para-Menthane as a Stable Terpene Derived from Orange By-Products as a Novel Solvent for Green Extraction and Solubilization of Natural Substances.
This study aims at investigating p-menthane, a novel bio-based solvent resulting from the hydrogenation of d-limonene, as a green alternative to n-hexane or toluene for the extraction and solubilization of natural substances. First, conductor-like combination of quantum chemistry (COSMO) coupled with statistical thermodynamics (RS) calculations show a comparable solubilization profile of p-menthane and n-hexane for carotene, volatile monoterpenes such as carvone and limonene, and model triglycerides. Other data obtained experimentally in solid/liquid extraction conditions further indicate that p-menthane showed similar performances to n-hexane for extracting carotenes from carrots, aromas from caraway seeds, and oils from rapeseeds, as these products showed a comparable composition. p-Menthane was also tested using common analytical extraction procedures such as Soxhlet for determination of oil content via multiple extraction stages, and Dean-Stark for determination of water content via azeotropic distillation. For both systems, yields were comparable, but for Dean-Stark, the distillation curve slope was higher when using p-menthane, and the time needed to attain 100% water recovery was 55% shorter than for toluene. Taken together, these results reveal the potential of p-menthane as a green replacer for petroleum-based solvents such as n-hexane or toluene.
['Madji|Sara|S|', 'Hilali|Soukaina|S|', 'Fabiano-Tixier|Anne-Sylvie|AS|', 'Tenon|Mathieu|M|', 'Bily|Antoine|A|', 'Laguerre|Mickaël|M|', 'Chemat|Farid|F|']
D001688:Biological Products D002338:Carotenoids D029974:Carum D032084:Citrus sinensis D018552:Daucus carota D057168:Distillation D005227:Fatty Acids D055772:Green Chemistry Technology D007700:Kinetics D008610:Menthol D009812:Odorants D000074262:Rapeseed Oil D012639:Seeds D012995:Solubility D012997:Solvents D014050:Toluene D014867:Water
extraction p-menthane hydrogenation Soxhlet Citrus by-products Dean–Stark green solvent