Overview of neoteric solvents as extractants in food industry: A focus on phenolic compounds separation from liquid streams

Abstract

The loss and waste of food is a matter of great concern, leading to a multifaceted problem with negative economic, social, and environmental impacts as addressed in the UN Sustainable Development Goals number 2: zero hunger. The wine, fruit juice and vegetable oil processing industries generate significant amounts of wastes and side streams containing potentially valuable bioactive compounds. Some of them are plant secondary phenolic metabolites that offer remarkable health benefits (as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds). One of the current challenges is the recovery of such bioactive compounds from residual matrices for further applications in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Within this framework and in the scope of the Green Chemistry concept, one of the current challenges is to find eco-efficient techniques for the recovery of bioactive compounds. In this context, neoteric solvents are considered a greener alternative to traditional solvents, as the latter are more harmful to human and animal health, and environment. This overview focuses on recent advances in the use of hydrophobic neoteric solvents, i.e. ionic liquids, eutectic solvents, and bio-based solvents, for liquid–liquid extraction of phenolic compounds from liquid agri-food matrices.