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Review
. 2019 Aug 19;24(16):3007.
doi: 10.3390/molecules24163007.

Review of Alternative Solvents for Green Extraction of Food and Natural Products: Panorama, Principles, Applications and Prospects

Farid Chemat  1 , Maryline Abert Vian  2 , Harish Karthikeyan Ravi  3 , Boutheina Khadhraoui  3 , Soukaina Hilali  3 , Sandrine Perino  3 , Anne-Sylvie Fabiano Tixier  3
Affiliations
Review

Review of Alternative Solvents for Green Extraction of Food and Natural Products: Panorama, Principles, Applications and Prospects

Farid Chemat et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

In recent years, almost all extraction processes in the perfume, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, food ingredients, nutraceuticals, biofuel and fine chemical industries rely massively on solvents, the majority of which have petroleum origins. The intricate processing steps involved in the industrial extraction cycle makes it increasingly difficult to predict the overall environmental impact; despite the tremendous energy consumption and the substantial usage of solvents, often the yields are indicated in decimals. The ideal alternative solvents suitable for green extraction should have high solvency, high flash points with low toxicity and low environmental impacts, be easily biodegradable, obtained from renewable (non-petrochemical) resources at a reasonable price and should be easy to recycle without any deleterious effect to the environment. Finding the perfect solvent that meets all the aforementioned requirements is a challenging task, thus the decision for the optimum solvent will always be a compromise depending on the process, the plant and the target molecules. The objective of this comprehensive review is to furnish a vivid picture of current knowledge on alternative, green solvents used in laboratories and industries alike for the extraction of natural products focusing on original methods, innovation, protocols, and development of safe products.

Keywords: NADES; alternative solvents; bio-based solvent; compressed gas; green extraction; intensification; ionic liquids; solvent-free; supercritical solvent; water.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Microwave solvent-free extraction: From analytical lab to industrial scale.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Subcritical water extraction system. (a) laboratory scale (www.buchi.com). (b) pilot scale (www.zippertex.com).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Most common components of ILs, DESs and NADESs. (A) Cations and anions most commonly used for the preparation of ILs. Hydrogen bond acceptors and hydrogen bond donors most commonly used for the preparation of DESs (B) and NADESs (C).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Panorama of bio-based solvents.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Simplified schematic representation of lab- and pilot-scale unit for extractions using liquefied gases or CO2 as a solvent. (a) Process diagram of a unit designed for extractions using CO2 (a1) or liquefied gases (a2) as a solvent. (b) Example of supercritical CO2 lab scale equipment. (c) Example of supercritical CO2 industrial scale equipment. (d) Nectacel 1-L liquefied gas extraction unit manufactured by Celsius Sarl (Villette de Vienne, France). (e) 500-L NECTACEL be consistent with names liquefied gas extraction unit manufactured by Celsius Sarl.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Industrial scale ultrasound extraction process (2 × 500 L) as intensification technique for extraction using vegetable oils (Reus—www.etsreus.com).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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