Trends in Green Technologies for the Extraction of Bioactive Compounds

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 4184

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Portici, Italy
Interests: bioactive compounds; food chemistry; dairy products; milk; analytical methods
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Guest Editor
Institute of Biosciences and BioResources-UOS Naples CNR, Via P. Castellino, 111-80131 Naples, Italy
Interests: oxidative stress; G6PD; antioxidants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last year there has been increasing interest in the new biotechnological industry for the production of bioactive compounds that have many beneficial effects on human health, such as antioxidant effects, antimicrobial activities, and contrasting aging, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

Many of these natural bioactive compounds are found in food waste and agricultural byproducts, which represent both a cost for the food industry and a potential negative impact on the environment. Therefore, the recovery of natural bioactive compounds from industrial food waste is a recent practice in producing fortified food, nutritional supplements or ingredients for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

The current trend is to use ecofriendly techniques to extract bioactive compounds. Recently, emerging technologies considered “green” have been implemented using aqueous solutions and excluding organic solvents or energy-consuming methods. The derived extracts are particularly attractive since they not only reduce environmental pollution but also because they are free of contaminants which are potentially harmful to human health.

For this Special Issue, we invite you to submit original articles describing your latest research data or review papers highlighting the recent findings in the field.

This Issue will include studies reporting “green” techniques for the extraction of bioactive compounds from vegetable and animal matrices, characterization of extracts and their possible uses.

Dr. Fabiana Pizzolongo
Dr. Stefania Filosa
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • green recovery
  • functional food
  • food byproducts
  • bioactive packaging
  • antioxidants
  • polyphenols
  • sustainability

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 604 KiB  
Article
Response Surface Optimization of Inulin and Polyphenol Extraction from Artichoke (Cynara scolymus (L.)) Solid Wastes
by Esperanza M. Garcia-Castello, Luis Mayor, Alejandro Calvo-Ramirez, Ruben Ruiz-Melero and Antonio D. Rodriguez-Lopez
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(16), 7957; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12167957 - 09 Aug 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1569
Abstract
Artichoke wastes after processing represent 60–70% of the raw material and are a potential source of inulin and polyphenols, bioactive compounds that can be valorized as food ingredients or nutraceutical products. The aim of this work was to assess and optimize the extraction [...] Read more.
Artichoke wastes after processing represent 60–70% of the raw material and are a potential source of inulin and polyphenols, bioactive compounds that can be valorized as food ingredients or nutraceutical products. The aim of this work was to assess and optimize the extraction of these compounds from artichoke wastes using water or water–ethanol mixtures as extracting agents. For simultaneous inulin and polyphenol extraction and to achieve high antioxidant activity in extracts, the best process conditions using water as an extracting agent were T = 89 °C and t = 139 min, where 80% of the inulin content, 60% of the total phenolic content (TPC) and 56% of the antioxidant activity (Aox) were obtained. For water–ethanol extractions, the best results were obtained with EtOH = 22.4%, T = 81 °C and t = 217 min, leading to extraction yields of 90% of TPC, 38% of Aox and 58% of inulin content. From these results, we recommend the use of water for the recovery of inulin and polyphenols from artichoke wastes. Although the extraction yield of polyphenols is lower in water treatments, the amount extracted is considerable and it is a greener option when compared with water–ethanol mixtures. Full article
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Review

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15 pages, 2040 KiB  
Review
Green Enzymatic Recovery of Functional Bioactive Compounds from Unsold Vegetables: Storability and Potential Health Benefits
by Claudio Lombardelli, Ilaria Benucci, Caterina Mazzocchi and Marco Esti
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(23), 12249; https://doi.org/10.3390/app122312249 - 30 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1867
Abstract
Carotenoids and betalains are food-derived bioactive compounds well-known for their countless healthy properties, especially as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and immune system regulators. We have achieved a concise literature review on the main topics related to fruits and vegetables that contain such bioactive compounds, their [...] Read more.
Carotenoids and betalains are food-derived bioactive compounds well-known for their countless healthy properties, especially as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and immune system regulators. We have achieved a concise literature review on the main topics related to fruits and vegetables that contain such bioactive compounds, their localization in the plant cells, enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) from vegetable sources (agricultural/food waste and unsold fruits and vegetables) and methods to improve pigment stability. The growing demand for more sustainable, efficient, and energy-saving techniques has driven the design of EAE protocols, such as a green route for the recovery of more stable natural pigments avoiding the use of organic solvents. This review discusses for the first time the application of commercial multi-enzymatic preparations by comparing it with the use of a tailored enzymatic mix, specifically formulated on the basis of the polysaccharide composition of vegetable source, for enhancing pigment recovery yield and stability. In order to move the economy in the direction of a circular economy model, the valorization of fruit and vegetable waste as a source of high added-value compounds, such as natural colorants, is a key issue. Therefore, the unsold vegetables may find a different use, where the donation to a food bank or charity organization may not be a viable path. Full article
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