Abstract
In this study, Sub/Super-Critical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) extraction and response surface methodology (RSM) were applied as mathematical modeling and optimization approaches for the recovery of phytochemicals from grape seeds. The optimal extraction conditions were determined as 80 bar pressure, 60 °C temperature, and 5 min time. The total phenolic content (TPC) of the extract obtained under these conditions was 91.86 mg GAE/100 mL extract. Antioxidant activity was determined as 13 100.3 µmol TE/100 mL extract using the DPPH method and 2 004.93 µmol TE/100 mL extract using the ABTS method. Catechin (200.997 mg/L) was the most concentrated phenolic, and chlorogenic acid was the lowest one in the extract. Additionally, the epicatechin content was 91.12 mg/L, and the total phenolic content, as determined by HPLC, was 291.84 mg/L extract. Pearson correlation analysis showed a high correlation between the results obtained and the experimental data. The results were confirmed by the color distributions in the heat map, clustering in the PCA analysis, and hierarchical analysis. These results confirm the success of the modeling and optimization. In conclusion, the pressure, temperature, and time parameters were found to be decisive for achieving high bioactivity. Sub/Super-critical extraction is an effective method for extracting bioactive compounds from agricultural by-products such as grape seeds, using a process that's both efficient and environmentally friendly. • scCO₂ extraction was optimized to recover phytochemicals from Cimin rape seeds • 80 bar, 60 °C, and 5 min are the optimal conditions to recover phytochemicals • Under optimal conditions, the phenolic compound with the highest recovery was catechin • A high correlation was found between the obtained results and the experimental data