Recovery technologies for lipophilic bioactives

Abstract

The market for natural bioactive ingredients is one of the most attractive at the moment, and natural lipophilic compounds of various structures and functionalities provide excellent molecules for the production of nutraceuticals, functional foods, and food additives. The use of these products in various commercial sectors and the consumer demand for “natural”, together with increasingly strict environmental regulation related to the use of organic solvents, particularly with products for human consumption, have created a great challenge for the natural ingredients industry. In order to address the need for safer and healthier foods and to offer competitive products aimed at meeting consumer expectations, many scientists and manufacturers are making genuine efforts to explore new “green sustainable processes” for obtaining bioactive ingredients. In this chapter, both conventional and new alternative techniques for the isolation of high-value lipophilic bioactives from different natural matrixes are presented. One new technology, supercritical fluid extraction (SCFE), is reviewed in greater detail. The practical issues associated with each extraction method are also discussed, as well as the potential for upscaling of the technology.