molecules-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Natural Bioactive Compounds

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 1589

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Organic and Analytical Chemistry (ICOA), University of Orléans, CNRS UMR 7311, 45100 Orléans, France
Interests: eco-extraction; separative methods; mass spectrometry; metabolomics; natural compounds; active ingredients; cosmetics

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Organic and Analytical Chemistry (ICOA), University of Orléans, CNRS UMR 7311, 45100 Orléans, France
Interests: supercritical fluids; interaction and solubility studies; stationary phases classifications; dynamic selective sequential green extraction; on line SFE-SFC

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Today, there is a growing interest in sustainable approaches to the extraction and isolation of  targeted compounds from various types of complex matrixes; this includes, for example, from plants.

Due to safety and the demand for sustainable development, numerous extraction methods have been developed in order to replace organic solvents. Pressurized fluids or dynamic extraction processes often favor the application of diffusion kinetics or/and exchange surfaces, and reduce the length of the extraction process.

Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE), which is based on the use of pure carbon dioxide or carbon dioxide-modified fluids, fulfills many of the requirements of green chemistry and the industrial economical model; this is especially due to the spontaneous obtention of a concentrated extract.

Many aspects regarding the use of SFE can be addressed, including the application of classical extraction methods such as the ratio fluid/matrix, the particle size, the sample moisture, the pressure and temperature, the nature of the modifier, and the use of a natural solvent for safety issues. Due to the significant number of experimental parameters, experimental designs are often built both to model the extraction kinetics and to provide more suitable conditions. Moreover, in the presence of varied compound families, selective conditions can be reached, enabling their sequential extraction from the same sample. In addition, significant work is required to achieve the correct molecular characterization of the obtained extract, and activity tests that indicate its suitable use in nutraceutical, pharmaceutic or cosmetic applications need to be performed. With this, the eventual upgrade from laboratory to industrial process will be achieved.

Therefore, this Special Issue of Molecules aims to provide an overview of recent advances in the processes used for the supercritical extraction of bioactive natural compounds, the pre-treatment of samples, and the attainment of experimental data and properties of extracts. 

We warmly invite our colleagues to contribute to this Special Issue, which addresses the use of an unusual and versatile fluid.

Prof. Dr. Émilie Destandau
Prof. Dr. Eric Lesellier
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • supercritical fluid extraction
  • natural bioactive compounds
  • extraction efficiency
  • sequential isolation
  • bioactivity and chemical structure
  • integrated processes

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 778 KiB  
Article
Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Oleoresin from Peruvian Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): Extraction Yield, Polyphenol Content, Antioxidant Capacity, Chemical Analysis and Storage Stability
by Fiorella P. Cárdenas-Toro, Jennifer H. Meza-Coaquira, Monserrat Gonzalez-Gonzalez, Ceferino Carrera and Gerardo Fernández Barbero
Molecules 2025, 30(5), 1013; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30051013 - 22 Feb 2025
Viewed by 859
Abstract
In this study, we performed supercritical CO2 extraction of oleoresin from Peruvian ginger, focusing on the extraction yield, total polyphenol content, antioxidant capacity, and contents of gingerol and shogaol. The temperature (40 to 50 °C), pressure (80 to 250 bar), CO2 [...] Read more.
In this study, we performed supercritical CO2 extraction of oleoresin from Peruvian ginger, focusing on the extraction yield, total polyphenol content, antioxidant capacity, and contents of gingerol and shogaol. The temperature (40 to 50 °C), pressure (80 to 250 bar), CO2 flow rate (2 and 8 ft3/h) and extraction time (10 to 360 min) were evaluated in three steps. The extraction yield was influenced by the temperature, pressure, flow rate and extraction time. Oleoresin extracts were obtained from 150 to 250 bar. The supercritical extraction conditions selected for the recovery of the oleoresin extract were 50 °C, 250 bar, 8 ft3/h and 360 min, resulting in an extraction yield of 25.99 ± 0.13 mg extracts/g dry basis, a total polyphenol content of 171.65 ± 2.12 mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g extract, an antioxidant capacity expressed as a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 1.02 ± 0.01 mg extract/mL methanol and a Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) value of 368.14 ± 60.95 mg Trolox/g extract. The contents of gingerols and shogaols in the supercritical extract were 254.71 ± 33.79 mg of 6-gingerol/g extract, 24.46 ± 3.41 mg of 6-shogaol/g extract, 9.63 ± 2.51 mg of 8-gingerol/g extract, 51.01 ± 9.39 mg of 8-shogaol/g extract, 27.47 ± 5.06 mg of 10-gingerol/g extract and 20.11 ± 4.62 mg of 10-shogaol/g extract. There was no reduction in the total polyphenol content or antioxidant capacity according to the IC50 and FRAP assays, under storage conditions of 0 °C, 20 °C and 40 °C after 180 days; this indicates that the oleoresin obtained using supercritical CO2 extraction could be used as an additive in food products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Natural Bioactive Compounds)
Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 909 KiB  
Article
Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Lipids from Rowanberry Pomace with Pure CO2 and Its Mixtures with Ethanol Followed by the On-Line Separation of Fractions
by Viive Sarv, Rajeev Bhat, Laura Jūrienė, Renata Baranauskienė, Dalia Urbonavičienė, Pranas Viškelis and Petras Rimantas Venskutonis
Molecules 2025, 30(4), 964; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30040964 - 19 Feb 2025
Viewed by 457
Abstract
Fruit processing by-products contain various classes of bioactive constituents, which may find applications as ingredients for foods, nutraceuticals or cosmeceuticals. This study explored the fractionation of lipophilic rowanberry pomace extracts isolated with pure supercritical CO2 and its mixtures with a co-solvent ethanol [...] Read more.
Fruit processing by-products contain various classes of bioactive constituents, which may find applications as ingredients for foods, nutraceuticals or cosmeceuticals. This study explored the fractionation of lipophilic rowanberry pomace extracts isolated with pure supercritical CO2 and its mixtures with a co-solvent ethanol by their on-line separation at subcritical conditions. Rowanberry pomace lipids were extracted with supercritical CO2 (42.4 MPa, 53 °C) using 0–7% of ethanol, and then fractionated by reducing the first separator’s (S1) pressure to 7 MPa and cooling it to 0, −10 and −20 °C to precipitate the ‘heavier’ fraction (HF). The second separator (S2) was depressurized at ambient temperatures to collect the ‘lighter’ fraction (LF). The yield of the LF increased by decreasing the S1 temperature and increasing the amount of the co-solvent. The concentration of β-carotene was increased in the LF by decreasing the S1 temperature and increasing the co-solvent concentration; at −20 °C it was 66.7% higher than in the non-fractionated extract. The concentrations of tocopherols and phytosterols were also remarkably higher in the LF. In total, 62 compounds were identified in the headspace volatile fraction of the LF, benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol being the most abundant constituents. In conclusion, fractionation enabled us to obtain fractions with higher concentrations of the selected classes of lipophilic rowanberry constituents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Natural Bioactive Compounds)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop