Subcritical water extraction (SWE) is an eco-friendly new extraction technology because it does not contain harmful organic solvent and has high extraction efficiency in a short time compared with conventional extraction methods. Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are widely known as superfood due to rich source of anthocyanin (malvidin-3-o-galgctoside) and antioxidant activity. In this study, optimal extraction condition of SWE from blueberries was determined and compared with the conventional extraction methods. SWE was carried out using a Dionex Accelerated Solvent Extractor (ASE, Model 350) under conditions of temperatures (110, 130, 150 and 170°C) and times (1, 3, 5 and 10 min). Total anthocyanin of SWE extracts was compared with hot water (60°C, 1 h) extract and pressed juice extract. The total anthocyanin content was determined by pH differential method. Considering both the extraction time and temperature conditions, the highest content of total anthocyanin content was 0.455 mg/g FW Vaccinium corymbosum at 130°C for 3 min. At high temperature and long extraction time, the anthocyanin in the blueberries will undergo thermal degradation due to low stability of anthocyanin at extreme condition. Besides, maximum yield of anthocyanin from blueberries using SWE was about 1.2 and 3.8 times more higher than hot water extract and pressed juice extract, respectively. Therefore, SWE is faster and more efficient method to extract anthocyanin from blueberries than conventional extraction methods. This study shows a possibility of SWE applied to food processing industry.

Oats (Avena satica L.) are an important source of dietary fiber mainly composed of β-glucans, which is reported to be effective in lowering of cholesterol and decreasing the risk of heart attack. Subcritical water extraction (SWE) is a new and promising method for the extraction of β-glucan due to its polarity-selectivity, efficiency of recovery, time-efficiency, and lower cost. In this study, efficiencies of the SWE were investigated for the extraction of β-glucan from oat flour. The conditions for maximizing the extraction efficiency were determined by varying temperature (110-190°C), pH of solvent (pH 3.0-10.6), static time (5-20 min) and particle size of oat flour. The amount of β-glucan was determined with a ‘Mixed-linkage β-glucan’ assay kit (Megazyme International Ltd.), according to McCleary and Codd (1991). The overall results showed that the concentration of β-glucan was highest under the following conditions: extraction temperature of 200°C, pH value of 4.0, static time of 10 min, and particle size of 425-850 μm. The extraction yield under the optimum condition was 6.98±1.17 g/100 g oat flour, which was over two-fold higher than that obtained using hot water extraction method (60°C, 3 h). Therefore, SWE is a feasible alternative for extracting soluble dietary fiber (β-glucan) from oat flour.

Citrus fruit is important source of flavonoids, mainly flavanones which are narirutin and hesperidin. Those citrus flavonoids have been found to have health-related properties including antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory. The main purpose of this study was to verify that the extraction of narirutin and hesperidin from Citrus peel can be more effective by combining pulsed electric field (PEF) pre-treatment and subcritical water extraction (SWE). Citrus unshiu peels were treated with PEF under conditions of electric field strength (3 kV/cm) and times (1 and 2 min). Subsequent SWE was conducted by using a Dionex Accelerated Solvent Extractor (ASE, Model 350) at extraction temperature 170°C for 10 min. The total flavonoids content was measured by using the aluminum chloride colorimetric method and the antioxidant capacity was analyzed by the Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay using spectrophotometer. The concentrations of narirutin and hesperidin were increased as PEF pre-treatment time increased. The highest concentrations of narirutin and hesperidin were 13.41 mg narirutin/g dry citrus peel and 141.16 mg hesperidin/g dry citrus peel at PEF pre-treatment condition of 3 kV/cm and 2 min. The total flavonoids contents of the extracts increased 105.2% and 123.1% for citrus peel PEF treated at 1 and 2 min, respectively. In addition, compared to the untreated sample, PEF pre-treatments of 1 and 2 min increased the antioxidant capacity of the extracts 109.2% and 160.8%, respectively. Therefore, the results demonstrate the potential of PEF pre-treatment to improve the SWE of flavonoids from citrus unshiu peel.

Angelica gigas Nakai has been used for traditional Korean medicine which acts anti-inflammatories, protects the liver, and enhances the immune system. Subcritical water extraction (SWE) is an eco-friendly extraction method in which the pressure is applied between the boiling point and critical temperature of water that maintains the liquid state. The aim of study was to determine the optimal extraction conditions for subcritical water extraction of the decursin and nodakenin from Angelica gigas Nakai, comparing two scales, laboratory-scale (22 mL) and pilot-scale (8 L) devices to assess the feasibility of industrial applications. Extraction efficiencies were evaluated by measuring total polyphenol contents and DPPH radical scavenging activity with a spectrophotometer, extraction yields of decursin and nodakenin with a high-performance liquid chromatography. The subcritical water extraction conditions of pilot-scale were as follows: extraction temperature of 150, 170, 190 and 210°C; extraction times of 5, 10, 15, and 20 min. The highest yields of decursin and nodakenin were at 190°C/15 min (17.65 mg/g Angelica gigas) and 170°C/20 min (4.35 mg/g Angelica gigas), respectively. These were not significantly different from the maximum contents of decursin (13.49 mg/g Angelica gigas), and nodakenin (4.66 mg/g Angelica gigas) for lab-scale subcritical water extraction. The maximum values for total polyphenol content and DPPH scavenging activity of subcritical water extraction were 64.32 mg/g Angelica gigas and 74.4%, respectively. On the other hand, those of conventional extraction method using methanol (60°C/120 min) were obtained as 14.31 mg/g Angelica gigas and 41.9%. Therefore, the subcritical water extraction is a rapid and efficient method for extracting polyphenols and anti-oxidative compounds.

