Bibliometric analysis of studies on the use of natural deep eutectic solvents for the extraction of bioactive compounds with antioxidant potential

What if the secret to vibrant, natural colors in food and cosmetics is hiding in corn cobs, grape skins, and grass—and can be unlocked with a simple, green solvent?

The demand for clean-label products is skyrocketing, pushing scientists to find sustainable alternatives to synthetic colorants. Enter anthocyanins—natural pigments with both color and bioactive punch. But extracting them efficiently from waste? That's the challenge. This study turned to natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES), a green chemistry marvel, to pull anthocyanins from molasses grass, black corn cobs, and grape skins. Using a simplex-centroid design with Response Surface Methodology, the team optimized a blend of sorbitol, citric acid, and glycine. The results were striking: NADES achieved a high extraction efficiency, especially for black corn cobs, yielding 54.20 mg/100 g under optimized conditions. While conventional solvents edged out NADES for grape skins, NADES showed competitive efficiency and a superior environmental score—AGREE index 0.73 versus 0.58. The extracted pigments weren't just lab curiosities. They were successfully incorporated into yogurt and moisturizing gel. The yogurts kept their physicochemical stability and color, while the gels maintained homogeneity and chromatic stability. This research underscores NADES as a green, viable route to recover natural colorants from agro-industrial waste, offering a sustainable path for food and cosmetic industries.

Key Points

• NADES extracts anthocyanins from agro-industrial by-products efficiently.
• Black corn cobs yielded 54.20 mg/100 g under optimized conditions.
• NADES shows superior environmental performance (AGREE 0.73 vs. 0.58).