Affordable Production of Antioxidant Aqueous Solutions by Hydrodynamic Cavitation Processing of Silver Fir (Abies alba Mill.) Needles.

Lorenzo Albanese,Federica Zabini,Luigi D’Acqui,Alessandra Bonetti,Francesco Meneguzzo

doi:10.3390/foods8020065

Lorenzo Albanese, Federica Zabini + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8020065

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Abstract

Extracts from parts of coniferous trees have received increased interest due to their valuable bioactive compounds and properties, useful for plenty of experimental and consolidated applications, in fields comprising nutraceutics, cosmetics, pharmacology, food preservation, and stimulation of plant growth. However, the variability of the bioactive properties, the complexity of the extraction methods, and the use of potentially harmful synthetic chemicals, still represent an obstacle to the spreading of such valuable natural compounds. Hydrodynamic cavitation is emerging as a promising innovative technique for the extraction of precious food components and by-products from waste raw material of the agro-food production chain, which can improve processing efficiency, reduce resource consumption, and produce healthy, high-quality products. In this study, a process based on controlled hydrodynamic cavitation was applied for the first time to the production of aqueous solutions of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) needles with enhanced antioxidant activity. The observed levels of the in vitro antioxidant activity, comparable or higher than those found for reference substances, pure extracts, and other water extracts and beverages, highlight the very good potential of the hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) process for the creation of solvent-free, aqueous solutions endowed with bioactive compounds extracted from silver fir needles.

Highlights

Fir needles from different plant varieties share a long history of beneficial use for human health and other applications, deriving from the anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, later attributed to the respective essential oils (EOs), polyphenols and flavonoids, and linked to their antioxidant activity
The observed levels of the in vitro antioxidant activity of the samples extracted during the performed tests highlight the very good potential of the hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) process for the creation of aqueous solutions, endowed with bioactive compounds extracted from silver fir needles
The results discussed in this study appeared to meet the best expectations raised by other emerging and successful HC applications

Summary

Introduction

Fir needles from different plant varieties share a long history of beneficial use for human health and other applications, deriving from the anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, later attributed to the respective essential oils (EOs), polyphenols and flavonoids, and linked to their antioxidant activity. Spruce beer turned out to be an effective preservative against, and remedy for, scurvy [5], as well as for rheumatic joints, colds and venereal disease [6], with its use reported in many areas of the world [4,5,7,8,9,10]. As of the late 2000s, plenty of studies had been carried out on the chemical composition of firs (Abies genus), leading to the identification of several secondary metabolites such as terpenoids, flavonoids, phenols, lignans, steroids, totalling 277 compounds from 19 plants (out of about 50 known worldwide) of Abies species, among which Abies alba Mill. Further information about the chemical composition of silver firs, and the related variability, is available in Appendix A

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