Supercritical fluid extraction of seed oils – A short review of current trends

Abstract Background Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) has been successively applied in different industries such as food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, where a sustainable and “green” extraction is desired. The selectivity, low applied extraction temperatures, and in many cases short processing times, have led to the extensively use of this technique in extracting seed oils. Scope and approach Specifically, in this review we discuss the use of the supercritical fluid extraction technique to extract seed oils. In addition to the health importance of seed oils, different aspects of the use of the SFE technique, including the relevant extraction systems, associated with supercritical CO2 extraction are reviewed. These aspects of SFE includes the mechanisms of extraction, the parameters used for extraction, the use of response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the process, as well as the application of semi-empirical models to describe the thermodynamics and mass transfer processes associated with the supercritical extraction of seed oils. Key findings and conclusions SFE is capable of extracting seed oils in high efficiency within a short time and at a low cost, using modeling and optimization methods suggested in recent years. Also, there is a recent trend towards the combination of SFE with other extraction methods such as ultrasound-assisted extraction as a synergistic step to facilitate the extraction process.