RT journal article
T1 On the Optimization of Carob Seed Peel Extraction Using Aqueous-Based Acidic Systems
A1 Medronho, Bruno
A1 Boutoub, Oumaima
A1 Duarte, Hugo
A1 Aliaño González, María José
A1 Guerra, Rui
A1 Brázio, António
A1 Gonçalves, Sandra
A1 Romano, Anabela
A2 Química Analítica
K1 carob seeds
K1 husk extraction
K1 design of experiments
K1 methanesulfonic acid
K1 diffusive reflectance spectroscopy
AB Carob fruit utilization remains limited, with most of their commercial valuederived from locust bean gum, which is obtained from seed endosperm. Efficient extraction requires dehusking, which is traditionally performed under harsh conditions. Thisstudy aims to develop and optimize a milder, more sustainable dehusking method whilepreserving seed quality for industrial applications. Various aqueous-based solvents weretested, leading to the selection of metanesulfonic acid (CH4O3S). A Box–Behnken designwith response surface methodology optimized the process, using husk removal efficiencyas the response variable. The optimized conditions were 24.5 g of seeds treated in 50 mLof a solvent mixture (41% CH4O3S and 59% H2SO4) at 90 ◦C for 10 min, followed bywashing by 5 min with water (87 mL). The treated seeds were analyzed using colorimetryassays and diffusive reflectance spectroscopy and benchmarked against both pristine anddehusked seeds from a local company. The resulting seeds remained morphologicallyintact and exhibited appealing color characteristics comparable to commercial samples.The optimized method ensured intact seed morphology and color characteristics comparable to commercial standards, offering a viable alternative to conventional H2SO4-baseddehusking. Furthermore, this study also highlights for the first time the effectiveness ofdiffusive reflectance spectroscopy as a rapid and straightforward tool for assessing thedehusking process.
PB MDPI
SN 1420-3049
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/37988
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/37988
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 10-nov-2026