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At present there is a great advance in the use of organic substances as fertilizers; humic substances are one of them with various forms of extraction. This article evaluates the extraction yield of humic substances (humic acid and fulvic acid) from three raw materials and different basic extractants and acids. In the basic extraction of humic substances, the type of raw material significantly influences, to a p value equal to 5 %. The maximum extraction volumes of humic substances are with garden waste. The fractionation stage of the humic and fulvic acids (acid extraction) depends on the type of basic extractant. The alternative Vermicompost - NaOH - HCl is the most economic and technically feasible, with 38.53 % of extraction yield value of humic acid and 64.90 $/h of gross profit.

Background: Cucurbit seeds, present in pumpkins and squashes, are part of the discarded material and contribute to the increase of solid waste in the industry, homes and points of sale, when they are separated from the edible part of the fresh fruit during its processing for consumption and marketing. However, these seeds have nutritional properties that can be used for the benefit of the population. Objectives: The objective of this research was to characterize the pumpkin seeds of the macre variety, Cucurbita maxima Duchesne species, extract their oil using the expeller method and determine the quality indicators for human consumption. Methods: The pumpkin seeds were selected, discarding the unusable material. They were then dried until reaching an approximate humidity of 13.25% and peeled, to then characterize them. The oil was extracted using the continuous flow expeller method, evaluating the influence of humidity and granulometry on the yield. The oil obtained was subjected to a quality analysis, determining the iodine, saponification, refraction and acidity indices, in order to evaluate its quality and compare it with other commercially available edible oils. Results: Pumpkin seeds had a fat content of 48.88% and a protein content of 41.94%. Regarding oil extraction, the best yield of 41.50% was obtained at a humidity of 5.0%. Likewise, an optimal yield of 41.88% was achieved using whole seeds with the same humidity, indicating that reducing humidity positively influenced yield, but granulometry had no significant effect, since it was not necessary to reduce the size of the seeds. The quality attributes of the oil yielded the following indices: iodine 116.02 g/100 g, saponification 184.45 mg KOH/g, refraction 1.471 and acidity 0.912 mg KOH/g. Conclusions: It is concluded that pumpkin seeds of the macre variety contain a high fat content, obtaining an optimal oil yield with low humidity and whole seeds. In addition, the quality indicators obtained accredit the oil as an ideal ingredient for human consumption.

In this study, we performed supercritical CO2 extraction of oleoresin from Peruvian ginger, focusing on the extraction yield, total polyphenol content, antioxidant capacity, and contents of gingerol and shogaol. The temperature (40 to 50 ◦C), pressure (80 to 250 bar), CO2 flow rate (2 and 8 ft3/h) and extraction time (10 to 360 min) were evaluated in three steps. The extraction yield was influenced by the temperature, pressure, flow rate and extraction time. Oleoresin extracts were obtained from 150 to 250 bar. The supercritical extraction conditions selected for the recovery of the oleoresin extract were 50 ◦C, 250 bar, 8 ft3/h and 360 min, resulting in an extraction yield of 25.99 ± 0.13 mg extracts/g dry basis, a total polyphenol content of 171.65 ± 2.12 mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g extract, an antioxidant capacity expressed as a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 1.02 ± 0.01 mg extract/mL methanol and a Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) value of 368.14 ± 60.95 mg Trolox/g extract. The contents of gingerols and shogaols in the supercritical extract were 254.71 ± 33.79 mg of 6-gingerol/g extract, 24.46 ± 3.41 mg of 6-shogaol/g extract, 9.63 ± 2.51 mg of 8-gingerol/g extract, 51.01 ± 9.39 mg of 8-shogaol/g extract, 27.47 ± 5.06 mg of 10-gingerol/g extract and 20.11 ± 4.62 mg of 10-shogaol/g extract. There was no reduction in the total polyphenol content or antioxidant capacity according to the IC50 and FRAP assays, under storage conditions of 0 ◦C, 20 ◦C and 40 ◦C after 180 days; this indicates that the oleoresin obtained using supercritical CO2 extraction could be used as an additive in food products.

Background Plastic plays a crucial role in everyday life of human living, nevertheless it represents an undeniable source of land and water pollution. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a bio-based and biodegradable polyester, which can be naturally produced by microorganisms capable of converting and accumulating carbon as intracellular granules. Hence, PHB-producing strains stand out as an alternative source to fossil-derived counterparts. However, the extraction strategy affects the recovery efficiency and the quality of PHB. In this study, PHB was produced by a genetically modified Escherichia coli strain and successively extracted using dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and ethanol as alternative solvent and polishing agent to chloroform and hexane. Eventually, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study was performed for evaluating the environmental and health impact of using DMC. Results Extraction yield and purity of PHB obtained via DMC, were quantified, and compared with those obtained via chloroform-based extraction. PHB yield values from DMC-based extraction were similar to or higher than those achieved by using chloroform (≥ 67%). To optimize the performance of extraction via DMC, different experimental conditions were tested, varying the biomass state (dry or wet) and the mixing time, in presence or in absence of a paper filter. Among 60, 90, 120 min, the mid-value allowed to achieve high extraction yield, both for dry and wet biomass. Physical and molecular dependence on the biomass state and solvent/antisolvent choice was established. The comparative LCA analysis promoted the application of DMC/ethanol rather than chloroform/hexane, as the best choice in terms of health prevention. However, an elevated impact score was achieved by DMC in the environmental-like categories in contrast with a minor contribution by its counterpart. Conclusion The multifaceted exploration of DMC-based PHB extraction herein reported extends the knowledge of the variables affecting PHB purification process. This work offers novel and valuable insights into PHB extraction process, including environmental aspects not discussed so far. The findings of our research question the DMC as a green solvent, though also the choice of the antisolvent can influence the impact on the examined categories.

