Journal of Food Engineering 80 (2007) 832838 www.elsevier.

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Optimization of a physical concentration process for inulin

Juliana Tofano C. Leite Toneli a,b,*, Fernanda Elisabeth X. Murr a, Paula Martinelli a, b Inacio Maria Dal Fabbro , Kil Jin Park b
b a School of Food Engineering, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), P.O. Box 6121, 13083-970 Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil School of Agricultural Engineering, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), P.O. Box 6011, 13083-875 Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Received 31 March 2006; received in revised form 21 July 2006; accepted 31 July 2006 Available online 2 October 2006

Abstract This work reports a process optimization study to obtain a concentrated solution of inulin from chicory roots. The crude inulin extract was obtained from a hot water extraction process followed by concentration under reduced pressure to a soluble solids concentration of 24 Brix. The concentrated inulin solution was then submitted to a lowering of the temperature followed by centrifugation for phase separation, to obtain a more concentrated solution. The results of the precipitated mass rate (by weight) as well as the soluble solids concentration (Brix) were evaluated by means of three variables precipitation temperature, centrifugation velocity and centrifugation time interval. A central composite experimental design with ve variation levels was used and response surface methodology applied for the data analysis. The statistical analysis of the results showed that only the factor temperature aected the mass precipitation rate. However, the soluble solids concentration suered the inuence of all three variables studied. 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Diusion; Soluble solids; Experimental design; Temperature and centrifugation

1. Introduction Inulin is a storage polysaccharide consisting of a chain of fructose molecules with a terminal glucose molecule (GFn). Inulin is present in more than 30,000 vegetable products, amongst which chicory roots are considered suitable for industrial application, due to the production of a long, stable GFn chain, as well as the constant production of the vegetable even in moderate climates (Robinson, 1995; Silva, 1996; Van Loo, Coussment, Leenheer, Hoebregs, & Smits, 1995). Initially, the application of inulin from chicory roots in the food industry was restricted to the production of a drink similar to coee, due to its bitter
Corresponding author. Address: School of Agricultural Engineering, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), P.O. Box 6011, 13083-875 Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Tel.: +55 19 35211104; fax: +55 19 35211005. E-mail addresses: juliana@agr.unicamp.br (Juliana Tofano C. Leite Toneli), fexmurr@fea.unicamp.br (Fernanda Elisabeth X. Murr), inacio@ agr.unicamp.br (I.M.D. Fabbro), kil@agr.unicamp.br (K.J. Park). 0260-8774/$ - see front matter 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2006.07.012
*

taste. However, it was found that inulin could substitute sugar and fat with the advantage of exhibiting low caloric value (Applied Technology, 1993). The application of inulin as a fat substitute is associated with its capacity of producing a cream-like substance, similar to fat dissolved in water, which can act as a rheological modier (Candido & Campos, 1995; Silva, 1996). Silva (1996) reported that interactions of inulin with hydrocolloids can result in systems with synergistic viscosity combined with ow-ability, which may be lacking in pure hydrocolloid water systems. Such properties support the application of inulin to increase viscosity, giving body and optimizing the texture of low-calorie beverages as well as providing spread-ability to low fat and no fat products, yogurts, salad dressings, mousses, chocolates, etc. The employment of inulin in low calorie and low fat content products is already widespread in Europe, the United States and Canada. Although applied as a texturizing compound and fat substitute, inulin also exhibits some nutritional properties. During digestion, inulin acts as a

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Nomenclature b df T t MS PM SD SS SSq v VC regression coecient degrees of freedom temperature (C) centrifugation time (min) mean squares precipitation mass rate (weight/weight) (db) standard deviation soluble solids concentration of the precipitated inulin (Brix) sum of squares centrifugation velocity or rotation (rpm) variation coecient (%) Subscripts o average eect p precipitation 1 linear eect of the precipitation temperature 2 linear eect of the centrifugation velocity 3 linear eect of the centrifugation time 11 quadratic eect of the precipitation temperature 22 quadratic eect of the centrifugation velocity 33 quadratic eect of the centrifugation time 12 interaction eect between Tp and v 13 interaction eect between Tp and t 23 interaction eect between v and t

