Clarification of Stevia

[seetharam annadana]

Clarification of Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.) Bertoni extract by
adsorption in modified zeolites
Élida de Paula Moraes and Nádia Regina Camargo Fernandes Machado*
Departamento de Engenharia Química, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, 87020-900, Maringá, Paraná,
Brasil. *Author for correspondence.

ABSTRACT. Selective adsorption on zeolites X and A was studied with Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.) Bertoni (Asteraceae) extract clarification. Ionic exchanges were made with calcium and barium ions in zeolites NaX and NaA and the effect of contact of aqueous extract of dry Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves with CaX, BaX, CaA and BaA zeolites was evaluated. Stevia
extract in contact with the zeolite CaX showed highest clarification and did not present alterations of initial characteristics in concentration, glycosides and flavor. In batch tests at room temperature, the contact of Stevia aqueous extract and CaX zeolite provided 70-80% clarification. Since zeolite may be reused, an approximate clarification of 65-70% is possible in regenerated zeolite.

Key words: clarification, Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, CaX zeolite, selective adsorption.

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