Improvement of Carrot Accelerated Solvent Extraction Efficacy Using Experimental Design and Chemometric Techniques

Eco-Friendly Extraction: A green approach to maximizing bioactive extraction from pumpkin (Curcubita moschata L.)

The research focused on optimizing the accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) of carotenoids and polyphenols from pumpkin powder. The study optimized accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) of carotenoids and polyphenols from pumpkin powder. Using a mix of standard score (SS) and artificial neural network (ANN) methods, the extraction process was fine-tuned. The ANN model assessed extraction parameters' significance, achieving high predictability for total carotenoid content (TCC), total phenolic content (TPC), and free radical scavenging capacity (DPPH and ABTS methods). The analysis highlighted the most effective extraction at 50 % concentration, 120 °C temperature, 5 min duration, and 2 cycles, yielding high carotenoid and phenolic content (TCC 571.49 µg/g, TPC 7.85 mg GAE/g). HPLC-DAD profiles of the optimized ASE extract confirmed major carotenoids and phenolic compounds. Strong correlations were found between bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity, emphasizing potential health benefits.

Simultaneous Optimization of Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Abilities of Moroccan Pimpinella anisum Extracts Using Mixture Design Methodology

Pimpinella anisum (anise) is a dense vegetal matrix with considerable amounts of bioactive components known for its pharmacological properties. The optimization of extraction constitutes an important key to improving efficacy and avoiding wasting time. Within this framework, the present study was designed to select the most appropriate extractor solvent mixture to extract phenolic and flavonoids using Mixture Design Methodology. The concerned responses were the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant ability examined by 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Before mixture design optimization, a screening of solvents was conducted on ten polar and nonpolar solvents to choose the best solvents that give a maximum of total phenolic compounds. This first step has shown that water, ethanol and methanol were the best-used solvents. Later, an augmented centroid design investigated the solvent system’s optimization. The results of simultaneous optimization have shown that the ternary mixture containing 44% of water, 22% of ethanol and 34% of methanol was the most appropriate for simultaneous maximization of TPC, TFC and antioxidant activity with 18.55 mg GAE/g, 7.16 mg QE/g and 0.56 mg/mL, respectively. Our results have shown that using mixture design as an optimization technique was an excellent way to choose the most suitable mixture to extract bioactive compounds, which may represent a promising method of multi-purpose extraction, especially in the pharmaceutical and food sectors.

Green Extraction of Carotenoids from Fruit and Vegetable Byproducts: A Review

Carotenoids are characterized by a wide range of health-promoting properties. For example, they support the immune system and wound healing process and protect against UV radiation’s harmful effects. Therefore, they are used in the food industry and cosmetics, animal feed, and pharmaceuticals. The main sources of carotenoids are the edible and non-edible parts of fruit and vegetables. Therefore, the extraction of bioactive substances from the by-products of vegetable and fruit processing can greatly reduce food waste. This article describes the latest methods for the extraction of carotenoids from fruit and vegetable byproducts, such as solvent-free extraction—which avoids the costs and risks associated with the use of petrochemical solvents, reduces the impact on the external environment, and additionally increases the purity of the extract—or green extraction using ultrasound and microwaves, which enables a significant improvement in process efficiency and reduction in extraction time. Another method is supercritical extraction with CO₂, an ideal supercritical fluid that is non-toxic, inexpensive, readily available, and easily removable from the product, with a high penetration capacity.

Horned Melon (Cucumis metuliferus E. Meyer Ex. Naudin)—Current Knowledge on Its Phytochemicals, Biological Benefits, and Potential Applications

Recent studies reveal that numerous non-edible parts of fruits and vegetables, as well as food wastes, are a good source of phytochemicals that can be extracted and reintroduced into the food chain as natural food additives. Horned melon or kiwano (Cucumis metuliferus E. Mey. Ex. Naudin) is a fruit rich in various phytochemical components important in the daily diet. After primary processing, horned melon non-edible parts (e.g., peels and seeds) can represent raw materials that can be utilized in numerous applications. Among under-researched fruits, this study aims to present the potential of using horned melon edible and non-edible parts based on current knowledge on nutritional value, phytochemicals, biological activity, as well as biological benefits. Overall, this review concluded that the biological properties of horned melon are associated with the phytochemicals present in this fruit and its waste parts. Further studies should be conducted to identify phytochemicals and valorize all horned melon parts, assess their biological efficacy, and promote their potential uses in different health purposes.