dietary ber, contributing to the growth of bidobacteria and to the improvement of the overall conditions in the human gastrointestinal system (Roberfroid, Gibson, & Delzene, 1993; Silva, 1996). Due to these properties, food and pharmaceutical industries have found applications for inulin in the production of functional food, in nutritional composites and in medicines. Inulin is mostly commercialized as a powder, which provides for easier manipulation, transportation, storage and consumption. The most frequently used method to obtain this form of inulin is the drying of a liquid extract by spray drying, which requires a signicant amount of energy. The liquid extract is usually concentrated by evaporation before drying to reduce energy expenditure. According to Silva (1996), inulin is soluble in water, the solubility being temperature dependent. At 10 C its solubility is about 6% whereas at 90 C it is about 35%. Kim, Faqih, and Wang (2001) reported that at 25 C, inulin was almost insoluble in water but its solubility increased signicantly with increasing temperature. Low solubility at low temperatures is a useful property, which can be employed to obtain precipitates from aqueous inulin solutions. Berghofer, Cramer, Schmidt, and Veigl (1993) reported the application of hot water extraction followed by a crystallization process to isolate inulin from sliced chicory roots. The authors observed that when the temperature decreased from 95 to 4 C and remained at this temperature for a period of 30 h, part of the inulin content precipitated as a powder or crystallized as a paste like substance that could be removed by ltration and then spray dried to obtain a powder. Hebette, Delcour, and Koch (1998) reported the occurrence of a semi-crystalline aqueous suspension when concentrated inulin solutions of 3040% by weight were cooled at a rate of 1 C/min or 0.25 C/min from 96 to 20 C. Park, Park, Park, Nogueira, and Leite (2000) and Leite (2001) veried phase separation when inulin extracts were submitted to decreasing temperatures, resulting in the precipitation of a pasty substance. The same authors reported that cooling

down the concentrated inulin solution, followed by phase separation by physical means, would be a good alternative process to obtain a concentrated inulin extract before spray drying. The objective of this work was to optimize a process to obtain a concentrated inulin solution from chicory roots by diusion in hot water, followed by concentration by evaporation and phase separation eected by lowering of the temperature and centrifugation. 2. Methodology 2.1. Obtaining and processing of the raw material The chicory plants were cultivated at the School of Agricultural Engineering (FEAGRI/UNICAMP) Experimental Station, located in Campinas, SP, Brazil. The seeds employed were identied as the species Cichorium intybus var. Orchies, provided by CPQBA/UNICAMP. The seeds were sown at the beginning of March in styrofoam trays, employing vermiculite substrate. The plants were irrigated at 12-hourly intervals (beginning and end of the day) using a sprinkler. Approximately one month after sowing, the seedlings were transplanted to the eld and planted in seedbeds, with 50 cm spaces between the lines and 25 cm between the plants. During the growing period, water was supplied when necessary by means of irrigation practices. The chicory was harvested in the spring, during the month of October, before owering. According to Figueira (2001), the highest inulin concentration occurs in chicory roots during the above-mentioned harvesting period. After owering, the inulin concentration in the roots decreases, due to its conversion into fructose, which will be absorbed by the plant. After harvesting, the roots were thoroughly washed with a pressurized water jet to remove remaining soil and other impurities. In sequence, deteriorated parts were removed and the roots sliced to begin the inulin extraction process.

