Extraction of nutritious sugar by cell membrane permeabilization and electroporation of biomass using a moderate electric field: parametric optimization and kinetic modeling

Date palm fruits (Phoenix dactylifera) contain a significant amount of carbohydrates with substantial nutritional content, making them an alternative source of sugar for diabetic patients. In this study, the effect of moderate electric field (MEF) on the extraction of soluble sugars from date fruit powder (DFP) was investigated. MEF treatments were performed in a custom-designed batch reactor by applying a constant electric field strength (EF) of 10 V/cm across the platinized coated titanium electrodes (surface area = 2 cm²) using a frequency generator. The operating conditions were optimized by varying the extraction time (5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 min), applied frequency (20–100 Hz with 20 units difference), and operating temperature (25 to 65 ± 2 °C with a difference of 10°). The soluble sugar was also hauled out by processing the DFP with the conventional hot-water extraction (CHW) technique. The MEF-based extraction technique resulted in an increased sugar yield of 74.5%, which is 14% more than the total sugar yield obtained by the CHW method. Low frequencies (40 Hz), optimized time (30 min), and high temperatures (55 °C) resulted in higher extraction yields for DFP. In addition, a microscopic examination of MEF residues was performed to analyze the effect of electric field on the pore formation and surface rupturing of DFP during soluble sugar extraction. The MEF extraction technique showed higher sugar extraction yield due to electroporation and permeabilization, which enables improved diffusion and has the potential to be effectively used for juice extraction compared to the conventional energy-intensive and advanced extraction methods. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].