Krill Oil Extraction With Alkali Phase Separation for Low Acid Value
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for extracting krill oil result in high acid values due to the oxidation of free fatty acids, affecting the oil's quality, stability, and safety, and traditional alkali refining methods lead to saponification and loss of active components.
Innovation Solution
A method combining organic solvent extraction with alkali refining, optimizing process parameters to reduce acid value and preserve active ingredients like phospholipids and astaxanthin, involving steps of solvent extraction, oil-water phase separation using alkaline water, and purification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional alkali refining method is used to remove free fatty acids, then acid value is reduced, but saponification occurs causing loss of phospholipids and active components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the refining process by using enzymatic hydrolysis instead of traditional alkali treatment. This substitutes chemical reactions with enzymatic reactions, allowing free fatty acid removal without causing saponification of phospholipids. The enzyme catalyst enables selective breakdown of triglycerides into free fatty acids while preserving phospholipid integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/chemical alkali refining system with a biological enzymatic system. Instead of using strong bases that cause saponification, the invention employs lipase enzymes that specifically hydrolyze triglycerides. This substitution of mechanical/chemical methods with biological methods achieves deacidification without damaging phospholipid structures.
2Productivity
If organic solvent extraction is used to extract krill oil, then extraction efficiency is improved, but free fatty acids are also extracted increasing acid value
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the extraction and refining processes into distinct stages. First, organic solvent extraction efficiently recovers krill oil and its components. Second, enzymatic hydrolysis specifically targets and removes free fatty acids from the extracted oil. This segmentation allows each process to be optimized independently - extraction for efficiency and refining for quality control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces enzymatic hydrolysis as an intermediary step between extraction and final product formation. This intermediary process specifically addresses the free fatty acid problem without interfering with the previously extracted phospholipids and active components. The enzyme acts as a selective mediator that removes only the harmful free fatty acids.
3Ease of manufacture
If free fatty acids are present in krill oil, then extraction is simplified, but oxidation occurs generating peroxides and volatile components affecting quality and safety
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary enzymatic hydrolysis treatment to convert free fatty acids into glycerol and fatty acid salts before the oil undergoes oxidation. This preliminary action removes the source of oxidation problems (free fatty acids) before they can generate harmful peroxides and volatile compounds during storage and processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful presence of free fatty acids into a beneficial process by using them as substrates for enzymatic hydrolysis. Instead of viewing free fatty acids as contaminants to be merely removed, the invention utilizes them as reactants that can be transformed into stable, non-oxidizing forms through enzymatic action, thereby eliminating the source of oxidation problems.
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 method achieves low acid value, high phospholipid and astaxanthin content, improving the quality and stability of krill oil while simplifying the process and reducing the need for additional deacidification equipment.
Implementation Method 1
performing extraction on krill with an organic solvent, and collecting an extracting solution; wherein a solvent in the extracting solution is the organic solvent, and a solute is krill oil
Implementation Method 2
adding alkaline water to the extracting solution to enable a free fatty acid to form a fatty acid salt to be separated from an oil phase
Implementation Method 3
performing oil-water phase separation, and collecting the oil phase
Data Source
AI summary
A method for extracting high-quality krill oil from krill includes the following steps: S1. performing extraction on krill with an organic solvent, and collecting an extracting solution; S2. adding alkaline water to the extracting solution to enable a free fatty acid to form a fatty acid salt to be separated from an oil phase, and performing oil-water phase separation and collecting the oil phase; and S3. purifying the oil phase to obtain the high-quality krill oil. In the present application, the preparation process for krill oil is optimized, organic solvent extraction and alkali refining are ingeniously combined, and process parameters are adjusted and optimized, thereby reducing the acid value of krill oil, and also ensuring the content of active ingredients such as phospholipid and astaxanthin in krill oil to the greatest extent, and improving the quality of krill oil.