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2.2. Obtainment of the concentrated inulin solution The inulin was extracted by hot water diusion, after grinding the sliced roots in a Stephani multiprocessor. Extraction was carried out in an ICMA vaporized boiler, equipped with a stirring element, as follows. Hot water was added to the triturated roots in a proportion of 2 kg of water to 1 kg of roots. The mixture was then kept at an average temperature of 80 2 C for 1 h, with continuous stirring. Extraction was made in four stages, according to the boiler capacity. The liquid inulin solutions obtained at the end of each stage were ltered through a cloth to remove large root pieces and then through a paper lter to remove smaller particles. The resulting solution was concentrated by evaporation in a Flender Himmel vacuum evaporator. Silicon based antifoaming substances were added to the ltered extract at a concentration of 300 ppm. The evaporation temperature was maintained at 70 3 C until the soluble solids concentration reached 22 Brix under a vacuum of 15 2 in. of Hg. The concentrated inulin solutions were bulked together in the boiler and warmed to 80 C with constant stirring for 1 h to obtain a single extract with a homogeneous concentration. 2.3. Inulin precipitation process The temperature was reduced to precipitate the inulin followed by centrifugation to separate the phases. Samples of approximately 600 g of the concentrated inulin solution were removed after bulking and placed in plastic containers. These recipients were stored in ve dierent environments with temperatures varying from 16 to 24 C, according to the levels dened in the experimental design. To obtain the precipitated inulin, centrifugation was performed after the temperature reduction. Samples submitted to only slight cooling were removed from the refrigerator and placed directly into the centrifuge tubes. Frozen samples were rst thawed at 25 C (room temperature) and then centrifuged. The centrifugation process was performed at a temperature of 5 C using a Sorvall RC 26 Plus centrifuge, with a superlite GSA Sorvall rotor, model SLA 1500, employing 250 ml tubes and dierent time/velocity combinations, according to the levels dened in the experimental design. The times of refrigeration, freezing and thawing were not independent variables and they were established as 24 h.
Table 1 Experimental design real level values Variables Codied levels 1.68 Precipitation temperature (C) Centrifugation velocity (rpm) Centrifugation time (min) 24 6000 15

For the centrifugation process, a sample of 540 g was equally divided into three parts of 180 g for each of three tubes. The analyses were carried out in duplicate. The precipitated mass rate was calculated as the ratio between the total precipitated mass of inulin and the concentrated extract mass placed in the centrifuge tubes, on a dry weight basis. The soluble solids in the precipitated inulin were mea sured using an Abbe refractometer, following the Adolfo Lutz Institute method no. 13.6.1 (Instituto Adolfo Lutz, 1976). The precipitated inulin was diluted in water at a rate of 1:9 and the reading obtained multiplied by 10, due to the opacity of the highly concentrated sample. A 23 factorial experimental design with six trials plus three central points, totalizing 17 experiments, was adopted to optimize the inulin precipitation process. Three independent variables were evaluated: cooling/freezing temperature of the concentrated extract or precipitation temperature (Tp), centrifugation velocity (v) and centrifugation time (t). The responses are summarized as precipitation mass rate (PM) and soluble solids concentration in the precipitates (SS). A second order mathematical model was used to analyze the eects of the independent variables on the precipitation mass rate and on the soluble solids concentration using the software Statistica 5.0, according to Eq. (1) PM on SS bo b1 T p b2 V b3 t b11 T 2 b22 v2 p b33 t2 b12 T p v b13 T p t b23 vt 1

The validity of the mathematical model obtained was veried by applying the analysis of variance and determining the relative deviations between the values calculated using the mathematical model and the experimental values. Table 1 presents the real values corresponding to the codied levels of the experimental design. The 17 trials corresponding to the experimental design can be seen in Table 3, where the average precipitation mass rate and soluble solids concentration in the precipitate are also presented. 3. Results and discussion 3.1. Extraction process results Three hundred and sixty-nine plants were harvested, corresponding to 172.13 kg of roots, of which only 76.15% were considered healthy, exhibiting a white surface appearance. Eighty-eight roots, corresponding to 23.85%

1.0 16 6810 21

0 4 8000 30

1.0 8 9190 39

1.68 16 10,000 45

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of the total roots harvested, showed a darkening of some external supercial parts and of some internal areas, accompanied by an extremely unpleasant smell. Some of these plants showed 100% of the roots deteriorated, with a consequent total loss of these plants at the experimental station. The remaining plants showed less loss, it being possible to use parts of the vegetable organs. Table 2 exhibits the water and root masses employed in each of the four extraction steps, as well as the mass and soluble solids concentration of the resulting ltered extract. The ltered liquid extract was concentrated by evaporation to the soluble solids concentration of 22 Brix.

