Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Bioactive Compounds: Fundamentals, Applications and Economic Perspectives

This review provides an updated overview of the most important applications of supercritical fluids in the extraction of bioactive compounds from plant matrices. The main factors influencing the extraction yields, solubility, and manufacturing costs are described. Aspects concerning the operational processing in the extraction and fractionation are also discussed. The data compiled herein are focused on the extraction of essential oils, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, tocopherols, and tocotrienols.