OPTIMIZATION OF ASTAXANTHIN EXTRACTION FROM LITOPENAEUS VANNAMEI SHRIMP EXOSKELETON USING A TERNARY SOLVENT MIXTURE WITH AUGMENTED SIMPLEX RETICULAR DESIGN

Abstract

In this study, the Simplex Reticular Augmented (SRA) experimental design was used to fit the mathematical equation, that models the yield of astaxanthinextraction from the exoskeleton of Litopenaeus vannamei as a function of the proportions of dichloromethane, acetone, and n-hexane. The fitted equation, with a correlation coefficient R² of 0.9802, demonstrated its validity as a model for calculating extraction yield. Based on the fitted equation, an optimization region containing the six best solvent combinations was defined. This region was located at the top of the simplex, where the concentration of dichloromethane is higher and the polarity of the mixtures ranges between 1.5 and 4. It was determined that the interaction between dichloromethane and n-hexane was not significant at a significance level of 0.05. For a minimum yield of 14 μg/g, it was identified that the optimal mixture for the extraction of astaxanthin should contain 80% dichloromethane and 20% n-hexane, with a polarity of 2.72. This combination led to a yield of 15.6 μg/g, exceeding the yield obtained with dichloromethane alone (14.7 μg/g). The effectiveness of this methodology lies in its ability to systematically explore the design space and provide detailed information on the interactions between solvents.