3.2. Inulin precipitation process The precipitation mass rate obtained in the dierent trials varied from 39.19% to 67.841%, as shown in Table 3. The best result was associated with test number 9, in which the temperature was set at 24 C, the centrifugation velocity at 8000 rpm and the time interval at 30 min. In contrast, the lowest concentration results corresponded to the test 10, the temperature of 16 C under the same conditions of velocity and centrifugation time, and to the test 8. These results indicated a clear tendency to increase the inulin precipitation mass rate with reduction in the precipitaTable 2 Data of the process steps for the extraction of inulin from chicory roots Process number Root mass (kg) Water mass (kg) Filtered extract mass (kg) Soluble solids (Brix) 1 31.56 63.12 51.20 8.50 2 34.50 69.00 58.08 8.30

tion temperature, which was observed to be independent of centrifugation velocity and time. The soluble solids concentration in the precipitate varied from 16.5 to 23.5 Brix, observing that test 3 showed the best result at 16 C, a velocity of 9190 rpm and a time interval of 21 min. Test number 6 showed the lowest soluble solids concentration, with a temperature of 8 C, a velocity of 6800 rpm and time of 40 min. These results demonstrate the inuence of the three parameters studied on the concentration of soluble solids in the inulin precipitate. To verify the eect of each variable on the evaluated response, the precipitation process of inulin was optimized using the software Statistica 5.0 and the data presented in Table 3. The adjustment coecients of the experimental data to the mathematical model represented by Eq. (1) are presented in Table 4. The results shown in Table 4 demonstrate that only the coecients bo and b1 were considered statistically signicant at a 95% condence level, when the mass rate was considered. This implies that amongst the variables considered in this study, only the precipitation temperature showed a statistically signicant eect on the precipitation mass rate in the interval considered. The negative value of the b1 coecient indicates that the precipitation rate showed a tendency to increase as the temperature lowered, independent of the centrifugation time and velocity.

3 33.80 67.60 64.84 8.20

4 28.00 56.00 47.45 8.00

Total 127.86 255.72 221.57 8.25

Table 3 Average mass rate and soluble solids concentrations corresponding to the inulin precipitation test based on a 23 complete factorial experimental design, with six axial points and three central points Test Variables Tp 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1.68 1.68 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 V 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1.68 1.68 0 0 0 0 0 t 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1.68 1.68 0 0 0 PM (w/w) dry basis Average (%) 64.58 67.53 67.25 65.00 41.59 42.36 40.65 39.19 67.84 39.30 54.87 52.24 58.98 57.59 64.90 64.58 67.53 SD (%) 2.67 1.99 0.89 0.14 0.05 0.38 0.61 0.77 2.04 0.35 0.60 1.68 2.88 1.35 6.92 2.67 1.99 VC (%) 4.14 2.95 1.33 0.22 0.11 0.90 1.51 1.96 3.01 0.88 1.09 3.21 4.88 2.34 10.67 4.14 2.95 SS (Brix) Average (%) 21.0 22.5 23.5 20.5 16.8 16.5 18.0 18.0 23.0 18.3 18.0 20.3 18.0 17.3 19.3 18.8 19.0 SD (%) 0.00 0.71 0.71 2.12 1.06 0.71 1.41 1.41 0.00 0.35 0.71 3.18 1.41 0.35 2.48 1.77 0.00 VC (%) 0.00 3.14 3.01 10.35 6.33 4.29 7.86 7.86 0.00 1.94 3.93 15.71 7.86 2.05 12.86 9.43 0.00

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Table 4 Regression coecients associated with the codied mathematical models for precipitation mass rate and soluble solids concentration in the precipitated inulin Regr. coe. Mass rate Eect bo b1 b11 b2 b22 b3 b33 b12 b13 b23 0.600 0.109 0.025 0.006 0.025 0.002 0.009 0.005 0.002 0.551 Standard deviation 0.022 0.010 0.011 0.010 0.011 0.010 0.011 0.013 0.013 0.633 t (7) 27.45 10.60 2.24 0.60 2.24 0.17 0.76 0.40 0.13 0.87 p 0.000 0.000 0.060 0.568 0.060 0.874 0.473 0.704 0.900 0.412 Soluble solids concentration Eect 18.969 1.922 0.679 0.515 0.147 0.221 0.384 0.281 0.156 0.531 Standard deviation 0.144 0.068 0.075 0.068 0.075 0.068 0.075 0.088 0.088 0.088 t (7) 131.70 28.40 9.10 7.61 1.97 3.26 5.16 3.18 1.77 6.01 p 0.000 0.001 0.012 0.017 0.187 0.083 0.036 0.086 0.219 0.027

