SUPERCRITICAL CO2 EXTRACTION FROM DANDELION: THE EFFECT OF PRESSURE ON EXTRACTS YIELD AND COMPOSITION

Abstract

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is becoming an industry valuable crop due to the increase in its utilization in the food and phytopharmaceutical industry. Nonetheless, its application is still limited especially considering its extracts. Therefore, this study was aimed at exploring dandelion seeds as a source of bioactive compounds. For this purpose, an environmentally friendly supercritical CO2 extraction technique was employed and extracts were separated at pressures of 10-45 MPa and a temperature of 313 K. Obtained extracts were characterized using a gas chromatograph equipped with mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), a gas chromatograph equipped with flame ionization detector (CGFID), as well as by Folin–Ciocalteu and DPPH assays using a UV/VIS spectrophotometer. It was shown that the selection of process pressure determined both extract yield and extract composition. An increase in pressure increased extraction yield from 7.4 to 25.2% and the content of dominant linoleic and oleic fatty acids (from 536.3 to 658.3 mg/g and 125.8 to 161.7 mg/g, respectively). Total phenolic and flavonoid content in obtained extracts ranged from 5.5 to 9.0 mg GAE/g and from 208.6 to 497.5 mg QE/g, respectively. The strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity with inhibition of 64.4% was recorded for extract obtained at 10 MPa for extract solution concentration of 20 mg/mL. Obtained results confirmed that extracts obtained from dandelion seeds are a valuable source of bioactive compounds.