Carotenoid Recovery from Tomato Processing By-Products through Green Chemistry

Abstract

The recovery of bioactive compounds from agro-industry-derived by-products sustains circular economy principles by encouraging maximized recycling and minimized waste. Tomato processing by-products are abundant in carotenoids, which have several health-promoting properties, and their reintegration into functional food products represents a major interest for scientists and manufacturers. In the present study, carotenoids were recovered from tomato processing by-products based on the principles of green chemistry by using generally recognized as safe (GRAS) solvents, freeze-drying as pretreatment, and ultrasound in the recovery procedure. Spectrophotometric measurements and HPLC were used to identify and quantify total and individual carotenoids from the extracts. The highest values for lycopene (1324.89 µg/g dw) were obtained when ethyl lactate was applied as a solvent, followed by ethyl acetate with slightly smaller differences (1313.54 µg/g dw). The extracts obtained from freeze-dried samples presented significantly lower amounts of lycopene, indicating that carotenoids are highly susceptible to degradation during lyophilization. Flaxseed, grape seed, and hempseed oils were enriched with carotenoids and their rheological measurements showed favorable viscoelastic properties, especially hempseed and flaxseed oil, with viscosity under 50 mPa·s. Considering the results and the economic perspective of carotenoid recovery from tomato processing by-products, ethyl acetate is suitable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly for carotenoid extraction.

In Vitro Bioactivities of Extracts from Tomato Pomace

“…The extraction yield of lycopene obtained in these conditions was greater than that (1.33 mg/g DTW) reported by Silva et al [35] and Szabo et al [36] for an extraction of TP with a mixture of ethyl acetate and ethyl lactate activated by ultrasound (63 °C, 100 mL/g). In addition, enzymatic pretreatment applied prior to ethyl acetate maceration was more effective to release lycopene (55.8 mg/g extract) compared to the case when it was coupled to ethanolic maceration (12.6 mg lycopene/g extract).…”

Evaluation of the Astragalus exscapus L. subsp. transsilvanicus Roots’ Chemical Profile, Phenolic Composition and Biological Activities

“…While linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated omega-6 (ω-6) fatty acid fundamental for human nutrition and the main source for its intake is through diet, α-linolenic acid is a polyunsaturated omega–3 (ω-3) essential fatty acid, which is needed for the formation of cell membranes and the synthesis of hormone-like compounds called eicosanoids (e.g., prostaglandins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes), and which are significant regulators of blood pressure, blood clotting, and the immune response [ 16 ]. The ratio of (ω-6)/(ω-3) plays a fundamental role in the reduction in chronic diseases, especially of cardiovascular character [ 17 ], and furthermore, the optimal ratio between (ω-6) and (ω-3) was reported to be 2:1 to 3:1 [ 18 ].…”

Development of Pectin and Poly(vinyl alcohol)-Based Active Packaging Enriched with Itaconic Acid and Apple Pomace-Derived Antioxidants

“…The extract collected after each centrifugation was concentrated by evaporation under low pressure (150 mbar), at low temperature at 35 °C, and 180 rpm with a rotary evaporator (Heidolph rotary evaporator, Schwabach, Germany) [ 36 ] to a volume of 5 mL, then filtered through a nylon filter (pore size 0.45 μm), and 20 μL was injected into the HPLC system.…”