Valorization of Tomato Residues by Supercritical Fluid Extraction

Tomato processing leads to the production of considerable amounts of residues, mainly in the form of tomato skins, seeds and vascular tissues, which still contain bioactive molecules of interest for food, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. These include carotenoids, such as lycopene and β-carotene, tocopherols and sitosterols, among others. Supercritical fluid extraction is well positioned for the valorization of tomato residues prior to disposal, because it remains an environmentally safe extraction process, especially when using carbon dioxide as the solvent. In this article, we provide an extensive literature overview of the research on the supercritical fluid extraction of tomato residues. We start by identifying the most relevant extractables present in tomatoes (e.g., lycopene) and their main bioactivities. Then, the main aspects affecting the extraction performance are covered, starting with the differences between tomato matrixes (e.g., seeds, skins and pulp) and possible pretreatments to enhance extraction (e.g., milling, drying and enzymatic digestion). Finally, the effects of extraction conditions, such as pressure, temperature, cosolvent, flow rate and time, are discussed.

Extraction of Kaempferitrin and Astragalin from Justicia Spicigera by Supercritical Fluid Extraction and Its Comparison with Conventional Extraction

A study of supercritical fluid CO2 extraction of kaempferitrin (KM) and astragalin (KG) from Justicia spicigera (muicle) was conducted. A 33 Box-Behnken design was used to analyze the effects of pressure (200-300 bar), temperature (40-60° C), and co-solvent flow rate (0.5-1.0 mL/min). The highest KM and KG concentration were achieved at a pressure of 300 bar, a temperature of 60° C, and co-solvent flow rate of 1.0 mL/min (ethanol 99.5 %), with a constant CO2 flow rate of 5 mL/min and extraction time of 180 min. Under these conditions, the experimental values for KM and KG (115.08±2.81 and 56.63±9.02 mg/100 g of dry powder, respectively) were similar to those calculated by the models (109.0 and 44.07 mg/100 g of dry powder, respectively). The use of 70 % ethanol as co-solvent in the supercritical extraction process considerably improved the yields of KM and KG (562.71±156.85 and 79.90±18.03 mg/100 g of dry powder, respectively) compared to the 99.5 % ethanol extractions. The conventional extraction showed the highest yields of KM and KG (574.20±65.10 and 113.10±15.06 mg/100 g of dry powder, respectively) at 70° C and extraction time of 120 min. Adequate yields were achieved of KM and KG by supercritical fluid extraction compared with conventional extraction (98 and 70 %, respectively); therefore supercritical fluid extract of J. spicigera could be used in the development of functional foods, as well as its possible use in traditional medicine by the health professionals.

Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Seed Kernels and their Application as an Antioxidant in an Edible Oil

Phenolic compounds from mango (M. indica) seed kernels (MSK) var. Sugar were obtained using supercritical CO2 and EtOH as an extraction solvent. For this purpose, a central composite design was carried out to evaluate the effect of extraction pressure (11–21 MPa), temperature (40–60 °C), and co-solvent contribution (5–15% w/w EtOH) on (i) extraction yield, (ii) oxidative stability (OS) of sunflower edible oil (SEO) with added extract using the Rancimat method, (iii) total phenolics content, (iv) total flavonoids content, and (v) DPPH radical assay. The most influential variable of the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) process was the concentration of the co-solvent. The best OS of SEO was reached with the extract obtained at 21.0 MPa, 60 °C and 15% EtOH. Under these conditions, the extract increased the OS of SEO by up to 6.1 ± 0.2 h (OS of SEO without antioxidant, Control, was 3.5 h). The composition of the extract influenced the oxidative stability of the sunflower edible oil. By SFE it was possible to obtain extracts from mango seed kernels (MSK) var. Sugar that transfer OS to the SEO. These promissory extracts could be applied to foods and other products.