Research notePreparation of octacosanol from filter mud produced after sugarcane juice clarification

Filter mud from sugarcane juice clarification containing 6.85 g/100 g waxes was used for octacosanol extraction by supercritical CO2 and hot ethanol reflux method, respectively. Comparing with hot ethanol reflux extraction, supercritical CO2 extraction provided a similar yield of waxes but a higher content of octacosanol in the waxes (29.65 g/100 g vs. 22.52 g/100 g). However, saponification of the waxes extracted by hot ethanol reflux extraction has significantly increased octacosanol content to 47.8 g/100 g. For high efficient preparation of octacosanol from filter mud, hot ethanol reflux extraction of waxes followed by saponification was the method of choice.

► Filter mud was used to produce value-added functional ingredient, octacosanol. ► Hot ethanol reflux could efficiently extract wax ester from filter mud. ► Saponification of the wax removed most of the esters and obtained high-purity octacosanol product.