(199h) Extraction and Recovery of Sinapic Acid from Oleaginous Biomass (Mustard Bran): A Sustainable Access to a Valuable Phenolic Platform Chemical

The objective of this research project was to develop a cost-effective and sustainable integrated process for the extraction and recovery of sinapic acid from oleaginous “oil-bearing” biomass as a value added chemical alongside cellulose and lignin. Waste products like mustard bran and canola meal are rich in sinapine (~15 mg/g), a derivative of sinapic acid, which has the potential to serve as a value-added product for applications in the cosmetic, the plastic and the pharmaceutical industries due to its antioxidant and anti-UV properties.

By employing an optimized chemo-enzymatic technique, sinapine was effectively liberated and completely converted into sinapic acid. Following this, the sinapic acid was recovered using an extensively optimized membrane filtration technology involving nanofiltration and diafiltration. Lastly, the residual biomass (fats, cellulose, lignin) were also fractionated and characterized for their use in other products. With these unique approaches in fractionation, separation and process integration, the process developed has an improved efficiency, cost effectiveness and environmental impact. The establishment of these processes can lead to new technology developments, and economic opportunities, which can, in turn, enable the cost-effective production of advanced bioproducts.