CHAPTER 5: Relevance of Ionic Liquids and Biomass Feedstocks for Biomolecule Extraction

Environmentally benign methods of value-added product extraction from biomass feedstock can drive greater independence from fossil resources and definitively assure a more sustainable future for the next generations. Thus, the maximal valorization of abundant feedstock, such as residues from agricultural and food industries, for example, contributes positively to the development of bio-based economies. This chapter presents an overview of the advances related with the utilization of ionic liquids with different biomass materials, namely by-products and co-products of the agricultural and food industries, to tackle the treatment of inherently low-value raw materials into value-added products. In this chapter, attention is paid to the type of ionic liquid used, the variety of biomass feedstocks and the combined use of ionic liquids with temperature and with different pre-treatment techniques. Selected examples illustrate the applicability of ionic liquids for obtaining bioactive phytomolecules that can be used in the biomedical, pharmaceutical, environmental and food industries.