Process intensification for producing powdered extracts rich in bioactive compounds: An economic approach

Author(s)

Zabot, Giovani L. ; Bitencourte, Iuri P. ; Tres, Marcus V. ; Meireles, M. A. A.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: JOURNAL OF SUPERCRITICAL FLUIDS; v. 119, p. 261-273, JAN 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 8

Abstract

The hyphenated on-line association of pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with supercritical antisolvent (SAS) precipitation was performed in sequential mode to obtain quercetin-rich powdered extracts from onion peels. The PLE performed at 40 degrees C and 12 MPa with ethanol and the SAS performed at 40 degrees C and 1 0 MPa with supercritical CO2 provided 4.1 +/- 0.6 g microparticles/100 g onion peels with 26 +/- 2 wt.% (mass basis) of quercetin, which the microparticles presented a mean particle diameter equal to 119 +/- 1 mu m. The proposed process was then evaluated in the economic aspect with the objective to show its feasibility in different scenarios. Among the 40 scenarios assessed, the more promising one in the techno-economic viewpoint is indicated in the larger plant capacity, with vessels of 500 L. For a productivity of 17.7 ton/year, the cost of manufacturing (COM) the microparticles was only US\$ 63.98/kg. In such scenario, the return on investment, the payback time, and the gross margin were 120.8%, 0.8 years and 82.2%, respectively. The COM of powdered extracts is low because the acquisition cost of onion peels (food waste) is null. The main components that influence the COM are the fixed capital of investment (53-59%) and the cost of utilities (10-22%). The economic findings demonstrate that the process intensification (PLE + SAS) is a profitable alternative because the pressure energy applied in the extraction vessel can be used as useful energy for spraying and producing microparticles in the precipitation vessel. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/15685-1 - Process intensification for obtaining natural extracts and on-line particle formation using supercritical technology
• Grantee: Giovani Leone Zabot
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 12/10685-8 - Combination and coupling of processes for the production and encapsulation of value-added vegetal extracts: technical and economic evaluation
• Grantee: Maria Angela de Almeida Meireles Petenate
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 15/13299-0 - From seeds to final products: feasible manufacturing routes of annatto applying process intensification and process integration
• Grantee: Maria Angela de Almeida Meireles Petenate
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants