Supercritical CO2 extraction of carotenoids from high Andean forest bee pollen

Abstract

An oily bee pollen extract was obtained using the supercritical fluid technique (SFE) using CO2 as a solvent and conditions of pressure: 28 MPa, temperature: 60°C, gas flow: 5 L/min, and duration: 6 h. Initially, pollen samples were collected from different municipalities of Colombia, selected, and analyzed according to the content of total carotenoids (CCT) and yield of the extraction process. The results show CCT between 119 and 2140 µg β-carotene/g of sample, with yield percentages in obtaining oily extracts between 3 – 5%. For CCT in the oily extract, 385–6942 µg β-carotene/g of extract were obtained, where Guatavita pollen was the one with the highest content. According to the investigation, the authors derived that the technique of SFE positively affected the exine layer, shown in the observations by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).