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The potential of natural deep eutectic systems (NADESs) to efficiently extract astaxanthin (AXT) contained in crab shell wastes was evaluated. Different terpene-based mixtures were prepared and characterized. Aiming at maximizing the AXT recovery, we evaluated the effect of operating temperature and time on the extraction performance. As a proof of concept, this paper also highlights the potential of NADESs for AXT extraction from shrimp shells, mussels, and Haematococcus pluvialis. The biological potential of AXT-rich extracts; the AXT standard; and NADESs, their individual components, and equivalent physical mixtures was evaluated, including cytotoxicity, antiproliferative effects on human colorectal cancer cells, and antimicrobial potential against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Results showed that extractions with menthol:myristic acid (8:1) were able to match the AXT yield obtained by a Soxhlet extraction with acetone. Additionally, when using the same NADESs to recover AXT from the other biomasses under study, there was a 3-to 657-fold increase in yields when compared with the Soxhlet extraction. AXT-rich extracts obtained with NADESs showed antiproliferative and antimicrobial potential. This study suggests that NADESs can truly be used as alternative extraction media for the recovery of AXT from waste biomass and that these systems and respective extracts have the potential to be used as ingredients in industrial applications.

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is an important industrial crop cultivated mainly to extract the dietary fiber inulin. However, chicory also contains bioactive compounds such as sesquiterpene lactones and certain polyphenols, which are currently discarded as waste. Plants are an important source of active pharmaceutical ingredients, including novel antimicrobials that are urgently needed due to the global spread of drug-resistant bacteria and fungi. Here, we tested different extracts of chicory for a range of bioactivities, including antimicrobial, antifungal and cytotoxicity assays. Antibacterial and antifungal activities were generally more potent in ethyl acetate extracts compared to water extracts, whereas supercritical fluid extracts showed the broadest range of bioactivities in our assays. Remarkably, the chicory supercritical fluid extract and a purified fraction thereof inhibited both methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and ampicillin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa IBRS P001. Chicory extracts also showed higher antibiofilm activity against the yeast Candida albicans than standard sesquiterpene lactone compounds. The cytotoxicity of the extracts was generally low. Our results may thus lead to the development of novel antibacterial and antifungal preparations that are both effective and safe for human use.

Mental health and active aging are two of the main concerns in the 21st century. To search for new neuroprotective compounds, extracts of Codium tomentosum Stackhouse and Fucus vesiculosus L. were obtained through multi-step (four step) subcritical water extraction using a temperature gradient. The safety assessment of the extracts was performed by screening pharmaceutical compounds and pesticides by UHPLC-MS/MS, and iodine and arsenic levels by ICP-MS. Although the extracts were free of pharmaceutical compounds and pesticides, the presence of arsenic and high iodine contents were found in the first two extraction steps. Thus, the health-benefits were only evaluated for the fractions obtained in steps 3 and 4 from the extraction process. These fractions were tested against five brain enzymes implicated in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and major depression etiology as well as against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, having been observed a strong enzyme inhibition and radical scavenging activities for the step 4 fractions from both seaweed species. Regarding the variation of the chemical composition during the extraction, step 1 fractions were the richest in phenolic compounds. With the increase in temperature, Maillard reaction, caramelization and thermo-oxidation occurred, and the resulting products positively affected the antioxidant capacity and the neuroprotective effects.