Development of an optimal simulated-moving-bed process for continuous separation of β-mangostin from mangostin mixture generated through mangosteen processing

There has recently been an industrial interest in β-mangostin, because of the potential for its industrial utilization. An essential requirement for the industrial-scale production of β-mangostin is the highly efficient and economical separation of β-mangostin from mangostin mixture that comes from mangosteen processing. To address this issue, we aimed to develop an optimal simulated-moving-bed (SMB) process for continuous separation of β-mangostin from the aforementioned mangostin mixture with high economical-efficiency, i.e. high productivity. As a first step for this work, the information on the adsorption and mass-transfer behaviors and related parameters for each mangostin component was obtained through single-column experiments, multiple-frontal analysis method, literature correlations, and model fitting, and the SMB optimization computer program based on standing-wave-design frame was constructed. These two were then used to maximize the productivity of the β-mangostin separation SMB (abbreviated as “β-SMB”). According to the results from such optimization, the highest productivity is attained when the particle size of the β-SMB adsorbent is chosen in such a way that the effects of the pressure-drop requirement (SMB pressure drop ≤ 100 psi) and separation-capability requirement (yields of product and non-products ≥ 99.9 %) factors on the β-SMB productivity can balance each other. It was also found that an effective way to further improve the β-SMB productivity is to mitigate the influence of the latter factor by slightly downgrading the target level of β-mangostin yield or strengthening the functions of separation zones. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the simultaneous use of the two aforementioned methods could create a synergy effect, thereby increasing the β-SMB productivity by about 158 % compared to the reference β-SMB process where only the operating conditions were optimized.