Phytochemicals from castanea spp. buds and green extraction technologies: The Finnover project

What if the waste from making herbal supplements could become a treasure trove of bioactive compounds? The FINNOVER project turns this idea into a sustainable reality.

The FINNOVER project is forging new paths for sustainable extraction of natural molecules, turning botanical by-products into valuable products instead of burning or composting them. Researchers focused on Castanea spp. buds, a source of food supplements, and their processing waste.

They compared the phytochemical profiles of traditional bud preparations with extracts from bud waste, using both a classic maceration method and a green technique called Pulsed Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (PUAE). HPLC analysis revealed specific chromatographic fingerprints for each.

PUAE extracted 160.42 mg/100 g FW of bioactive compounds from the waste—a respectable amount compared to the 1276.17 mg/100 g FW in the commercial product. Remarkably, about 13% of the chemical content of the original preparations was retained in the by-product extracts.

This research suggests that PUAE could replace incineration or composting as a smarter waste management strategy. It offers industries a blueprint for developing new market products from bud-derivative processing waste, blending ecology with economy.

Key Points

• PUAE extracts 160.42 mg/100g FW from bud waste
• 13% of original phytochemicals remain in by-products
• Green extraction beats composting or incineration