Estrazione di principi attivi da scarti agro-industriali mediante protocolli sostenibili

Biomasses are receiving increasing attention as a potential alternative source of biofuels, platform chemicals, fine chemicals and bio-active compounds useful in food, agriculture, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. In recent years the interest in specific compounds that may be derived from by-products from wine making industry has increased. This, coupled with the concern of the wine makers in reducing the environmental impacts of their products, the volume of waste and their disposal costs has led to greater interest in research for a more efficient exploitation of these byproducts. The extraction of bioactive compounds from plant biomass is typically carried out applying methods that involve the use of organic solvents (e.g. chloroform, methanol, hexane, etc.) to extract different classes of compounds. However, there is a growing awareness of the risks related to health, environment and safety associated with the use of organic solvents in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals production. Moreover, the high cost of organic solvents, the increasingly stringent environmental regulations and the purity and quality requirements for commercial products have increased the need for the development of new green technologies able to replace the traditional extraction methods. The main objectives of this work are: i) to investigate the presence of bioactive compounds of interest in by-products from wine making (e.g. grape pomace, grape seeds, lees) provided by Caviro Distillerie s.r.l., ii) to develop sustainable protocols for the extraction of bioactive compounds using green solvents like deep eutectics solvents (DES) and dimethyl carbonate, iii) to develop a gel like substance composed of DES enriched in polyphenols and carbohydrates (e.g. corn-starch) for use in agriculture, and iv) to test the extracts and the gel for ready biodegradability and toxicity toward aquatic invertebrates and algae.