Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of β-Carotene from Waste Carrot Residue: Effect of Operating Parameters and Type of Ultrasonic Irradiation

Ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) of beta-carotene was investigated using two sources of ultrasonic irradiations providing understanding into effects of important operating parameters as well as exploring the use of vegetable oils as novel solvents. Using ultrasonic horn, maximum extraction yield of beta-carotene as 83.32% was obtained with 50 min of ultrasound irradiation, 50 degrees C temperature, 100 W power, 60% duty cycle, and solid to solvent ratio of 0.3:20 (g/mL of solvent) whereas using ultrasonic bath, maximum extraction yield of beta-carotene as 64.66% was obtained under optimized operating parameters. Operating UAE in stepwise manner resulted in higher extraction yields of beta-carotene.