfa), and oilseed (mustard, sesamum) crops. A 12-h seed pretreatment in an aqueous suspension of nano-iron disulfide/pyrite (FeS2) resulted in significant yield increase in the above crops. While agriculturists aim to restore the natural genomic diversity of different domesticated crops, environmental engineers require technologies to reduce fertilizer consumption without compromising agricultural yields, thereby making the planet more sustainable. This nanoscale seed pretreatment approach using FeS2, otherwise a benign earth abundant mineral, suggests the sustainable opportunity to translate this technology to other crops thereby enhancing the global agricultural production.

/pdf/nano-iron-pyrite-seed-dressing-a-sustainable-intervention-to-ijqen3y7vc.pdf

Nano-iron pyrite seed dressing: a sustainable intervention to reduce fertilizer consumption in vegetable (beetroot, carrot), spice (fenugreek), fodder (alfalfa), and oilseed (mustard, sesamum) crops

A novel extraction method for β-carotene and other carotenoids in fruit juices using air-assisted, low-density solvent-based liquid–liquid microextraction and solidified floating organic droplets

Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera), a green leafy vegetable, is a good source of minerals and vitamins which could be consumed as part of diet to improve human health and well-being. Drying M. oleifera leaves could make it readily available for use as a food fortificant. The objectives of the study were to determine micromineral and β -carotene content of dried M. oleifera leaves, and leaf-incorporated local dishes, and also assess school children's (4-12 yr) acceptability of dried M. oleifera leaf-incorporated local dishes and feasibility of introducing dried leaves into a school lunch menu. M. oleifera leaves were solar dried, milled into powder, and packaged into polythene bags. Moisture level in the dried leaves and pH were determined. Minerals in the leaf powder were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Beta-carotene levels were determined by spectrophotometry. Acceptability tests of dishes fortified with M. oleifera leaf powder were conducted with score sheets (Smileys) on a 5-point hedonic scale of "Like Extremely" to "Dislike Extremely", and dishes ranked to determine preference. Dried M. oleifera leaves contained high levels of micronutrients: 0.36 ± 0.04 mg/100 g Copper (Cu); 5.80 ± 0.68 mg/100 g Manganese (Mn); 20.96 ± 1.37 mg/100 g Iron (Fe); 6.79 ± 1.82 mg/100 g Zn; and 21.42 ± 1.67 mg/100 g β-carotene. The dishes showed significant levels of these minerals compared to the nonfortified dishes (P < 0.05). M. oleifera leaf-fortified dishes were also highly acceptable to the children (highest mean score of 5.0 ± 0 of 5 and lowest of 3.50 ± 1.43 of 5). M. oleifera leaf powder contains high levels of the micronutrients β-carotene, Zn, Mn, and Fe, comparable to levels found in amaranth and spinach. M. oleifera leaf-fortified local dishes were well accepted by children in Ada-East district. M. oleifera leaf fortified dishes could be good sources of β-carotene and other minerals for children vulnerable to malnutrition in Ghana.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/fsn3.395

Micronutrient composition and acceptability of Moringa oleifera leaf-fortified dishes by children in Ada-East district, Ghana.

The awareness of harmful effects of synthetic compounds and an inclination towards the usage of natural products have led to the exploitation of microalgae as a source of natural colors. Because of their health benefits, algal pigments have massive commercial value as natural colorants in the nutraceutical, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. One of the important natural sources of microalgae are antioxidants, bioactive components: such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, β-carotene, sulfated polysaccharides and sterols. However, these antioxidant-rich fractions and carotenoids possess low storage stability and exhibit high sensitivity to light, heat, and oxygen. During the extraction process, there is some loss of required materials, and also, chances of the contamination from toxic solvents. There are few reports on algal-extract encapsulation and algal biomass encapsulation, and only a few types of wall materials that can show better stability, shelf life, and controlled release have been investigated. In this work, we investigated micro-encapsulation of the fresh algal biomass of Tetraselmis chuii and studied the effect of the wall material and the processing conditions of the spray dryer on the preservation of β-carotene and antioxidant compounds. Our studies revealed that a native species of Tetraselmis from Mexico, which is an important aquaculture feed, produce a considerable amount of β-carotene as much as 1.3% of its biomass. We found preservation of 80–92% of beta-carotene and 46–81% phenolic-compounds in freshly microencapsulated microalgae even after three months of storage in dark condition at 25 °C, maltodextrin at 130 °C was found the best wall material. This alga is suitable for use in aquaculture and food industry because fresh microalgae can be microencapsulated without loss of its nutritional values, and it is easier to handle and transport. This can serve as a functional food with better preservation of its antioxidant value and can be processed without any toxic solvent component.

Microencapsulation of algal biomass (Tetraselmis chuii) by spray-drying using different encapsulation materials for better preservation of beta-carotene and antioxidant compounds

This project aimed to develop a simple UV spectrophotometric method for the analysis of -carotene in carrot. Extraction of -carotene from carrot was simply by liquid-liquid extraction and UV absorbance was measured at 461 nm. The developed method was valid for its linearity, accuracy, precision, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitative (LOQ). The UV spectrophotometric method illustrated excellent linearity (r 2 = 0.999) in a range of 1-8 µg/mL. Precision was good with relative standard deviation of less than 6.4% and average recovery was 100.2%. The LOD of UV spectrophotometric measurement was 0.04µg/mL and the LOQ was 0.11µg/mL. The proposed method could be applied to the analysis of -carotene in carrot samples from different sources. The method is reliable, rapid and inexpensive and could be transferred to quality control laboratories.

https://www.pharmacy.mahidol.ac.th/journal/_files/2010.08-16.pdf

W. Nittayanuntawech

Papers

Analysis of -Carotene in Carrot by Spectrophotometry