Pulsed electric fields as a green technology for the extraction of bioactive compounds from thinned peach by-products

Abstract

Thinned fruits are agricultural by-products which nowadays have few economic or environmental benefits. However, previous studies have revealed that these immature fruits have a large amount of antioxidant compounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether pulsed electric fields (PEF) might be a suitable green technology for enhancing the extraction of phenols, flavonoids and antioxidant compounds from fresh thinned peaches, thus reducing the use of methanol. Moreover, response surface methodology has been used to determine the optimal PEF treatment conditions, observing that the solvent is the main factor. The highest amounts of bioactive compounds were extracted using 80% methanol and no PEF. Methanol combined with PEF produced a negative effect on the extraction yield. However, the use of water as a solvent increased the amount of total bioactive compounds and individual phenols (chlorogenic acid, coumaric acid and neochlorogenic acid). Thus, PEF-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from thinned peach fruits using water as a solvent is an alternative to conventional extraction methods which require dried products, large amounts of organic solvents and long extraction times.

Environmentally Friendly Methods for Flavonoid Extraction from Plant Material: Impact of Their Operating Conditions on Yield and Antioxidant Properties

“…Permeability can be assessed by centrifugation in dry condition. Comparison and evaluation of the degree of permeability and enhancement of extraction are usually achieved between non-PEF-treated (or control sample) and PEF-treated counterparts [ 88 , 200 ]. Moreover, increasing PEF intensity caused higher permeability and consequently the enhancement of extraction of intracellular compounds [ 201 ].…”

“…El Darra et al found an increase in flavonoid production due to an autoprevention mechanism caused by chemical agents such as oxygen [ 187 ]. On the other hand, PEF treatment is associated with the higher enzymatic oxidation of polyphenolic compounds and the more efficient extraction of flavonoids [ 200 ]. However, the application of PEF can also be detrimental due to changes in density and color of fruit products [ 207 ].…”

Green Extraction Methods for Extraction of Polyphenolic Compounds from Blueberry Pomace

“…Other studies also showed promising results in PEF-assisted extraction of phenolic acids from different food by-products. In a study dealing with polyphenols extraction from peach by-products, Redondo et al [ 43 ] showed that PEF application resulted in an increase in chlorogenic acid (16.3 mg/100 g), coumaric acid (0.8 mg/100 g), and chlorogenic acid (9.8mg/100 g) compared to the amounts extracted without the application of PEF (4.5, 0.2, and 2.5 and mg/100 g, respectively). Furthermore, Martín-García et al [ 44 ], studying PEF-assisted extraction of polyphenols from brewery by-products, showed improvement in the p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid recovery from brewers spent grain compared with the conventional method.…”

Alta pressão hidrostática, campos elétricos pulsados e plasma frio na cadeia produtiva de alimentos: Princípios e aplicabilidade industrial

“…Com isso, eles deduziram que essa tecnologia associada às condições de armazenamento, como tempo e temperatura, pode ser usada para aumentar o potencial antioxidante das maçãs. Semelhante a esse estudo, Redondo et al (2018) verificaram que o uso dessa tecnologia possibilita o aumento da extração de compostos bioativos de frutos de pêssego, por meio da permeabilidade celular alcançada durante o tratamento.…”