Characterization of fructan extracted from Eremurus spectabilis tubers: a comparative study on different technical conditions.

The fructans, inulin and oligofructose, were known to possess many physiologic properties. In the present study, the Box-Behnken design was used to determine the optimum extraction conditions of fructan from Eremurus spectabilis root powder (Serish) with water extraction, direct and indirect ultrasound assisted extraction methods that gave the maximum yield. Sonication amplitude (20-100 %), sonication temperature (30-70 °C) and sonication time (5-40 min) were considered variables of direct and indirect ultrasound extractions while for conventional extraction the following variables were water to solid ratio (30-50 v/w), temperature (40-90 °C) and time (5-40 min). A second-order polynomial model was fitted to each response and the regression coefficients were determined using least square method. There was a good agreement between the experimental data and their predicted counterparts. In addition to establishing the difference of these extraction methods, the scanning electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, zeta potential and particle size analysis have been shown to be useful tools to investigate, approximate and predict characteristics of extracted fructan. Moreover, comparison of conventional extraction, direct sonication extraction, indirect sonication extraction showed the indirect sonication extraction is a suitable method for fructan extraction.