Sustainable extraction of bioactive compounds from aromatic plants and agro-food wastes for food preservation: A review

The demand of natural bioactive compounds in diverse sectors like food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics are increasing day-after-day, and thus significant development in novel extraction of such functional and active compounds from natural resources have been achieved. This review paper discusses about various techniques of sustainable and innovative extraction of bioactive compounds from agro-food wastes, and their use as food preservatives. Several novel techniques, such as microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), supercritical fluid extraction (SCFE), pulsed electric field (PEF) extraction, etc., as well as many combined/integrated (two or more) techniques including ultrasound-microwave-assisted extraction (UMAE), and ultrasound-assisted pressurized liquid extraction (UAPLE) are elaborated. Moreover, applications of these natural bioactive compounds in food preservation, maintaining quality, and shelf-life extension are also summarized. This comprehensive study provides valuable insights into the practical implications of novel extraction techniques and their role in meeting the increasing demand for bioactive compounds for various food applications. Bioactive phenolic compounds recovered from agro-food wastes have been successfully incorporated into foods to achieve higher shelf-life. Additionally, environment-friendly extraction methods, like ultrasound and microwave assisted integrated techniques are advantageous in extraction of antioxidant and preservatives phytocompounds.