Background Microalgae have the potential to rapidly accumulate lipids of high interest for the food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and energy (e.g. biodiesel) industries. However, current lipid extraction methods show efficiency limitation and until now, extraction protocols have not been fully optimized for specific lipid compounds. The present study thus presents a novel lipid extraction method, consisting in the addition of a water treatment of biomass between the two-stage solvent extraction steps of current extraction methods. The resulting modified method not only enhances lipid extraction efficiency, but also yields a higher triacylglycerols (TAG) ratio, which is highly desirable for biodiesel production. Results Modification of four existing methods using acetone, chloroform/methanol (Chl/Met), chloroform/methanol/H 2 O (Chl/Met/H 2 O) and dichloromethane/methanol (Dic/Met) showed respective lipid extraction yield enhancement of 72.3, 35.8, 60.3 and 60.9%. The modified acetone method resulted in the highest extraction yield, with 68.9 ± 0.2% DW total lipids. Extraction of TAG was particularly improved with the water treatment, especially for the Chl/Met/H 2 O and Dic/Met methods. The acetone method with the water treatment led to the highest extraction level of TAG with 73.7 ± 7.3 µg/mg DW, which is 130.8 ± 10.6% higher than the maximum value obtained for the four classical methods (31.9 ± 4.6 µg/mg DW). Interestingly, the water treatment preferentially improved the extraction of intracellular fractions, i.e. TAG, sterols, and free fatty acids, compared to the lipid fractions of the cell membranes, which are constituted of phospholipids (PL), acetone mobile polar lipids and hydrocarbons. Finally, from the 32 fatty acids analyzed for both neutral lipids (NL) and polar lipids (PL) fractions, it is clear that the water treatment greatly improves NL-to-PL ratio for the four standard methods assessed. Conclusion Water treatment of biomass after the first solvent extraction step helps the subsequent release of intracellular lipids in the second extraction step, thus improving the global lipids extraction yield. In addition, the water treatment positively modifies the intracellular lipid class ratios of the final extract, in which TAG ratio is significantly increased without changes in the fatty acids composition. The novel method thus provides an efficient way to improve lipid extraction yield of existing methods, as well as selectively favoring TAG, a lipid of the upmost interest for biodiesel production.

The effects of ultrasonic power (0, 150, 300, 450, and 600 W) on the extraction yield and the structure and rheological properties of pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) from albacore skin were investigated. Compared with the conventional pepsin extraction method, ultrasonic treatment (UPSC) significantly increased the extraction yield of collagen from albacore skin, with a maximum increase of 8.56%. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis revealed that peptides of low molecular weight were produced when the ultrasonic power exceeded 300 W. Meanwhile, secondary structure, tertiary structure, and X-ray diffraction analyses showed that the original triple helix structure of collagen was intact after the ultrasonic treatment. The collagen solutions extracted under different ultrasonic powers had significant effects on the dynamic frequency sweep, but a steady shear test suggested that the collagen extracted at 150 W had the best viscosity. These results indicate that an ultrasonic power between 150 and 300 W can improve not only the extraction yield of natural collagen, but also the rheological properties of the collagen solution without compromising the triple helix structure.

BackgroundCarpobrotus edulis is widely used in traditional medicine to treat several health problems in South Africa. Phytochemical screening of medicinal plants involves several assays and requires a reasonable amount of starting material. Several factors, including plant species and variety, growth conditions, plant age and harvesting time, and plant part, can influence the extraction yield and quality of medicinal plant extracts.AimThis research aimed to optimise extraction yields from C. edulis using an analytical 23 full factorial design.SettingThe plant material for this study was collected from the dunes along the Bloubergstrand coast (latitude: −33°47’49.92” S and longitude: 18°27’43.20” E) in the Western Cape Province, South Africa.MethodsThe factorial design involved two extractants (aqueous and methanolic), two pH levels (7 and 9) and two extraction temperatures (25°C and 40°C) and two extraction periods of 72 and 168 h. Regression models and factorial analysis provided a robust framework for evaluating these variables, including interaction terms that allowed for a better understanding of how combined conditions affect yields differently from individual conditions.ResultsThe most effective conditions were a pH of 9 and a temperature of 40°C, with extraction times of 72 h for the aqueous extracts and 168 h for the methanolic extracts.ConclusionA factorial design can systematically optimise the exact extraction parameters to produce the highest yield of bioactive compounds from plants.ContributionObtaining the best yield in medicinal plant research can serve several purposes, including conservation of the plant and the need to drive innovation in herbal medicine research.

