Micro- and ultrafiltration technique in separating folic acid in corn (Zea mays var. indentata) hydrolyzate and identification of its monomer as fortificant of natural folic acid

An effort to separate folic acid in horse dent corn hydrolyzate (Zea mays var. indentata) was conducted to recover concentrate as fortificant of natural folic acid. Separation process was done on yellow corn hydrolyzate and white corn hydrolyzate as a result of hydrolysis by protease enzyme of Rhizopus oligosporus strain-C₁ by means of microfiltration (MF) (0.45 µm) and ultrafiltration (UF) (100000 MWCO) equipped in dead-end stirrer filtration cell (DESFC) at room temperature, stirrer rotation speed 400 rpm, and transmembrane pressure (TMP) 20, 30 and 40 psia for 30 minutes. Based on the best folic acid in retentate, result of experiment work indicated that optimization of process pressure in both MF and UF systems were achieved by using white corn hydrolyzate at TMP 30 psia and yellow corn hydrolyzate at TMP 20 psia. In both these treatments gave fluxes of 0.0397 ml/cm².minute and 0.0361 ml/cm².minute and recovery of folic acid 0.64 times and 0.73 times, total solids 1.24 times and 5.76 times, reducing sugars 13.81 times and 2.13 times, total sugars 0.62 times and 0.47 times, and dissolved protein 3.85 times and 2.3 times, respectively compared with feed streams. Identification of folic acid monomer as a result of MF and UF systems on white corn hydrolyzate and yellow corn hydrolyzate were produced 8 and 9 of folic acid monomer dominated by folic acid with MW 442.92 Da. and 442.58 Da., and relative intensities 100 % and 100 %.