Optimization of the preparing processing of ferulic acid from γ-oryzanol with alkaline hydrolysis using response surface methodology

Response surface methodology (RSM ) was used to optimize the processing of alkaline hydrolysis for γ-oryzanol to improve the preparing yield of ferulic acid. On the basis of single factor experiments,a three-factor,three-level Box-Behnken central composite design(CCD) was utilized for the setting of mathematical model and the predicting of ferulic acid preparing yield. The optimum conditions for the preparation of ferulic acid were as follows:hydrolysis time 12.5h,concentration of NaOH 12%,substrate concentration 6.57mg/mL. Under such conditions,the model -predicted and experimental values of ferulic acid yield were 72.68% and 71.33% respectively,revealing 1.89% relative error between them. The developed preparing process was simple, reliable and highly efficient.