Sequential high-pressure extraction using green solvents to recover bioactive compounds from sesame cake

Sesame cake was submitted to pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) for process optimization. Then, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), followed by optimized PLE were applied to recover the oily fraction and the polar extract, respectively. PLE samples, at optimized condition and from SFE deffated cake, showed high levels of TPC (33.15 and 31.86 mg GAE/g), DPPH (97.64 and 94.38 µmol TE/g), FRAP (46.12 and 46.69 mg TE\g), flavonoids (2.26 and 2.31mgQE/g extract), yield (13.76 and 16.25 %) and protein (56.52 and 54.08 mg BSA/g), respectively. The oily fraction presented high levels of carotenoids and essential fatty acids, while PLE extracts presented higher concentration of ferulic acid, 4-aminobenzoic acid, and quercetin compared to Soxhlet extract. Total Reduced Sugar (TRS) content suggests sesame cake as good biomass for bioethanol production. The sequential process (SFE + PLE) was efficient to recover two bioactive fractions from sesame cake, contributing to improve the value of this co-product.