Insights on the use of alternative solvents and technologies to recover bio-based food pigments

abstract

This review will discuss, under the Circular Economy and Biorefinery concepts, the performance of the alternative solvents in the downstream process to recover natural pigments in a more sustainable way. Conventionally, pigments marketed on an industrial scale are produced through chemical synthesis by using petroleum derivatives as the main raw material. Also, the current production chain of the synthetic dyes is linear, with no solvent recycling and waste generation. Thus, the most promising processes of extraction and purification of natural pigments and strategies on the polishing of the solvents are here reviewed. In this review, the use of alternative solvents, namely, ionic liquids, eutectic solvents, aqueous solutions of surfactants, and edible oils, for recovering natural pigments was reviewed. Works discussing higher extraction yields and selectivity, while maintaining the stability of the target pigments, were reported. Also, a panorama between Sustainability and Circular Economy prospection was discussed for better comprehension of the main advances in the field. Behind the analysis of the works published so far on the theme, the most important lacunas to overcome in the next years on the field were pointed out and discussed. Also, the future trends and new perspectives to achieve the economic viability and sustainability of the processes using alternative solvents will be scrutinized.

keywords

DEEP EUTECTIC SOLVENTS; ULTRASOUND-ASSISTED EXTRACTION; AQUEOUS BIPHASIC SYSTEMS; PROTIC IONIC LIQUIDS; ASTAXANTHIN EXTRACTION; EFFICIENT EXTRACTION; BIOACTIVE FLAVONOIDS; ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY; NATURAL PIGMENTS; GREEN EXTRACTION

subject category

Food Science & Technology

authors

Mesquita, LDM; Martins, M; Pisani, LP; Ventura, SPM; de Rosso, VV

Groups

G4 - Renewable Materials and Circular Economy

Projects

CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDB/50011/2020)

Projeto de Investigação Exploratória: Sónia Patricia Marques Ventura (IF/00402/2015)

acknowledgements

This work was supported by Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo-FAPESP through the project (2016/18910-1), fellowship (2016/23242-8), and BEPE fellowship (2018/10705-5). V.V. de R. acknowledges the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for their financial support (project 432758/2018-6 and fellowship 307338/2018-5). This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020 andUIDP/50011/2020, financed by national funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology/MCTES. The authors are grateful for the financial support of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for the contract SFRH/BD/122220/2016 ofM. Martins. S. P. M. Ventura acknowledges the financial support from FCT regarding the contract IF/00402/2015.