Supercritical fluid extraction as a suitable technology to recover bioactive compounds from flowers

Abstract

Flowers are the most fragile plant organ that contains a wide range of variable compounds. Due to their nutritional, pharmacological and aromatic properties, they have been used in several products, from food to the pharmaceutical, and textile industries. The supercritical fluid extraction of valuable components has been highlighted in the literature, since their advantages are related to the protection of photosensitivity, oxidizability and volatility of biocompounds, leading to a remarkable benefit of the used method. From pigments to aromatic compounds, passing through the alkaloids, these compounds can be extracted tunning the process conditions or using different strategies during the supercritical fluid extraction. Commercial products have been produced from flowers using this technology, such as the very well-known cannabis. This review intends to present the literature from the last two decades, as well as the challenges and advantages of performing supercritical fluid extraction with this delicate and sensitive raw material: the flowers.