A Simplified Method to Estimate Sc-CO2 Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Different Matrices: Chili Pepper vs. Tomato By-Products

Abstract

Abstract:In the last few decades, the search for bioactive compounds or "target molecules" from natural sources or their by-products has become the most important application of the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) process. In this context, the present research had two main objectives: (i) to verify the effectiveness of a two-step SFE process (namely, a preliminary Sc-CO 2 extraction of carotenoids followed by the recovery of polyphenols by ethanol coupled with Sc-CO 2 ) in order to obtain bioactive extracts from two widespread different matrices (chili pepper and tomato by-products), and (ii) to test the validity of the mathematical model proposed to describe the kinetics of SFE of carotenoids from different matrices, the knowledge of which is required also for the definition of the role played in the extraction process by the characteristics of the sample matrix. On the basis of the results obtained, it was possible to introduce a simplified kinetic model that was able to describe the time evolution of the extraction of bioactive compounds (mainly carotenoids and phenols) from different substrates. In particular, while both chili pepper and tomato were confirmed to be good sources of bioactive antioxidant compounds, the extraction process from chili pepper was faster than from tomato under identical operating conditions.

Potato Peels as a Source of Novel Green Extracts Suitable as Antioxidant Additives for Fresh-Cut Fruits

“…The application of conventional solvent extraction methods (CSE) to extract phenols from plant material is widely diffused, but it usually requires long extraction times, large amounts of organic solvents, and high temperatures that can cause the degradation of thermo-sensible molecules as well as contamination with trace amounts of potentially toxic solvents [14]. Moreover, the sustainability of the extraction technology and the safety of the extract is of the utmost importance [15,16].…”

Physicochemical Properties of Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng) Seeds and Their Oil Extracted by Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Soxhlet Methods

“…Many reports have shown that seed oils can be extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO 2 ), which is environmentally friendly and organic solvent-free. This technique has been employed to extract oil from many kinds of seeds with oil yields that are comparable to the conventional solvent extraction methods [9,10]. Although the optimal conditions for extracting Gac seed oil using SC-CO 2 have been reported recently [11], to our knowledge, there are no reports comparing the physicochemical characteristics of Gac seed oil extracted with SC-CO 2 with Gac seed oil extracted using the conventional hexane extraction method with the Soxhlet apparatus.…”

Development of Phenol-Enriched Olive Oil with Phenolic Compounds Extracted from Wastewater Produced by Physical Refining

“…As widely reported in the literature, oil manufacturers aim at producing foods that maintain their shelf life and nutritional quality over a defined period [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Thus, the use of antioxidants to minimize the oxidation of lipids in food materials is extensively accepted [ 14 ].…”

“…In the last few years, the use of olive cake and mill wastewater as a natural source of phenolic compounds has been widely considered, and several studies have focused on the development of new extraction methods [ 11 , 13 ], as well as on the production of functional foods enriched with natural antioxidants [ 18 , 19 ]. In particular, oil-in-water emulsions formulated with stabilizers and enriched with phenolic compounds extracted from olive mill wastewater have recently been studied for the realization of emulsion-based food products with enhanced health properties [ 20 , 21 ].…”