Values marked in italics are statistically signicant coecients at a level of 95%. Table 5 Analysis of variance associated with the reduced codied mathematical models corresponding to the precipitation mass rate and the soluble solids concentration, evaluated at 95% of condence Source of variation Precipitation mass rate, R2 = 0.88 SSq Regression Residues Lack of adjustment Pure error Total 0.1617 0.0228 0.0190 0.0038 0.1845 df 1 15 13 2 16 MS 0.1617 0.0015 0.0015 0.0019 0.0115 Fcalc 106.36 0.77 Ftab 4.54 19.42 Soluble solids concentration, R2 = 0.89 SSq 65.52 8.08 7.95 0.13 73.60 df 5 11 9 2 16 MS 13.10 0.73 0.88 0.06 4.60 Fcalc 17.85 14.14 Ftab 3.20 19.38

If a condence level of 95% is considered, associated with the soluble solids concentration in the precipitate masses presented in Table 4, the coecients bo, b1, b11, b2, b33 and b23 are statistically signicant. This is equivalent to saying that, the average eect, the linear and quadratic eects of the precipitation temperature, the linear eect of centrifuge velocity and the quadratic eect of the centrifugation time were statistically signicant, with respect to the soluble solids content of the inulin precipitate. The results also showed that the interaction between velocity and centrifugation time exhibited a signicant eect on the soluble solids concentration of the inulin precipitate. Based on these results, the codied mathematical model representing the precipitation process (Eq. (1)), can be reduced to a two parameter linear model, associated with the precipitation mass rate, and a quadratic model containing six parameters, associated with the soluble solids concentration (Eqs. (2) and (3), respectively) PM 0:5521 0:1088 T p SS 19:16 1:92 T p 0:64 T2 p 0:52 3 v 0:43 t2 0:53 v t 3 2

higher than the F value shown in the table. The results also show that the calculated F value was about 25 times less than the values displayed in the tables between the lack of adjustment and pure error. The association of these results to the high correlation factor (R2 = 0.88) indicates that the model proposed represented the experimental data well.

The analysis of variance was performed to verify the validity of the models represented by Eqs. (2) and (3) and the results are presented in Table 5. The results of the analysis of variance associated with the precipitation mass rate indicate that the F value between the regression and the residues is almost 23 times

Fig. 1. Response surface obtained from the reduced codied model corresponding to the precipitation mass rate.

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The results of the analysis of variance associated with the soluble solids concentration indicate that the F factor associated with the soluble solids concentration calculated from the regression and residues, is close to six time higher than the F value shown in the table. The calculated F value associated with the lack of t and the pure error is close to 1.4 times lower than the value shown in the table. The association of these results with the correlation factor (R2 = 0.890) indicates that the proposed model provides a good representation of the experimental data for the soluble solids concentration. The mean absolute deviation related to the precipitation mass rate obtained from Eq. (2), related to the experimental data was 5.58%. The remaining experimental results exhibited a mean absolute deviation

value less than 10%, although a value of 15% had been observed. The soluble solids concentration values generated from Eq. (3) showed a mean deviation value of 2.94%. By considering the analysis of variance valid associated with the high correlation values as well as the low absolute average deviation values, the mathematical models generated to explain the precipitation mass rate and the soluble solids concentrations in the precipitates, can be considered valid for the intervals of precipitation temperature, centrifuge velocity and time studied. In this way, Eq. (2) was employed to generate the response surface related to the precipitation mass rate, as presented in Fig. 1. Eq. (3) was employed to generate the response surface associated with the soluble solids concentration in the inulin precipi-

Fig. 2. Response surface obtained from the reduced codied model corresponding to the soluble solids concentration: (a) temperature versus centrifugation velocity; (b) temperature versus centrifugation time; (c) velocity versus time of centrifugation.

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tate as a function of the precipitation temperature, centrifugation time and velocity, as presented in Fig. 2. From Fig. 1, it can be seen that the precipitation temperature had an eect on the mass yield in the range studied. This result indicates that a reduction in storage temperature of the concentrated inulin solution results in a better precipitation mass yield. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the temperature of 24 C was that presenting a better precipitation mass yield, independent of the centrifugation velocity and time used. From Figs. 2(a) and (b) it can be seen that the precipitation temperature had an eect on the soluble solids concentration in the inulin precipitates, as observed from the precipitation mass rate. According to the tendency of the response surfaces observed in Figs. 1, 2(a) and (b), a reduction in the precipitation temperature to values inferior to 24 C would lead to an even better precipitation mass rate and soluble solids concentration. However, this must be evaluated in future experiments. Figs. 2(a) and (b) show the positive eect of the centrifugation velocity on the soluble solids concentration. From Fig. 2(c), an interaction between the centrifugation velocity and time can be observed. Higher centrifugation velocities require lower centrifugation time intervals to reach the same soluble solids concentration in the inulin precipitate. This result is dierent from that obtained for the precipitation mass rate, for which the centrifugation time and velocity were not statistically signicant.

