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Neoteric Solvents in Analysis and Processing of Natural Products

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Analytical Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2021) | Viewed by 4849

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia
Interests: analytical chemistry; chemometrics; alternative solvents; separation science; aerogels
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia
Interests: bioactive compounds; biomass; ionic liquids; deep eutectic solvents; instrumental analysis; extraction

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Akadeemia tee 15, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia
Interests: sample preparation; physical methods of analysis; alternative solvents

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide an overview of the processes that can exploit the properties of neoteric solvents.

Neoteric solvents are alternatives to common organic solvents, and include low-temperature molten salts (ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents) and supercritical fluids. The most attractive property of this class of solvents is their tunability. Molten salts are easily chemically tuned by just combining different anions and cations. Supercritical fluids can be tuned with changes of operating temperature and pressure. However, there are still some gaps to fill in this research arena involving new solvents and processes, namely, the analysis of cost, availability, purity, safety regulations, disposal procedures, and recycling procedures, among others. Furthermore, the greenness and green processes with them as well as the entire life cycle of the solvents and processes used is a critical issue to consider.

These outstanding properties have given rise to many extraction applications, such as the recovery of triglycerides, natural colorants, aromas, polyphenols, and other nutraceuticals from different vegetable sources or food wastes, which could interest the cosmetic, food, or pharmaceutical industries. Traditionally, plants have been excellent sources of naturally produced compounds with biological effects; other organisms such as marine and terrestrial animals and microorganisms also provide very important drug candidate molecules.

As Guest Editors of this Special Issue, we are inviting you to contribute a research paper, short communication, or review article on your latest research activities related to the extraction and isolation of biologically active compounds using neoteric solvents which could potentially be explored for the development of pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and nutraceuticals.

Dr. Mihkel Koel
Dr. Merike Vaher
Dr. Maria Kuhtinskaja
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Ionic liquids
  • Deep eutectic solvents
  • Supercritical fluids
  • Biologically active compounds
  • Natural products
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Nutraceuticals
  • Cosmeceuticals
  • Economic and industry opportunities

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 5988 KiB  
Article
Bioaccessibility and Cellular Uptake of Carotenoids Extracted from Bactris gasipaes Fruit: Differences between Conventional and Ionic Liquid-Mediated Extraction
by Leonardo M. de Souza Mesquita, Daniella Carisa Murador, Bruna Vitória Neves, Anna Rafaela Cavalcante Braga, Luciana Pellegrini Pisani and Veridiana Vera de Rosso
Molecules 2021, 26(13), 3989; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26133989 - 30 Jun 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2712
Abstract
Currently, on an industrial scale, synthetic colorants are used in many fields, as well as those extracted with conventional organic solvents (COSs), leading to several environmental issues. Therefore, we developed a sustainable extraction and purification method mediated by ionic liquids (IL), which is [...] Read more.
Currently, on an industrial scale, synthetic colorants are used in many fields, as well as those extracted with conventional organic solvents (COSs), leading to several environmental issues. Therefore, we developed a sustainable extraction and purification method mediated by ionic liquids (IL), which is considered an alternative high-performance replacement for COSs. Carotenoids are natural pigments with low bioaccessibility (BCT) and bioavailability (BV) but with huge importance to health. To investigate if the BCT and cellular uptake of the carotenoids are modified by the extraction method, we conducted a comparison assay between both extraction procedures (IL vs. COS). For this, we used the Amazonian fruit Bactris gasipaes, a rich source of pro-vitamin A carotenoids, to obtain the extract, which was emulsified and subjected to an in vitro digestion model followed by the Caco-2 cell absorption assay. The bioaccessibility of carotenoids using IL was better than those using COS (33.25%, and 26.84%, respectively). The cellular uptake of the carotenoids extracted with IL was 1.4-fold higher than those extracted using COS. Thus, IL may be a feasible alternative as extraction solvent in the food industry, replacing COS, since, in this study, no IL was present in the final extract. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Neoteric Solvents in Analysis and Processing of Natural Products)
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