Selected Methods of Extracting Carotenoids, Characterization, and Health Concerns: A Review

Abstract

Carotenoids are the most powerful nutrients (medicine) on earth due to their potent antioxidant properties. The ability of these tetraterpenoids in obviating human chronic ailments like cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes has drawn public attention toward these novel compounds. Conventionally, carotenoids have been extracted from plant materials and agro-industrial byproduct using different solvents, but these procedures result in contaminating the target compound (carotenoids) with extraction solvents. Furthermore, some utilized solvents are not safe and hence are harmful to the environment. This has attracted criticism from consumers, ecologists, environmentalists, and public health workers. However, there is clear consumer preference for carotenoids from natural origin without traces of extracting solvent. Therefore, this review seeks to discuss methods for higher recovery of pure carotenoids without contamination from a solvent. Methods such as enzyme-based extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, Soxhlet extraction, ultrasonic extraction, and postextraction treatment (saponification) are discussed. Merits and demerits of these methods along with health concerns during intake of carotenoids were also considered.

Green Extraction Approaches for Carotenoids and Esters: Characterization of Native Composition from Orange Peel

“…As previously stated, the use of supercritical fluids as the extracting phase for bioactive compounds is considered a promising approach in the green chemistry field. Different fluids can be used such as carbon dioxide, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, ethylene, ammonia, sulfur dioxide, water, or chlorodifluoromethane [41]. The literature reports carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) as one of the most widely used supercritical fluids, which is especially convenient for carotenoid extraction; it is the most preferred in the pharmaceuticals and food industries due to its relatively low critical properties, making it ideal for thermally labile components, such as the carotenoids [41,42].…”

Fruit‐based juices: Focus on antioxidant properties—Study approach and update

“…Examples of main compounds of this class are ß‐carotene, lycopene, and lutein (Figure ). These compounds may exert various and relevant pharmacological actions partly via antioxidant mechanisms (Adadi, Barakova, & Krivoshapkina, ; Durazzo et al, ; El‐Baz, Hussein, Mahmoud, & Abdo, ; Monforte et al, ; Müller, Caris‐Veyrat, Lowe, & Böhm, ; Petruk, Del Giudice, Rigano, & Monti, ; Zou, Aboshora, Li, Xiao, & Zhang, ). It is worth mentioning the recent review of Ribeiro, Freitas, Silva, Carvalho, and Fernandes (), on antioxidant and pro‐oxidant activities of carotenoids and their oxidation products.…”

The effect of enzyme preparations on extracting the pigments from plant raw materials

“…В данной работе был предложен новый способ экстракции каратиноидов и хлорофиллов с помощью ферментных комплексов и использованием этанола в качестве растворителя. Выбор этанола обусловлен тем, что он не является опасным веществом, как другие растворители, используемые во время экстракции [14].…”