trifuge velocity and time, would be storing the concentrated solution at a temperature of 24 C followed by centrifugation at a velocity of 10,000 rpm for a time interval of 15 min, considering the interaction between the velocity and time of centrifugation. Acknowledgements We acknowledge the Faculty of Food Engineering (FEA/UNICAMP, the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering (FEAGRI/UNICAMP)), The State of Sao Paulo Re search Foundation (FAPESP), The National Council for Scientic and Technological Development (CNPq) and the Fundacao Coordenac o de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal a de Nvel Superior (CAPES) for their nancial support. References
Applied Technology (1993). Converting chicory not just a cup of coee. Dairy Foods, 94(11), 112. Berghofer, E., Cramer, A., Schmidt, V., & Veigl, M. (1993). Pilot-scale production of inulin from chicory roots and its use in foodstus. In A. Fuchs (Ed.), Inulin and inulin-containing crops (pp. 121127). Amsterdam: Elsevier Science. Candido, L. M. B., & Campos, A. M. (1995). Alimentos para ns especiais: dieteticos. Sao Paulo: Livraria Varela, 423p. Figueira, G. M. (2001). Desenvolvimento agrotecnologico da especie Cichorium intybus L. Tese (Doutorado em Engenharia Agrcola) Faculdade de Engenharia Agrcola, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, 68p. Hebette, C. L. M., Delcour, J. A., & Koch, M. H. J. (1998). Complex melting of semi-crystalline chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) root inulin. Carbohydrate Research, Netherlands, 310(12), 6575. Instituto Adolfo Lutz (1976). Normas analticas do instituto Adolfo Lutz. V.1, 371p. Leite, J. T. C. (2001). Obtencao de extrato de inulina de chicoria (Cichorium intybus) por abaixamento de temperatura e secagem por spray dryer. Dissertacao (mestrado em Engenharia Agrcola) Faculdade de Engenharia Agrcola, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, 112p. Kim, Y., Faqih, M. N., & Wang, S. S. (2001). Factors aecting gel formation of inulin. Carbohydrate Polymers, 46(2), 135145. Park, K. J., Park, T. H. K. B., Park, K. J. B., Nogueira, R. I., & Leite, J. T. C. (2000). Processo de obtencao de concentrado de inulina por abaixamento de temperatura e separacao fsica. BR Patente numero PI 0003867-9. Roberfroid, M., Gibson, G. R., & Delzene, N. (1993). The biochemistry of oligofructose, a nondigestible ber: an approach to calculate its caloric value. Nutrition Reviews, 51(5), 137146. Robinson, R. K. (1995). The potential of inulin as a functional ingredient. British Food Journal, 97(4), 3032. Silva, R. F. (1996). Use of inulin as a natural texture modier. Cereal Foods World, 41(10), 792795. Van Loo, J., Coussment, P., Leenheer, L., Hoebregs, H., & Smits, G. (1995). On the presence of inulin and oligofructose as a natural ingredients in the western diet. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 35(6), 525552.

4. Conclusions The results obtained for the optimization of the precipitation process varied according to the response considered. When the precipitation mass rate was considered, only the eect of the precipitation temperature was shown to be statistically signicant. On the other hand, if the soluble solids concentration is considered, all the variables presented statistically signicant eects for a condence level of 95%. This dierence leads to the conclusion that the nature of the precipitated material varies with modications of the experimental conditions. Considering that inulin is a polydisperse carbohydrate having high and low degree of polymerization molecules (DP), the low DPs molecules should remain more soluble than the long ones during the precipitation process. The precipitation process can be optimized by measuring the soluble solids concentration in the precipitated inulin. In this way, the results obtained lead to the conclusion that the best conditions to precipitate inulin, within the range of values studied for precipitation temperature, cen-