OPTIMIZATION OF CHEMICAL NEUTRALIZATION PARAMETERS FOR ENHANCED RICE BRAN OIL RECOVERY AND QUALITY

This research investigates the effect of variable chemical neutralization parameters on the oil recovery, free fatty acid (FFA) level, and gamma-oryzanol content of neutralized rice bran oil, using response surface methodology. The neutralization parameters under study included NaOH concentrations (10-30 degrees Be), temperatures (60-90 degrees C), and process time (5-15 min). Quadratic response models were generated and statistical analysis performed to validate the models. The optimal neutralization condition was 19.24 degrees Be, 74.79 degrees C, and 11.18 min. Under the optimal condition, the predicted oil recovery, FFA level, and gamma-oryzanol were 80.00%, 0.31%, and 1.00%, respectively, while the corresponding experimental results were 80.12%, 0.29%, and 1.02%, respectively, suggesting good agreement between the predicted and experimental data and high predictive ability of the models. The response models could thus be applied to optimizing the neutralization parameters for enhanced oil yield and quality.