Recovery of Carotenoids from Tomato Pomace Using a Hydrofluorocarbon Solvent in Sub-Critical Conditions

Abstract

The enrichment of oils with nutraceutical bioactive phytomolecules allows the achievement of functional oil-based products of great interest in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic fields. Carotenoids, such as lycopene and β-carotene, are available at a high concentration in tomatoes and tomato waste products, as peels, seeds, and pulp; their recovery is recently attracting growing interest and economic importance in the food industry, and also in consideration of the huge amount of industrial waste produced. The aim of this work is to study the production of an oil functionalized with carotenoids from tomato peels. The extractions were carried out using an innovative process based on the use of commercial Norflurane as solvent in subcritical conditions. Extraction trials were performed on dried tomato peels, with the addition of tomato seeds or wheat germ flour as sources of oily co-solvents, capable of also preserving the biological characteristics of the carotenoids extracted. Although lycopene solubility in Norflurane is quite low, the solvent recirculation and regeneration were allowed to reach a concentration in the oily extracts of approximately 0.3 mg/goil after 2 h of the process. The enrichment in β-carotene was more pronounced, and concentrations of 0.733 mg/goil and 0.952 mg/goil were observed in wheat germ and tomato seed oils, respectively. The results obtained in this study were compared with those obtained by traditional and supercritical CO2 extraction methods.

Using Hydrofluorocarbon Extracts of Hop in a Pilot Scale Brewing Process

“…HFC extracts were obtained using a lab-scale extraction system based on a patented process [20] described by Colucci Cante et al [21][22][23]. Briefly, it consisted of:…”

“…An innovative patented extraction process [20] using hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) Norflurane (1,1,1,2tetrafluoro ethane) as a solvent in subcritical conditions was proposed. The properties of this refrigerant fluid as an extracting solvent for the treatment of vegetable matrices were already investigated; this compound guarantees the recovery of bioactive compounds, such as lycopene and other carotenoids [21], or value-added oils from wet or dried agri-food wastes, such as spent coffee grounds and waste bilberry seeds [22,23].…”

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenols from Crocus sativus by-products using sunflower oil as a sustainable solvent alternative

“…Studies highlight their potent antioxidant effects both in vitro and in vivo ( Cerdá-Bernad et al, 2022 ; Clinton, 2009 ; Delam et al, 2023 ; Kun et al, 2006 ; Memarzia et al, 2023 ). Saffron's powerful antioxidants make it a key ingredient for new products in food, medicine, and cosmetics ( Abu Safe et al, 2023 ; Amatto et al, 2024 ; Colucci Cante et al, 2022 ; Rahaiee et al, 2015 ).…”