Extraction process and characterization of Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS) latex

Shiqi Liu; Yunhan Chen; Dongren Han; Xuefa Tian; Dongli Ma; Xiang Jie; Jichuan Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25351

Extraction process and characterization of Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS) latex

Heliyon. 2024 Feb 1;10(4):e25351. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25351. eCollection 2024 Feb 29.

Authors

Shiqi Liu^{1

2}, Yunhan Chen^{1

2}, Dongren Han³, Xuefa Tian⁴, Dongli Ma⁴, Xiang Jie^{1

2}, Jichuan Zhang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Engineering Research Center of Elastomer Materials Energy Conservation and Resources, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Chemical and Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
² Center of Advanced Elastomer Materials, College of Material Science & Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
³ Hangzhou Guoren Electrical Engineering Co., Ltd, Hangzhou 311222, China.
⁴ Beijing Huateng Rubber and Plastic Latex Products Co., Ltd, Beijing 101116, China.

Abstract

Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS) latex is a natural latex produced from its root, and its extraction optimization process is mainly studied in the present paper. The composition of fresh roots of TKS was quantitatively analyzed, and the results showed that the moisture content of the fresh root was approximately 70 %, and the rubber content averaged to 6 % (dry weight ratio). An optimal process route for extracting the TKS latex was finally determined, making the extraction efficiency reach about 80 %, and a new latex extraction process was established and optimized and named "the process of Buffer Extraction TKS Latex (BETL)". Hevea latex, extracted TKS latex and TKS latex collected directly from the broken roots were compared for study. The results showed that, like Hevea latex, the appearance of TKS latex was milky white; and after centrifugation, both showed four layers from top to bottom: rubber particles, Frey-Wyssling particles, C-serum and lutoids. The results of the composition analysis showed that the concentration of TKS latex ranged from 54.54 % to 68.25 %, which is close to that of concentrated Hevea latex; the moisture content of TKS latex was between 31.75 % and 45.46 %. The protein content of TKS latex was 13.51 mg/mL, which was lower than that of Hevea latex at the same rubber hydrocarbon concentration. The molecular structures and properties of Hevea latex, the extracted TKS latex, and the collected TKS latex were characterized by FTIR, ¹³C NMR, GPC, TG, SEM and LPSA, and the results showed that the main components and structure of the three latexes were similar, which are all cis-1,4-polyisoprene, and include the proteins and lipids. The distributions molecular weights of the three latexes all showed a bimodal distribution, but the molecular weight of the latex collected from TKS was lower, which indicates the larger molecules were difficult to flow outside the root automatically. The Hevea latex and TKS latex rubber particles were both core-shell structure and the size distribution were bimodal, which was consistent with the GPC analysis results.

Keywords: Characterization; Extraction process; Latex composition; Natural rubber; Optimization; Taraxacum kok-Saghyz.