Modeling and Optimization of Sugar Yield from Date Palm Fruit Via Response Surface Methodology

The Box-Behnken design was used to investigate the effect of three independent variables -extraction time, temperature, and solvent-to-solid ratio on the total sugar content (TS) in the aqueous extract of date fruits. Response surface methodology (RSM) analysis revealed that the optimal extraction conditions were 35 min, 42.3 °C, and 65.6 mL/g. Under these conditions, the experimental value for TS was 503.49 ± 12.21 mg fructose equivalent/g dry matter, closely matching the predicted value of 507.57 ± 52.71 mg fructose equivalent/g dry matter. This agreement validates the model’s accuracy and confirms the effectiveness of RSM for optimizing the extraction parameters. Compared with conventional extraction methods, the optimized ultrasound-assisted approach employed in this study reduced solvent use, shortened extraction time, and significantly improved sugar yield. Furthermore, this study highlights the relevance of scientific optimization techniques in the agro-industrial extraction of sugars and in characterizing dates by their quality index (r = TS/water content) with high precision.