Advanced Extraction Techniques for Bioactive Compounds from Berry Fruits: Enhancing Functional Food Applications

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Phytochemistry
• Nutraceuticals

Background:

• The functional food market is expanding, driven by consumer demand for products with enhanced nutritional and health benefits.
• Natural bio-organic extracts, rich in antioxidants, polyphenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids, are key ingredients for fortifying foods like fruit juices.
• Lifestyle diseases necessitate innovative food solutions that offer preventative health advantages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the extraction efficiency of bioactive compounds from different plant material forms (dried, freeze-dried, frozen).
• To evaluate the effectiveness of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) techniques.
• To assess the impact of these techniques on the final bioactive compound profile and health-promoting values of food products.

Main Methods:

• Extraction of bioactive compounds using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE).
• Utilized various forms of plant raw material: dried, freeze-dried, and frozen.
• Quantified key bioactive compounds including antioxidants, polyphenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids.

Main Results:

• Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) demonstrated higher overall extraction efficiency, with yields exceeding 40% in some cases.
• Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) showed superior selectivity, yielding higher concentrations of carotenoids (105.59 mg/100 g in sea buckthorn) and antioxidant activity (234.67 µmol TEAC/g in black elderberry).
• Both methods offer viable approaches for enhancing the health-promoting properties of food products.

Conclusions:

• Advanced extraction techniques like ASE and SFE are effective for producing functional food ingredients.
• The choice between ASE and SFE depends on the desired outcome: high yield versus specific compound selectivity.
• These methods align with modern trends in functional foods and healthy eating, potentially aiding in lifestyle disease prevention.