About this Research Topic
Green and Sustainable Chemistry can take up new challenges solving past, present and preventing future environmental burdens. In the perfect scenario, the use of safe reagents and solvents without waste generation would be the ideal choice, developing a worldwide approach to the prevention of waste production and hazardous substance generation. The main objective of this modus operandi is to promote resource sustainability, economic growth, environmental protection, social inclusion, and preserve human health. Nowadays, the significant developments in Molecular Biology and biotechnology open an innovative overture for the synthesis or isolation of natural bioactives.
Several natural matrices and agrifood residues are rich in valuable bioactive compounds that are usually wasted if not properly extracted, clearly colliding with the spreading idea of circular economy and sustainability. In line with Green Chemistry principles, non-conventional extraction techniques are gaining more attention in the recent decades. Different and innovative approaches have been developed: biobased and neoteric solvents (i.e., deep eutectic solvents, ionic liquids), ultrasound, microwave, supercritical fluids, fermentative and enzymatic extractions are just some of them. These novel approaches ensure the obtainment of safe and high-quality extracts/products which could be employed for different applications in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic sectors. Moreover, they could also act as starting compounds for further chemical modifications to improve their physicochemical properties (e.g., lipophilicity, stability) and biological activities, ideally through ecofriendly synthetic approaches (i.e., biocatalysis, flow chemistry) that could ensure the sustainable scale-up of the processes.
However, it is still essential to perform more efforts to apply the aforementioned ecofriendly and innovative extraction approaches in industrial processes.
This Research Topic aims to collect studies that show valuable progresses in the field. We welcome Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to:
• Development of green and sustainable chemoenzymatic and fermentation assisted extractions protocols
• Recovery of valorisation of bioactives from agri-food matrices and residues
• Analytical characterization, biological activities, and stability assays of extracts and purified bioactives.
• Pulsed electric field, ultrasound, microwave, enzymatic and fermentation assisted extractions
• Ionic liquids, natural deep eutectic, switchable solvents
Several natural matrices and agrifood residues are rich in valuable bioactive compounds that are usually wasted if not properly extracted, clearly colliding with the spreading idea of circular economy and sustainability. In line with Green Chemistry principles, non-conventional extraction techniques are gaining more attention in the recent decades. Different and innovative approaches have been developed: biobased and neoteric solvents (i.e., deep eutectic solvents, ionic liquids), ultrasound, microwave, supercritical fluids, fermentative and enzymatic extractions are just some of them. These novel approaches ensure the obtainment of safe and high-quality extracts/products which could be employed for different applications in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic sectors. Moreover, they could also act as starting compounds for further chemical modifications to improve their physicochemical properties (e.g., lipophilicity, stability) and biological activities, ideally through ecofriendly synthetic approaches (i.e., biocatalysis, flow chemistry) that could ensure the sustainable scale-up of the processes.
However, it is still essential to perform more efforts to apply the aforementioned ecofriendly and innovative extraction approaches in industrial processes.
This Research Topic aims to collect studies that show valuable progresses in the field. We welcome Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to:
• Development of green and sustainable chemoenzymatic and fermentation assisted extractions protocols
• Recovery of valorisation of bioactives from agri-food matrices and residues
• Analytical characterization, biological activities, and stability assays of extracts and purified bioactives.
• Pulsed electric field, ultrasound, microwave, enzymatic and fermentation assisted extractions
• Ionic liquids, natural deep eutectic, switchable solvents
Keywords: green extraction, enzymatic and fermentation assisted extractions, circular economy, agri-food matrices and residues valorisation, high value chemicals
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
