Extraction of carotenoids from red pepper pomace with olive oil using ultrasonic method

In this study, carotenoids were extracted from the dried red pepper pomace (seeds were removed prior to use) provided from the paprica paste production plant by using olive oil. A shaking water bath and ultrasonic bath used for the extraction, and 0.4 g/ml solid:solvent ratio were selected. Total carotenoid concentration, total phenolics and total antioxidant activity of the extracts were determined by spectrophotometric methods. Extraction in the ultrasonic bath and in the shaking water bath was carried out in 4 different temperatures including 20 °C, 30 °C, 40 °C, 50 °C and 6 different extraction periods including 2 min, 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 18 min ve 20 min. The effects of temperature and extraction time on the total carotenoid concentration, total phenolic content and total antioxidant activity were determined and then extraction methods were compared according to those data obtained. As a result of extraction that carried out with the shaking water bath and with the ultrasonic bath, it has been observed that the passing of total carotenoids into extracts increased until 15 th minutes of the extraction, but decreased by the 18 th and 20 th minutes (p<0.05). In terms of total carotenoid concentration, the maximum amount was obtained when the extraction applied for 15 minutes at 50 ºC in both extraction methods, but for the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity; maximum amount was obtained from 20 minutes at 50 ° C extraction (p<0.05). When the effectiveness of the ultrasonic bath and the shaking water bath compared, shaking water bath was determined to be more effective at high temperatures, but the ultrasonic bath was more effective only at 20 ºC in terms of total carotenoid concentration (p<0.05). When we compare total phenolic content (except for at 20 ºC 5 min and at 40 ºC 2 min) ultrasonic bath was more effective than the shaking water bath (p<0.05). In terms of total antioxidant activity, ultrasonic bath was more effective than the shaking bath all of the extraction periods and temperatures (p<0.05).