Various novel techniques including ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and accelerated solvent extraction have been developed for the extraction of nutraceuticals from plants in order to shorten the extraction time, decrease the solvent consumption, increase the extraction yield, and enhance the quality of extracts. A critical review was conducted to introduce and compare the conventional Soxhlet extraction and the new alternative methods used for the extraction of nutraceuticals from plants. The practical issues of each extraction method were discussed. Potential uses of those methods for the extraction of nutraceuticals from plant materials was finally summarized.

Recent advances in extraction of nutraceuticals from plants

Ultrasound assisted extraction of food and natural products. Mechanisms, techniques, combinations, protocols and applications. A review.

Ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) process enhancement for food and allied industries are reported in this review. This includes herbal, oil, protein and bioactives from plant and animal materials (e.g. polyphenolics, anthocyanins, aromatic compounds, polysaccharides and functional compounds) with increased yield of extracted components, increased rate of extraction, achieving reduction in extraction time and higher processing throughput. Ultrasound can enhance existing extraction processes and enable new commercial extraction opportunities and processes. New UAE processing approaches have been proposed, including, (a) the potential for modification of plant cell material to provide improved bioavailability of micro-nutrients while retaining the natural-like quality, (b) simultaneous extraction and encapsulation, (c) quenching of the radical sonochemistry especially in aqueous systems to avoid degradation of bioactives and (d) potential use of the radical sonochemistry to achieve targeted hydroxylation of polyphenolics and carotenoids to increase bioactivity. Industrial relevance The application of ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE) in food processing technology is of interest for enhancing extraction of components from plant and animal materials. This review shows that UAE technology can potentially enhance extraction of components such as polyphenolics, anthocyanins, aromatic compounds, polysaccharides, oils and functional compounds when used as a pre-treatment step in a unit process. The higher yield obtained in these UAE processes are of major interest from an industrial point of view, since the technology is an “add on” step to the existing process with minimum alteration, application in aqueous extraction where organic solvents can be replaced with generally recognised as safe (GRAS) solvents, reduction in solvent usage, and shortening the extraction time. The use of ultrasonic for extraction purposes in high-cost raw materials is an economical alternative to traditional extraction processes, which is an industry demand for a sustainable development.

Applications and opportunities for ultrasound assisted extraction in the food industry-a review

Improved extraction of vegetable oils under high-intensity ultrasound and/or microwaves.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of polyphenols (flavanone glycosides) from orange (Citrus sinensis L.) peel

High intensity ultrasound-assisted extraction of oil from soybeans

The effect of ultrasound and microwave assistance in enhancing extraction oil yields from soybeans when different
solvents are used for extraction was investigated in two separate experiments. Each study involved a three-factor factorial
following a completely randomized design that was replicated three times. Treatment factors investigated in the microwave
processing study were microwave pretreatment time (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 min), solvent (isopropanol, hexane, and 3:2 hexane-isopropanol
mixture), and extraction time (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, and 3 h). Ultrasonic intensity (0, 16.4, 20.9, and 47.6 W/cm2) was
substituted as a treatment factor in the sonication study. Solvent extraction was accomplished by immersion of ground
soybeans in a given volume of solvent at ambient temperature. While oil yields did not approach the 19.2% analyzed oil
content of the TN 96-58 used as the test material, they were found to increase with both intensity of the process assistance
and extraction time under the conditions of the studies, particularly with hexane and the mixed solvent. The highest yield result
of 12.21 g from 100 g soybeans was obtained with the mixed solvent under 47.6 W/cm2 sonication. The results obtained with
the mixed solvent with both microwave pretreatment and ultrasound assistance are difficult to explain in terms of physical
chemistry. The results with isopropanol indicate that the efficiency of the extraction process depends greatly on the molecular
affinity between solvent and solute and that process assistance tested in this study cannot overcome inherent deficiencies in
solvent-solute interactions.

