Use of Supercritical Assisted Atomization to produce nanoparticles from olive pomace extract

Olive pomace is one of the most interesting wastes containing bioactive compounds; the extraction of polyphenols can represent an innovative solution for the reduction of the environmental hazard of this solid and the simultaneous recovery of high-added value compounds. In this study, Supercritical Assisted Atomization (SAA) was employed for the encapsulation in maltodextrin of phenolic compounds extracted from olive pomace. The effect of the ratio of maltodextrin content to total solid content of the extract and drying temperature on physical characteristics, total phenolic content and antioxidant properties of the powdered product were studied. The results confirmed the efficiency of the SAA process to encapsulate phenolic compounds from olive pomace extract. Particles with average diameter of 712 nm with high total polyphenol content (105.0 ± 0.1 mgCaffeic Acid Equivalent/gDry Powder) and antiradical power (98.8 ± 3.0 mgDPPH/mLextract) were obtained. These particles rich in bioactive compounds can be used as functional component in formulations of new food, cosmetic or pharmaceutical products. Industrial relevance Olive pomace is considered to be a low-cost and renewable source of high-added value compounds, such as polyphenols which can be valorized by several methodologies. In this work, we assessed the efficiency of Supercritical Assisted Atomization (SAA) in order to encapsulate phenolic compounds extracted from olive pomace. The particles obtained by SAA have spherical morphology with average diameter of 712 nm. The polyphenol-rich nanoparticles produced using this technique can be potentially used in the formulation of novel food or nutraceutical products.