Optimization of Phenolic Compound Extraction from Brewers’ Spent Grain Using Ultrasound Technologies Coupled with Response Surface Methodology

Rosamaria Iadecola, Roberto Ciccoritti, Brunella Ceccantoni, Andrea Bellincontro and Tiziana Amoriello
Additional contact information
Rosamaria Iadecola: Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Roberto Ciccoritti: CREA Research Centre for Olive, Citrus and Tree Fruit, Via di Fioranello 52, 00134 Rome, Italy
Brunella Ceccantoni: Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Andrea Bellincontro: Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-Food and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo de Lellis, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Tiziana Amoriello: CREA Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 6, 1-17

Abstract: Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) is the main solid by-product from the brewery industry, rich in valuable nutrients and bioactive compounds. The aim of this study was to valorize this by-product, recovering phenolic compounds from BSG using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and chemometric techniques, such as the response surface methodology (RSM). Therefore, UAE process parameters (temperature and time) and solvent composition (ethanol aqueous mixtures) were optimized using a three-level Box–Behnken design, in order to carry out the maximum yield in phenols. Then, the extract obtained under optimal conditions was characterized for the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity (2,20-azino-bis(3-ethylbenothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid, ABTS, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, DPPH), and individual phenolic compounds were identified using HPLC-DAD. The results show the highest level of total soluble phenolic content (4.1 ± 0.1 mg GAE/g d.w.) at 80 °C, 50 min and 65:35% ethanol:water, with a high goodness of fit between experimental and predicted values (R 2 = 0.987), and a high antioxidant potential (DPPH: 0.42 ± 0.01 mg TE eq/g d.w.; ABTS: 5.82 ± 0.04 mg TE eq/g d.w.). A comparison between the classic extraction techniques and the UAE with the same solvent showed an increase of 156% in the phenol yield. The characterization of phenolic profile revealed that ferulic acid (1.5 ± 0.2 mg/L), vanillic acid (0.78 ± 0.18 mg/L) and p-coumaric acid (0.12 ± 0.03 mg/L) were the prevalent ones. UAE coupled with RSM was a useful tool to inexpensively and quickly recover bioactive phenolic compounds from BSG, which can be used in the food, pharmaceutical or cosmetic industries.

Keywords: brewers’ spent grain; drying process; extraction condition optimization; antioxidant activity; phenolic profile (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3309/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3309/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3309-:d:769268

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().