본 연구에서는 흑미의 가공부산물인 흑미강으로부터 기능성 polyphenol 및 flavonoid가 새로운 추출방법인 아임계 추출법을 통해 추출되었고, 열수(80oC), 에탄올, 설탕용액을 이용한 기존 추출법과의 추출효율이 비교 분석되었다. 건조된 흑미강 시료로부터 polyphenols(35.06±1.28 mg QE/g dried material) 및 flavonoids(7.08±0.31 mg QE/g dried material)에 대한 최대 수율이 아임계 추출법(190oC, 1300 psi, 10 min)을 통해 획득되었으며, 이것은 기존 추출법 가운데 가장 높은 수율을 보인 에탄올 추출법을 통한 polyphenols(2.98±0.74mg QE/g dried material) 및 flavonoids(0.58±0.21mg QE/g dried material) 수율 대비 11.77배와 12.21배 이상 더 높은 것이었다. 추출방법에 따른 흑미강 추출물의 항산화 활성은 에탄올 추출물에서 가장 높게 관찰되었다. 그러나 흑미강 시료 1 g 당 획득된 추출물의 건조중량 차이 비교를 통해서 얻어진 건조 흑미강 1 g 당 함유된 항산화 성분의 상대수율(relative yield, %)은 최적조건(190oC, 1,300 psi, 10 min)의 아임계 추출법을 통해 획득된 추출물에서 가장 높았으며, 이것은 에탄올 추출물의 항산화 성분 상대수율에 비해 대략 11.53배 이상 더 높은 것이다. 이상의 결과들은 아임계 추출법이 흑미강으로부터 기능성 polyphenols 및 flavonoids를 추출하는데 매우 적합한 방법임을 설명하고 있으며, 유기용매 추출법을 포함한 기존의 전통적 추출법에 대한 매우 효과적인 대안임을 제시하고 있다.

본 연구에서는 감귤 과피 가공부산물로부터 기능성 polyphenol 및 flavonoid가 새로운 추출방법인 아임계 추출법을 통해 추출되었고, 열수(80oC), 에탄올, 설탕용액을 이용한 기존 추출법과의 추출효율이 비교 분석되었다. 건조된 감귤 과피로부터 총 polyphenol(27.25±1.33 mg QE/g DCP) 및 flavonoid(7.31±0.41 mg QE/g DCP)에 대한 최대 수율이 아임계 추출법(190°C, 1300 psi, 10 min)을 통해 획득되었으며, 이것은 기존 추출법 가운데 가장 높은 수율을 보인 에탄올 추출법을 통한 총 polyphenol(3.79±0.73 mg QE/g DCP) 및 flavonoid(0.86±0.27 mg QE/g DCP) 수율 대비 7.2배와 8.5배 이상 더 높은 것이었다. 추출방법에 따른 감귤 과피 추출물의 항산화 활성은 큰 차이를 나타내지 않았으나, 이러한 결과는 건조 감귤 과피 1 g 당 아임계 추출법(190oC, 1300 psi, 10 min)에 의한 항산화 성분의 상대 수율(relative yield, %)이 다른 추출방법을 통해 획득된 것보다 대략 9.5배 이상 더 높다는 것을 설명하는 결과로, 아임계 추출법이 기존의 전통적 추출법에 비하여 감귤 과피의 기능성 polyphenol 및 flavonoid를 추출하는데 매우 적합한 방법임을 제시하고 있다.

물은 22.1 MPa의 압력하에 100℃ - 374℃의 온도범위에서 액체상태로 존재하며, 이를 아임계수라 한다. 아임계수 조건에서 물은 분자간 수소결합이 약해지면서 유전상수, 점성, 표면장력이 감소되어 유기용매와 유사한 특성을 지니게 된다. 원유오염토양은 전남 여수지역 공단 내에 있는 유류로 오염된 토양을 이용하였으며, 오염기간은 약 1년이며 저분자성 휘발유류성분 및 고분자성 유류로 오염되어 있었다. 초기 오염된 TPH농도는 16,895 mg/kg였다. 원유오염토양은 고분자성 물질이 다량 함유되어 있어 기존정화방법으로는 처리하기 어려운 점이 있다. 이를 해결하기 위하여 상기 아임계수 특성을 이용하여 원유로 오염된 토양으로부터 오염물질을 추출하는 연구를 수행하였다. 이와 함께 친유성 용매인 등유를 이용하여 토양으로부터 원유 일부를 탈착(전처리)시킨 후, 아임계수로 토양 내에 잔류되어 있는 유류성분을 제거하는 실험도 수행하였다. 이를 통해 아임계수 추출만을 적용하였을 경우와 등유 전처리가 추가된 경우의 제거율과 정화공정상 효율을 비교하였다. 아임계수 추출 시 275℃에서 2시간 추출을 5회 반복 진행하였을 때, 토양 내의 잔류 유류 농도가 498 mg/kg(제거율 97%)로 나타났다. 등유 전처리(토양 : 등유=1 : 0.5 wt%)후 아임계수 적용시 250℃에서 1시간동안 추출 시, 토양 내 잔류 유류 농도는 223 mg/kg로 나타났다. 적용된 두가지 공정 모두 토양1지역 우려기준(500mg/kg)이하로 정화되었으나, 상대적으로 등유전처리가 포함된 공정이 아임계수 기술만을 적용하여 추출을 진행한 것보다 상대적으로 높은 제거율을 보였다. 또한 등유 전처리가 추가된 아임계 공정이 추출시간, 공정수, 투입에너지(가열)에 있어 경제적으로 판단되며, 따라서 원유 오염토양의 아임계수 정화공정에서는 등유전처리 도입이 효과적인 것으로 판단된다.