Direct process integration of extraction and expanded bed adsorption in the recovery of crocetin derivatives from Fructus Gardenia.

A process that integrated an extraction tank (EXT) and an expanded bed adsorption (EBA) into a new system EXT-EBA for direct purifying crocetin derivatives from Fructus Gardenia was described. Conditions were set to allow the extraction and purification in a single step. A comparison between the integrated process and the conventional process to purify crocetin derivatives was presented. The integrated process resulted in 52.79% recovery of crocin compared to 24.12% in the conventional process. The process time and solvent used were decreased in the integrated process. The result suggests that the EXT-EBA integrates extraction, clarification, and purification in a single step, greatly simplifying the process flow and reducing the cost and time of extraction and purification of crocetin derivatives from Fructus Gardenia.