Optimization of ultrasound procedure for the sustainable production of oil from plum seeds

Abstract

In this study, the energy-efficient advanced procedure for the production of oil from plum seeds was proposed. The optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of oil was carried out using the response surface methodology with the Box-Behnken design. The microwave pretreatment (MWP) of 460 W for 3 min was also applied to reduce the total extraction time. The extraction time (15 – 45 min), liquid-to-solid ratio (4 – 10 mL g−1), and extraction temperature (40 – 60 °C) were defined as the factors. The oil yield was considered a response in this optimization study. The ultrasonic bath of 150 W and 40 kHz was used for the production of cavitation energy during the extraction. The optimal conditions were the extraction time of 42 min, the liquid-to-solid ratio of 10 mL g−1, and the extraction temperature of 50 °C. Based on quality analysis, it was concluded that the oil obtained by MWP-UAE had adequate physico-chemical properties. The MWP-UAE was an efficient extraction technique in terms of extraction time and energy consumption.