Utilization of plant-based agricultural waste by subcritical water treatment

Abstract

The application of subcritical water treatments to valorize cer tain plant-based agricultural waste is reviewed with a focus on the extraction of phenolic compounds and the production of oligosaccharides. Phenolic compounds can be ef ficiently extracted by raising the temperature to an optimal value; however, many phenolic compounds are decomposed at high temperatures. Nevertheless, some degradation products of phenolic compounds also show high antioxidant activity. The conversion of polysaccharides from plant-based agricultural waste into smaller polysaccharides or oligosaccharides may be an alternative method for the preparation of ingredients with health benefits.