Green Solvent Applications in Natural Product Extraction
Summary
Green solvents have emerged as pivotal agents in the sustainable recovery of bioactive constituents from plant and microbial matrices. Driven by regulatory pressures and environmental concerns, researchers have developed alternatives to petroleum-derived media that minimise ecological footprint while maximising extraction efficiency. Bio-based solvents such as 2-methyloxolane, terpenes and ethyl acetate have demonstrated comparable or superior yields and selectivity for lipophilic oils, phenolic antioxidants and volatile aromas. Concurrent advances in supercritical fluids, especially CO₂-based processes, offer tunable polarity, low viscosity and facile solvent removal. Predictive tools including Hansen solubility parameters and conductor-like screening models accelerate the identification of optimal solvents, aligning in silico predictions with experimental performance. Across sectors from nutraceuticals to cosmetics, green solvent technologies are enhancing extract quality, oxidative stability and safety, and underpinning more sustainable production paradigms.
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Green Solvent Applications in Natural Product Extraction publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in green solvent applications in natural product extraction across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Bio-based solvent: A solvent derived from renewable resources such as vegetable oils, sugars or biomass, designed to reduce dependency on petrochemicals.
2-methyloxolane (2-MeOx): A bio-based cyclic ether solvent, also known as 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, valued for lipophilic extraction and low toxicity.
Supercritical fluid: A substance above its critical temperature and pressure, typically CO₂, which exhibits both gas-like diffusivity and liquid-like solvency.
Hansen solubility parameters: A set of numerical values that predict solute–solvent affinity based on dispersion, polar and hydrogen-bonding interactions.
Phenolic compounds: A class of antioxidant molecules containing one or more hydroxyl groups attached to an aromatic ring, commonly targeted in plant-based extracts.
References
- Review of Alternative Solvents for Green Extraction of Food and Natural Products: Panorama, Principles, Applications and Prospects. Molecules (2019).
- 2-Methyloxolane (2-MeOx) as Sustainable Lipophilic Solvent to Substitute Hexane for Green Extraction of Natural Products. Properties, Applications, and Perspectives. Molecules (2020).
- Sustainable Extraction Methods Affect Metabolomics and Oxidative Stability of Myrtle Seed Oils Obtained from Myrtle Liqueur By-Products: An Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and Mass Spectrometry Approach. Antioxidants (2023).
- Green Solvent to Substitute Hexane for Bioactive Lipids Extraction from Black Cumin and Basil Seeds. Foods (2021).
- Higher Yield and Polyphenol Content in Olive Pomace Extracts Using 2-Methyloxolane as Bio-Based Solvent. Foods (2022).
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