Selective Supercritical CO2 Extraction and Biocatalytic Valorization of Cucurbita pepo L. Industrial Residuals

Abstract

The valorization of biomass residuals constitutes a key aspect of circular economy and thus a major challenge for the scientific community. Among industrial wastes, plant residuals could represent an attractive source of bioactive compounds. In this context, a residue from the industrial extraction of Cucurbita pepo L. seeds, whose oil is commercialized for the treatment of genito-urinary tract pathologies, has been selected. Supercritical CO2 technology has been employed as a highly selective “green” methodology allowing the recovery of compounds without chemical degradation and limited operational costs. Free fatty acids have been collected in mild conditions while an enrichment in sterols has been selectively obtained from sc-CO2 extracts by appropriate modulation of process parameters (supercritical fluid pressure and temperature), hence demonstrating the feasibility of the technique to target added-value compounds in a selective way. Obtained fatty acids were thus converted into the corresponding ethanol carboxamide derivatives by lipase-mediated biocatalyzed reactions, while the hydroxylated derivatives of unsaturated fatty acids were obtained by stereoselective hydration reaction under reductive conditions in the presence of a selected FADH2-dependent oleate hydratase.

Toward an Environmentally Friendly Future: An Overview of Biofuels from Corn and Potential Alternatives in Hemp and Cucurbits

“…Supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide (SC-CO 2 ) is an economical and environmentally friendly technology that produces high-quality oil with reduced extraction time [114]. The disadvantages include high equipment and operating costs and limitedscale application.…”