Sustainable Extraction: Advancing Eco-Friendly Techniques for Plant-Based Antioxidant Recovery

The field of natural product extraction has entered a transformative phase with growing emphasis on sustainability, circular economy principles, and environmental stewardship. Plant-derived antioxidants—such as polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and tocopherols—are widely recognized for their capacity to combat oxidative stress, support chronic disease prevention, and enhance the nutritional and functional profiles of foods. However, conventional extraction techniques often rely on toxic solvents, harsh conditions, and energy-intensive processes that can degrade bioactive compounds and generate substantial ecological burdens. Recent advances in green chemistry, process engineering, and biocatalytic innovation have opened new possibilities for extracting these valuable compounds through methods that are both sustainable and efficient. Despite this progress, knowledge gaps persist regarding scalability, solvent recyclability, regulatory compliance, and efficient valorization of plant residues, highlighting the need for more comprehensive and integrative research in this rapidly evolving field.This Research Topic aims to advance scientific understanding and practical development of environmentally friendly extraction techniques for plant-based antioxidant recovery. It seeks to unify multidisciplinary research across the domains of green solvent systems, emerging physical technologies, and bio-based catalytic approaches. Key objectives include improving extraction yields without compromising compound stability, comparing ecological and techno-economic efficiencies among competing methods, and accelerating the translation of laboratory-scale processes into industrial applications. The Topic also encourages the exploration of how sustainable extraction can support broader food system sustainability and contribute directly to global environmental and health goals, including those set by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).To gather further insights into the contemporary landscape of sustainable extraction and its implementation in antioxidant recovery, we welcome contributions encompassing both experimental and theoretical studies. This Research Topic is delimited to investigations of plant-derived antioxidants and the environmentally responsible technologies used for their recovery and valorization. We invite articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Green solvent systems, including deep eutectic solvents, natural ionic liquids, and supercritical CO₂ extraction• Emerging physical extraction techniques such as ultrasound-assisted, microwave-assisted, pulsed electric field, and high-pressure extraction• Enzyme-assisted and fermentation-based processes that enhance antioxidant yield and bioavailability• Evaluation of antioxidant stability, structure, and biological activity following sustainable extraction• Optimization, modeling, and techno-economic assessment of eco-friendly extraction systems• Life cycle assessment (LCA), carbon footprint analysis, and sustainability metrics for process evaluation• Valorization of agricultural by-products and underutilized plant materials as sources of antioxidants Topic editors: Monica Trif, Dr ALOK PATEL, Alexandru Rusu, Petar Ristivojevic Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82989/sustainable-extraction-advancing-eco-friendly-techniques-for-plant-based-antioxidant-recovery