Selection of processing parameters for the integrated supercritical CO2 extraction from green tea leaves and extract impregnation onto starch-chitosan based films

Abstract

The study aimed toward the development of biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric films (starch-chitosan and starch-chitosan-cyclodextrin) with biologically valuable green tea leaf extract using an environmentally friendly integrated process of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and supercritical solvent impregnation (SSI). The SFE-SSI process parameters were selected through the initial estimation of the SFE parameters effect (temperatures 35 and 70 °C and the addition of co-solvents ethanol, ethanol/water, and water). The present early-stage work showed that an increase in temperature increased extraction yield (from 0.9 to 4.2%) and caffeine content while it decreased polyphenolic and pigment content as well as antioxidant activity and extract loading onto films (from 7.1 to 0.1%). The addition of co-solvents to sc-CO2 had an adverse effect on extract yield, composition, and loading. The highest recorded total phenolic, flavonoid, chlorophyll A, and caffeine content in extracts were 136.5 mg GE/g, 22.7 mg RE/g, 8.1 mg/g, and 460.0 mg/g, respectively.