The aim of the present research is to investigate the effect of ohmic‐assisted extraction (OAE) parameters on the Falcaria vulgaris extract (FVE) properties. Various parameters, including ethanol‐to‐water ratio (0%–100%), voltage gradient (10–30 V/cm), temperature (30°C–60°C), and extraction time (10–30 min), were applied as independent factors. Physicochemical process, antimicrobial properties, and energy analysis were accomplished to achieve OAE optimization. Results indicated that extraction yield (EY) and energy consumption (EC) significantly increased with increasing the voltage gradient and extraction time ( p < 0.05). Also, EY significantly increased with increasing of process temperature and the ethanol concentration in the solvent ( p < 0.05). The findings demonstrated that as the voltage gradient, process duration, temperature, and ethanol concentration in the solvent were increased, there was a significant initial increase followed by a decrease in both the total phenolic content (TPC) and the DPPH radical scavenging activity of FVE ( p < 0.05). The optimization results indicated that the extraction process with an ethanol‐to‐water ratio of 65.5%, voltage gradient of 20.3 V/cm, temperature of 56.6°C, and extraction time of 22.1 min results in maximum extract TPC, DPPH, and EY, and minimum extraction EC. The OAE method showed greater EY and less EC and CO 2 production compared to the hydrodistillation (HD) method. In general, OAE caused improved antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the FVE.

Lychee seeds (LS) and longan seeds (LoS) are excellent sources of phenolic compounds (PCs) with strong antioxidant activity (AOA). The aim of this study was to optimize the extraction conditions regarding extraction yield (EY), extractable phenolic compound (EPC), and AOA from LS and LoS using surface response methodology (RSM). Solvent concentration, extraction temperature, time, and solid to liquid ratio were optimized using RSM. Increasing the solid to solvent ratio from 1:05 to 1:40 (w/v), increased EY for LoS, however, EY did not change from 1:20 to 1:40 for LS. Solid–liquid ratio 1:20 was chosen for this study. Increasing the quantity of solvent leads to higher EPC and FRAP. The results showed that LoS exhibited higher AOA than LS measured as DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP, respectively. Ethanol concentrations and temperatures significantly (p < 0.05) affect EY, EPC, and AOA. The results (R2 > 0.85) demonstrated a good fit to the suggested models and a strong correlation between the extraction conditions and the phenolic antioxidant responses. The ethanol concentrations of 41 and 53%, temperatures of 51 and 58 °C, and the corresponding times of 139 and 220 min were the optimal conditions that maximized the EY, EPC, and AOA from LS and LoS.

This study aimed to develop an efficient method for the extraction of bioactive compounds from green tea waste (GTW) toward its potential application in the food industry. GTW, which is generated during the harvesting and processing of green tea products, accounts for a global annual loss of nearly 1 million tonnes. Notably, this waste is rich in polyphenolic compounds, particularly catechins, which are renowned for their significant health benefits. We assessed the optimization of catechin extraction from GTW employing hot water extraction (HWE), ultrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE), and ethanol extraction (EthE) techniques at different sample‐to‐solvent ratios (1:100, 1:50, and 1:20 w/v). The extraction temperature was set at 80°C for both HWE and UAE; however, for EthE, the temperature was slightly lower at 70°C, adhering to the boiling point of ethanol. High‐performance liquid chromatography was used to determine the extraction efficiency by quantifying various catechins (i.e., catechin, epicatechin [EC], epicatechin gallate [ECG], epigallocatechin [EGC], and epigallocatechin gallate [EGCG]). In terms of the concentration for individual catechins, EC was found to be the highest concentration detected, ranging from 30.58 ± 1.17 to 37.95 ± 0.84 mg/L in all extraction techniques and ratios of solvents, followed by EGCG (9.71 ± 1.40–20.99 ± 1.11 mg/L), EGC + C (7.95 ± 0.66–12.58 ± 0.56 mg/L), and ECG (1.85 ± 0.71–6.05 ± 0.06 mg/L). The findings of DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picryl‐hydrazyl) free radical assay illustrated that HWE demonstrated the highest extraction efficiency at all ratios, ranging from 61.41 ± 1.00 to 70.36 ± 1.47 mg/L. The 1:50 ratio exhibited the highest extraction yield (25.98% ± 0.75%) compared to UAE (24.16% ± 0.95%) and EthE (22.59% ± 0.26%). Moreover, this method of extraction (i.e., HWE) produced the highest total catechins and %DPPH reduction. Consequently, HWE was the most efficient method for extracting catechins from GTW, underscoring its potential for valorizing waste within the food manufacturing industry. This study explored the optimization of catechin extraction from green tea waste (GTW) using hot water extraction (HWE), ultrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE), and ethanol extraction (EthE) techniques at different sample‐to‐solvent ratios. HWE demonstrated the highest extraction efficiency across all ratios, with the 1:50 ratio exhibiting the highest extraction yield compared to UAE and EthE. The findings highlight HWE as the most efficient method for extracting catechins from GTW, highlighting its potential for waste valorization in the food manufacturing industry.