Optimization of Pistachio Kernel Cellulose Extraction using Response Surface Methodology: Effects of Key Processing Factors

ABSTRACT: Cellulose is a natural polymer with unique physical and chemical properties, making it widely used in the food industry as an emulsifier, thickener, and stabilizer. Its abundance, biodegradability and non-toxicity make it a preferred material and further enhance its appeal. However, extracting cellulose from plant sources remains a challenging due to the complex structure of plant cell walls. This study focuses on optimizing the extraction of cellulose from pistachio kernel and characterizing its physicochemical properties using response surface methodology (RSM). The extraction process involved alkaline treatment with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution to remove the hemicelluloses and lignin from the pistachio kernel while leaving the cellulose intact and bleaching with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The effects of key factors - solid-liquid ratio, pH, alkaline treatment time, and reaction temperature were evaluated. The results showed that increasing the alkaline treatment time enhanced cellulose yield, reaching 38.6% - 39.48% between 60min-150min. However, excessive temperature and H2O2 dosage led to reduced cellulose extracted from the Asian pistachio kernel. As a result of the optimization through RSM regression analysis (R2 = 0.98, p = 0.05) identified the optimal extraction conditions as 1.0mL of H2O2, 75.58min alkali treatment time and a reaction temperature is 53.10°C, yielding a maximum of 40.0315%. Compare to conventional extraction