Abstracts: Limonin production from orange nuclear powder was carried out using ethanol with the assistance of ultrasonic. Experimental design was used to investigate the effect of three parameters (extraction temperature, extraction time, and ratio of ethanol to raw material) on limonin yields. The ranges of the factors investigated were 30~50℃ for extraction temperature (X1), 20-30min for extraction time (X2), and 50~70 for ratio of ethanol to raw material (X3). The central composite design showed that polynomial regression models were in good agreement with the experimental results with the coefficients of determination of 0.9900 for limonin yield. The optimal condition for limonin yield within the experimental range of the variables studied was at 17.8 min, 45.6℃, and 1:65.5. At this condition, the predicted yield of limonin extracted was 46.4mg.
