Ursolic Acid Extraction from Apple Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for extracting ursolic acid from apple waste, such as apple pomace and peel, result in insufficient yield and purity, requiring significant purification efforts and high costs, with existing solvents often leaving impurities like pectin and saccharides in the final product.
Innovation Solution
A process using a mixture of C1-C6 alkylcarboxylic acid and ethyl acetate as an extractant improves the yield and purity of ursolic acid, allowing efficient separation from complex by-products like pectin and saccharides, making it suitable for large-scale production with reduced impurities and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional extraction methods (water-methanol mixture, ethanol, ethyl acetate) are used to extract ursolic acid from apple pomace, then extraction efficiency is achieved, but the yield and purity of ursolic acid remain insufficient and significant purification efforts are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the extraction solvent by using a specific mixture of ethyl acetate and acetic acid (with acetic acid content of 1-10% by volume) instead of conventional solvents. This parameter change in solvent composition enables selective extraction that simultaneously achieves high extraction efficiency and high ursolic acid purity with minimal impurities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite extraction solvent system by combining ethyl acetate and acetic acid in specific proportions. This composite solvent system leverages the complementary properties of both components: ethyl acetate for extracting ursolic acid and acetic acid for selectively dissolving interfering substances like pectin and saccharides, thereby achieving both high yield and high purity in a single extraction step
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional solvents (water-methanol mixture, ethanol) are used for extraction, then extraction process is simple, but impurities like pectin and saccharides remain in the final product requiring significant purification efforts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the solvent composition parameters by introducing acetic acid (1-10% by volume) into the ethyl acetate system. This parameter change enables the solvent to selectively dissolve and remove impurities such as pectin and saccharides during extraction, achieving purification without adding complex processing steps
Solution Approach 2:
Acetic acid acts as an intermediary substance in the extraction system. It mediates between the ursolic acid and impurities by selectively interacting with interfering substances (pectin, saccharides) to dissolve them in the aqueous phase, thereby facilitating their separation from ursolic acid while maintaining process simplicity
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing extraction methods are used, then extraction can be performed with available solvents, but the costs are high due to significant purification efforts required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the solvent system parameters by using a specific ratio of ethyl acetate to acetic acid (acetic acid at 1-10% by volume). This parameter optimization enables the extraction to achieve both high purity and high yield in a single step, eliminating the need for multiple purification operations and thereby reducing production costs while maintaining solvent availability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process significantly enhances the yield and purity of ursolic acid, reducing the presence of impurities and making it suitable for industrial-scale production as a food additive, cosmetic ingredient, or therapeutic agent.
Implementation Method 1
subjecting the apple waste of step (i) to an extraction to yield a liquid mixture comprising ursolic acid and a solid by-product wherein the extractant used in the extraction step (ii) comprises an C1-C6 alkylcarboxylic acid or mixtures thereof and ethyl acetate
Implementation Method 2
subjecting the apple waste of step (i) to an extraction to yield a liquid mixture comprising ursolic acid and a solid by-product
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The present invention refers to a process for the extraction of a product comprising ursolic acid and its use as food additive or food supplement, as cosmetic ingredient and as a medicament.