ABSTRACT
56Processing of foods of plant origin generates vast quantities of by-products. Disposal of these by-products represents both a cost to the food processor and a potential negative impact on the environment. Different extraction methods have been used to obtain bioactive compounds from plants as solvent extraction, pressurized liquid extraction, subcritical fluid extraction, supercritical extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, pulsed electric fields, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction. These technologies can be used to take advantage of the bioactive compounds present in agro-industrial wastes and give them added value, although the efficiency of the conventional and nonconventional extraction method will depend mainly on the nature of the plant material, the type of bioactive compounds, and the selectivity of the method. The application of these technologies for obtaining of active compounds could provide an innovative approach to increase the production of specific compounds and their potential use as nutraceutical agents, antimicrobials, antioxidants, or as ingredients in the design of functional foods.
