Affiliation: | 1. School of Science, Monash University Monash University, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, 47500 Malaysia;2. Chemical Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, 47500 Malaysia Advanced Engineering Platform, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, 47500 Malaysia;3. Chemical Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, 47500 Malaysia Monash-Industry Palm Oil Research and Education Platform (MIPO), Monash University, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, 47500 Malaysia;4. International Joint Laboratory on Plant Oils Processing and Safety (POPS), Jinan University-Univesiti Putra Malaysia, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, 43400 Malaysia;5. Sime Darby Research Sdn Bhd, R&D Carey Island-Upstream, Lot 2664 Jln Pulau Carey, Carey Island, Selangor, 42960 Malaysia;6. Department and Agricultural and Food Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kampar, Perak, 31900 Malaysia |
Abstract: | Palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) is a rich source of vitamin E. As compared to other vegetable oil, PFAD has higher tocotrienol (70–80%) over tocopherol content, which makes it a valuable source for vitamin E extraction. Current vitamin E extraction methods are not sustainable due to the intensive usage of chemical and high operational cost. Hence, the present study investigated for the first time using dry fractionation process as a green and economical pretreatment method for separating solid fraction (stearin) and liquid fraction (olein) in order to concentrate vitamin E from PFAD in olein fraction. We examined the dry fractionation conditions: crystallization ending temperature (36–44 °C), cooling rate (0.3 and 1.5°C min−1), stirring speed (20–125 rpm), and holding time (0–60 min) on the composition of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids as well as vitamin E content in liquid fraction (olein) and solid fraction (stearin) using gas chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography, respectively. In most of these conditions, vitamin E was ultimately higher in olein fraction as compared to stearin fraction, which is correlated with the high degree of unsaturation. Under a cooling rate of 0.3°C min−1, 90 rpm stirring speed, and ending crystallization of 38 °C, the highest vitamin E rich olein fraction was attained with 1479 ± 10.51 ppm in 50 g olein fraction as compared to 1366 ± 7.94 ppm in 500 g of unfractionated PFAD. |