Abstract:

In this paper, the extraction kinetics of gallic acid equivalent of polyphenols from Capsicum annium was investigated. Ethanol was used as a solvent for extraction at different temperatures and the extraction medium was set at mixed and unmixed conditions to observe the changes in the kinetics. Two different strategies were applied for modeling. In the first one, four different models; namely Peleg, Mass Transfer, Logarithmic, and Page’s Models were used for mathematically describing the physicochemical behavior of the extraction. The yields of extraction ranged from 1.39-3.27 mg/g depending on the extraction conditions.  Mass transfer was found the best model representing the experimental data. Molecular and effective diffusivities were calculated. In the second strategy, extraction was modeled with the aid of response surface methodology. Extraction yield surface showed a linear relation with temperature, time, and solid-to-liquid ratio. The optimum conditions of extraction were 70°C, 90 minutes and 1/50 g/ml, and 3.29 mg/g gallic acid equivalent of total phenolics were extracted at those conditions. The model equations of this process could contribute to optimize the industrial extraction process and design of drug-delivery systems.

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