Ultrasonic Assisted Extraction of Natural Pigments from Rhizomes of Curcuma Longa L.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was evaluated as a simpler and more effective alternative to conventional extraction methods for the isolation of curcuminoids from turmeric plant rhizomes. The turmeric samples were extracted under indirect sonication in an ultrasonic bath, and compared with the conventional methods. It was found that the yield of ultrasound-assisted extraction was approximately three times higher than the traditional method. Taguchi experimental design was employed to study the effect of pH, solvent composition and extraction time on the yield of extracted curcuminoids from turmeric. The optimum combination was determined as a solvent composition ethanol/water 70:30 (V: V), pH of 3 and an ultrasound-assisted extraction time of 15 min. The extracts were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).