Enhanced Extraction of Carotenoids from Tomato Industry Waste Using Menthol/Fatty Acid Deep Eutectic Solvent

Despoina Vlachoudi, Theodoros Chatzimitakos, Vassilis Athanasiadis, Eleni Bozinou and Stavros I. Lalas ()
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Despoina Vlachoudi: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kozani, Greece
Theodoros Chatzimitakos: Department of Food Science & Nutrition, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Vassilis Athanasiadis: Department of Food Science & Nutrition, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Eleni Bozinou: Department of Food Science & Nutrition, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece
Stavros I. Lalas: Department of Food Science & Nutrition, University of Thessaly, 43100 Karditsa, Greece

Waste, 2023, vol. 1, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: This study aimed to explore the efficiency of hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDESs) composed of menthol and fatty acids for extracting carotenoids from tomato by-products. A selection of nine different HDESs and fatty acid mixtures were prepared and evaluated for their carotenoid extraction potential. The highest extraction yield was obtained with menthol/hexanoic acid 2:1 (94.5 ± 3.3 μg CtE/g dm), demonstrating the influence of the specific composition of DES components on extraction efficiency. An optimization process employing a Box–Behnken design was conducted to identify the optimal extraction conditions. The solvent-to-solid ratio, extraction time, and temperature were studied, resulting in an extraction yield increase of up to 48.5% under optimized conditions (solvent-to-solid ratio of 25:1, extraction time of 90 min, and temperature of 50 °C). Furthermore, potent antioxidant properties, including antiradical activity (63.7 ± 4 μmol AAE/g dm) and reducing power (26.7 ± 1.8 μmol AAE/g dm), were recorded. Comparative analyses with conventional organic solvents (hexane, ethyl acetate, and acetone) highlighted the superiority of HDES in both carotenoid extraction and antioxidant capacity. A color analysis of the extracts showed distinctive color profiles, with the HDES extract displaying higher redness and reduced yellowness compared to organic solvent extracts. Principal component analysis (PCA) and multivariate correlation analysis (MCA) revealed strong correlations between total carotenoid content and antioxidant parameters, underscoring the relationship between carotenoid extraction and antioxidant potential. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of HDESs, particularly Men/Hex 2:1, as efficient and sustainable solvents for carotenoid extraction. These findings offer valuable insights for the development of innovative and environmentally friendly methods for extracting carotenoids with potential applications in various industries.

Keywords: tomato by-products; DES; terpenes; fatty acids; extraction; lycopene; antioxidants; color analysis; response surface methodology; principal component analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q16 Q18 Q2 Q20 Q23 Q24 Q25 Q28 Q3 Q31 Q38 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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