RESUMEN
This study examines the supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO(2)) extraction of oryzanols contained rice bran oil from powdered rice bran. The extraction efficiencies and concentration factors of oryzanols, free fatty acids and triglycerides in the SC-CO(2) extracts were determined. With top-flow type SC-CO(2) extraction the total oil yield was 18.1% and the extraction efficiencies of oryzanols and triglycerides were 88.5 and 91.3% respectively, when 2750 g CO(2 )was consumed during the extraction of 35 g rice bran powder. The concentration factors of oryzanols and triglycerides in SC-CO(2)-extracted oil were higher than in the Soxhlet n-hexane extracted oil. SC-CO(2) extractions indicated that pressure can be used more effectively than temperature to enhance the extraction efficiency and concentration factor of oryzanols. A two-factor central composite scheme of response surface methodology was employed to determine the optimal pressure (300 bar) and temperature (313 K) for increasing the concentration of oryzanols in the SC-CO(2) extracted oil.