High Pressure Extraction Techniques for Bioactive Compounds

High pressure extraction encompasses a suite of non-thermal and minimally invasive methods designed to liberate valuable phytochemicals from plant matrices while preserving their structural integrity and bioactivity. Techniques such as high hydrostatic pressure extraction, high-pressure homogenisation, pressurised liquid extraction and supercritical fluid extraction employ elevated pressures—typically ranging from 100 to 600 MPa—to disrupt cell walls, enhance solvent penetration and accelerate mass transfer. Control of parameters including pressure level, temperature, processing time and solvent composition enables optimisation for specific target compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids and carotenoids. Compared with conventional thermal or maceration approaches, high pressure methods reduce solvent usage, shorten extraction times and minimise degradation of heat-sensitive constituents. Industrial applications span pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, functional foods and cosmetics, with particular emphasis on sustainable processing and improved extract quality. Ongoing research addresses scale-up challenges, energy efficiency and integration with green solvents to meet global demand for high-purity bioactive ingredients.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Research from all publishers

Recent work on high-pressure homogenisation has demonstrated its efficacy for extracting sesquiterpene lactones and phenolic flavonoids from the roots of Inula helenium. By applying pressures around 90 MPa over multiple passes, researchers achieved a two-fold increase in alantolactone and isoalantolactone yields compared with maceration, along with potent antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Structural analyses confirmed extensive cell disruption, while energy consumption remained competitive with industrial benchmarks, underscoring the technique’s scalability for pharmaceutical and food-grade extracts.

Another study optimised high-pressure-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from olive leaves by varying pressure (300–500 MPa), time (5–15 min) and solid-to-solvent ratio. Under optimal conditions (approximately 433 MPa for 15 min), total phenolic content and oleuropein concentration rose significantly above those obtained by conventional extraction at moderate temperature. Microscopy revealed pressure-induced microfissures in leaf tissue, facilitating mass transfer and yielding extracts with enhanced antioxidant capacity. This approach offers a blueprint for valorising agricultural by-products into value-added nutraceutical ingredients.

High Pressure Extraction Techniques for Bioactive Compounds publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in high pressure extraction techniques for bioactive compounds across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

High hydrostatic pressure extraction (HHPE): A non-thermal method that applies uniform pressure to a solvent-sample mixture to disrupt cellular structures and improve solute diffusion.

High-pressure homogenisation (HPH): A technique in which a liquid sample is forced through a narrow gap under high pressure, causing mechanical shear and cavitation that enhance cell rupture and compound release.

Pressurised liquid extraction (PLE): Also known as accelerated solvent extraction, this uses elevated pressure and temperature to maintain solvents in a liquid state above their boiling point, increasing extraction kinetics and yield.

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE): An advanced process employing a fluid (commonly carbon dioxide) above its critical temperature and pressure to access solvent properties between gas and liquid phases, yielding high selectivity for non-polar bioactives.

References

1. Extraction of Sesquiterpene Lactones from Inula helenium Roots by High-Pressure Homogenization and Effects on Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Antiglycation Activities. Food and Bioprocess Technology (2024).
2. High-Pressure-Assisted Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Olive Leaves: optimization and Comparison with Conventional Extraction. ACS Food Science & Technology (2022).