CHAPTER 18: Microwave-enhanced Extraction of Natural and Food Products: from Academia to Innovative and Large-scale Applications

In recent years, microwave-assisted extraction has been rapidly developed as a widely-used innovative technique of high efficiency, which allows high yields and purity of compounds of interest to be obtained from appropriate plants in shorter time comparable to conventional techniques. This chapter presents a panorama of current knowledge on microwave-assisted extractions of antioxidants, flavors, fragrances, natural colors, fats, and oils. It provides the necessary theoretical background and some details about microwave processing. All the reported microwave-assisted extraction related techniques and applications have shown that microwave-assisted extraction can be considered as an alternative to conventional extraction techniques with the advantages of reduced extraction times, energy- and solvent-consumption. Moreover, all of this successful laboratory-scale research has led to industrial-scale application in some pioneering companies.