New microwave-integrated Soxhlet extraction: An advantageous tool for the extraction of lipids from food products

A new process of Soxhlet extraction assisted by microwave was designed and developed. The process is performed in four steps, which ensures complete, rapid and accurate extraction of the samples. A second-order central composite design (CCD) has been used to investigate the performance of the new device. The results provided by analysis of variance and Pareto chart, indicated that the extraction time was the most important factor followed by the leaching time. The response surface methodology allowed us to determine optimal conditions for olive oil extraction: 13 min of extraction time, 17 min of leaching time, and 720 W of irradiation power. The proposed process is suitable for lipids determination from food. Microwave-integrated Soxhlet (MIS) extraction has been compared with a conventional technique, Soxhlet extraction, for the extraction of oil from olives (Aglandau, Vaucluse, France). The oils extracted by MIS for 32 min were quantitatively (yield) and qualitatively (fatty acid composition) similar to those obtained by conventional Soxhlet extraction for 8 h. MIS is a green technology and appears as a good alternative for the extraction of fat and oils from food products.