Economic evaluation of a promising strategy for the extraction and concentration of bioactive compounds from passion fruit rinds

This work evaluated the economic feasibility of integrating Ultrasound-Assisted Pressurized Liquid Extraction (UAPLE) and Nanofiltration (NF) for the extraction and concentration of bioactive compounds from passion fruit rinds at different production scales. Furthermore, it analyzed the main cost components and profitability indicators to assess its potential for industrial implementation. A techno-economic analysis was performed using SuperPro Designer 9.0® to simulate three production scales: 2 × 30 L, 2 × 300 L, and 2 × 3000 L. The study evaluated key economic indicators, including Cost of Manufacturing (COM), Total Capital Investment (TCI), Gross Margin (GM), Return on Investment (ROI), Net Present Value (NPV), and Payback time. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the impact of extract selling prices on profitability. Scaling up significantly reduced COM due to fixed cost dilution and increased productivity. Raw material (CRM) and utility (CUT) costs were the primary cost drivers, while fixed capital investment (FCI) and operational labor (COL) had lower relative impact at larger scales. The DK and DL membranes provided the lowest COM due to their higher recovery efficiency of bioactive compounds. Sensitivity analysis indicated that profitability is highly dependent on selling price, with payback time under two years in the most favorable scenarios. The UAPLE-NF process proved to have strong economic feasibility at an industrial scale, with significant cost reductions and promising profitability indicators. These findings support its application as a sustainable alternative for bioactive compound extraction. Future research should explore process integration within biorefinery models to enhance sustainability and resource efficiency.