Pre-treatment effects on the extraction efficiency of xanthophylls from marigold flower (Tagetes erecta) using hexane

The marigold flower (Tagetes erecta) is one of the richest natural sources of xanthophylls, mainly lutein. Its saponified extract is used as an additive in several food and pharmaceutical industries. However, the efficiency in the xanthophylls extraction from this natural source depends heavily upon an appropriate prior treatment, given to the flower, to increase wall-cells permeability and facilitate the diffusive mechanisms of mass exchange between immiscible phases during the lixiviation process. In this work, the effect of different treatments on marigold flower to increase the xanthophylls extraction efficiency is studied. The results clearly indicate the interrelation that exists between the treatment and the extraction. It is shown that almost full recovery of the xanthophylls contents can be achieved when the marigold is treated with hydrolytic enzymes synthesized by microbiota associated to marigold flowers. These results have significant impact on the cost-efficiency of the process.