Optimization and modeling of recovery of pravastatin from aqueous solutions by reactive extraction method

This study aimed to optimize a process for the recovery of pravastatin, a cholesterol-lowering medication, from aqueous solutions. Yields obtained through physical extraction ranged from 2.54% to 7.62%, whereas reactive extraction exhibited a wider range, from 6.86% to 88.52%. Particularly at high pravastatin concentrations (25 mg·L-1), reactive extraction was found to be more effective. Reactive extraction was observed to be more effective due to the wider range of dispersion coefficients of the samples. The research identified a positive correlation between reactant and pravastatin concentrations at high concentrations, indicating higher extraction efficiency. Optimization result determined the predicted extraction efficiency to be 75.14%. The experimental extraction efficiency was determined to be 72.69% under optimal conditions, which was consistent with the values predicted by numerical optimization. This study has contributed to the development of an effective method for pravastatin recovery.