Food Analytical Methods

, Volume 8, Issue 9, pp 2261–2272 | Cite as

A Food-Grade Approach to Isolate Crocetin from Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) Extracts

Article
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Abstract

The present study proposes a food-grade approach for the isolation of the valuable apocarotenoid crocetin (CRT) from saffron extracts rich in crocetin esters. Its isolation involved optimization of saffron:solvent ratio (w/v) using response surface methodology (RSM) and encapsulation in deoxycholic acid (DCA) to form an inclusion complex (CRT-DCA). RP-HPLC-DAD was the major tool to monitor the effectiveness of the extraction process. The optimum ratio found (1:180 w/v) spares the precious starting material (yield 62.7 ± 2.5 g dry extract/100 g dry stigmas, CRT purity 98 %) and reduces the cost of the process. The successful formation of the complex was confirmed by an array of techniques such as Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). Encapsulation efficiency (%) measured directly and indirectly was found to be satisfactory.

Keywords

Crocetin Crocins Deoxycholic acid Inclusion complex Saffron Response surface methodology 

Abbreviations

CRT

Crocetin

CCD

Central composite design

DCA

Deoxycholic acid

RSM

Response surface methodology

RP-HPLC-DAD

Reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection

NMR

Nuclear magnetic resonance

FT-IR

Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy

KBr

Potassium bromide

TGA

Thermogravimetric analysis

SEM

Scanning electron microscopy

WAXD

Wide angle X-ray diffractometry

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Notes

Acknowledgments

A.K. thanks the Foundation of State Scholarships (IKY, Athens, Greece) for financial support and appreciates experience gained for the techniques applied in this study during training schools organized by COST Actions FA1101 and FA0906. Authors are indebted to Professor E. Tsatsaroni and Associate Professors D. Bikiaris and E. Pavlidou for access to AUTh instrumentation of their responsibility and scientific support.

Conflict of Interest

Anastasia Kyriakoudi declares that she has no conflict of interest. Maria Z. Tsimidou declares that she has no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects.

Supplementary material

12161_2015_111_MOESM1_ESM.doc (92 kb)
ESM 1 (DOC 92 kb)
12161_2015_111_MOESM2_ESM.doc (173 kb)
ESM 2 (DOC 173 kb)

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Technology, School of ChemistryAristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh)ThessalonikiGreece

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