Pressurized hot water extraction of bioactives

What if the key to unlocking nature's most valuable compounds was simply hot water under pressure? It's a technique that could replace toxic solvents with a sustainable, green alternative.

Pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) is turning the spotlight on water as a powerful solvent. By heating water under pressure, it becomes a versatile tool for pulling out bioactive compounds—like phenolic compounds, proteins, and polysaccharides—from natural sources. This approach offers a sustainable alternative to conventional methods that rely on organic solvents, which are often toxic and wasteful.

This review takes a fresh look at PHWE, covering its fundamentals and the latest applications from 2019 to the present. It builds on earlier work by the same authors, ensuring a comprehensive and up-to-date perspective. The focus is on how PHWE is being used to recover valuable compounds from foods, plants, and their byproducts.

What's new? The review highlights exciting trends, such as combining PHWE with other advanced techniques and using natural deep eutectic solvents as modifiers. These innovations aim to boost extraction yields and make PHWE even more efficient and versatile. It's a promising step toward greener chemistry, where water does the heavy lifting without the environmental cost.

Key Points

• PHWE is a green alternative to organic solvent extraction.
• Recovers phenolics, proteins, polysaccharides from natural sources.
• New trends: combining PHWE with advanced techniques and NADES.