Production of polyphenol extracts from grape bagasse using supercritical fluids: Yield, extract composition and economic evaluation

The objective of this work was to determine the economic feasibility of large-scale operations of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) for the recovery of phenolics using grape bagasse from Pisco residues. Experimental data were used to estimate the extraction kinetic parameters, as well as the cost of manufacturing the extracts. Experimental data were obtained using supercritical CO2 containing 10% ethanol (w/w) at 313 K and 20–35 MPa. The supercritical CO2/ethanol extraction process produced extracts with higher concentrations of phenolics than extracts produced using conventional techniques. The compounds identified in the extracts were syringic, vanillic, gallic, p-hydroxybenzoic, protocatechuic and p-coumaric acids, as well as quercetin. An evaluation of the economics of the process indicated the feasibility of an industrial SFE plant with a capacity of 0.5 m3 for producing an extract with an expected phenolics concentration of approximately 23 g/kg of extract at an estimated cost of manufacturing of US$ 133.16/kg.