Low-transition temperature mixtures (LTTMs) made of bioorganic molecules: Enhanced extraction of antioxidant phenolics from industrial cereal solid wastes

Abstract

Several low-transition temperature mixtures (LTTMs), based on L-lactic acid and amino acids but also choline chloride, were synthesized and screened for their effectiveness in extracting antioxidant phenolics from industrial cereal solid wastes. In most cases, highly efficient LTTMs were those composed of L-lactic acid and choline chloride, but LTTMs composed of L-lactic acid and glycine or alanine also exhibited comparable extraction capacity. The extract from barley bran was shown to express powerful antioxidant activity, which was significantly higher than all the other extracts examined. This fact was attributed to the particularly high content in total flavanols. The data suggested that the most effective solvents, as revealed herein, merit further investigation as very promising means of extracting valuable chemicals from industrial agri-food residues. Additionally, barley bran should be more thoroughly examined for its prospect as a waste source of effective antioxidants, which could be used as nutritional supplements and active cosmetic ingredients.