Microwave and ultrasound assisted extraction of soybean oil

Soybean breeding programs underway today are addressing the goal of improving the protein profile to benefit the human diet as well as that of livestock. Glycinin, a globulin storage protein of the meal and designated as the 11S size fraction by ultracentrifugation, is desirable because of its relative abundance of sulfur-containing amino acids, such as methionine and cysteine. The current study examined the feasibility of near-infrared (NIR) measurement of glycinin and the other prevalent protein fraction, β-conglycinin (7S size fraction), as well as the electrophoretically separable sub fractions that comprise these two components. From a population of 101 F6-derived recombinant inbred lines in a field replicated trial, single whole soybeans were scanned in transmittance (800–1,798 nm, 24 beans/sample × 197 samples total). Additional scanning of the ground meal was performed in reflectance (1,100–2,498 nm). Partial least squares (PLS) calibrations were developed, using the 24-bean average log(1/T) spectrum for each sample, as well as the average spectrum from duplicate packs of log(1/R) spectra of the meal. The results indicate that NIR prediction of 11S and 7S, as well as the sub fractions thereof, is at best limited to screening purposes in soybean breeding programs for probable reasons of an inherent lack of spectral specificity of the protein fractions and a non-constant proportion of soluble-to-total protein.

/pdf/assessing-glycinin-11s-and-b-conglycinin-7s-fractions-of-58eppiglvn.pdf

Assessing Glycinin (11S) and β-Conglycinin (7S) Fractions of Soybean Storage Protein by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Fourteen years of accumulated electrical energy use data related to milking operations at the 160-cow University
of Tennessee Dairy Experiment Station in Lewisburg, Tennessee were analyzed to quantify relative effects of
production -related factors on energy use within the milking center. Energy use was measured for vacuum pumps, refrigeration
compressors, water heaters, and an air compressor. These energy use figures were then related to the recorded production
parameters: number of cows milked, the amount of milk sold, percent butterfat of the milk, the total pounds of fat corrected
milk, and high and low dry bulb temperature by means of multiple regression. Analyses were made on a monthly and yearly
basis. Total dairy energy use could not be computed due to numerous non-dairy load components in the Experiment Station
that could not be subtracted. It followed logically that number of cows milked, milk production, and weather conditions
represented by dry bulb temperature were found to be the major factors affecting energy use. However, no parameter, or
combination of parameters, explained in a statistical sense more than 74% of the variability in the recorded energy use by
the equipment studied. Quantity, and not quality, of milk produced was the most significant factor affecting energy use, with
the number of cows milked and outside temperatures playing lesser roles. Regression results showing that cow numbers was
not a factor related to energy use for milk cooling or vacuum pump operation, lead to some questions about the validity of
kWh/cow/yr as an energy use indicator. 
For the 14 years of data available, average EUIs for the vacuum pumps for milking (1.10 kWh/cwt) and the refrigeration
compressors for milk cooling (1.02 kWh/cwt) were near the upper range of published reference values (0.4 to 1.19 kWh/cwt
and 0.8 to 1.10 kWh/cwt, respectively), while average EUI for water heaters (0.65 kWh/cwt) were well below the published
range (0.95 to 1.40 kWh/cwt). The former two results confirm the validity of the published EUIs that were based only on a
few year’s data. Interestingly, the results also indicate a general consistency in the year to year operation of similarly sized
dairy operations. The lower EUI for the water heater was due to the use of a preheater and also the every-other-day milk
collection at the dairy.

Energy use analysis of major milking center components at a dairy experiment station

Cooling and aeration improve or maintain desired quality of pelleted feed products. By knowing the resistance to
airflow through feed products, fans can be selected to efficiently achieve proper aeration. Extensive data defining the relationship
between airflow and pressure drop per unit depth of material has been published for several types of biological material.
There is not much information on the resistance to airflow of pelleted feed products. This study focuses on air resistance through
four pelleted feed sizes (4.0 mm, 6.7 mm, and 19.4 mm diameters and 33.2 × 34.9 mm cubes). Data have been published for
sizes similar to the 6.7 mm pellets and the cubes, but no data are available for the other two sizes. Three bin shapes (round,
square, rectangular) containing equal airflow areas were tested. A “loose” and a “packed” fill were also tested for each product
size except for the cubes, which was tested at a loose fill only. The data obtained were well represented by Shedd’s equation.
Shape of the test bin appeared to have no effect on measured airflow resistance. The pressure drop increased with the packed
fill over the loose fill, but graphically, the variation of airflow with pressure drop appeared to be the same for both conditions.

L. O. Pordesimo

Papers

High intensity ultrasound-assisted extraction of oil from soybeans

Microwave and ultrasound assisted extraction of soybean oil

Assessing Glycinin (11S) and β-Conglycinin (7S) Fractions of Soybean Storage Protein by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

Energy use analysis of major milking center components at a dairy experiment station

Airflow resistance of some pelleted feed