# Sustainable Extraction of Bioactive Phenolics from Rose Hips for Functional Food Applications: Evaluation of Green Solvents and Extraction Techniques

## TL;DR

This paper explores eco-friendly methods to extract health-boosting compounds from rose hips, finding that certain green solvents work well when mixed with ethanol.

## Contribution

The study introduces and evaluates novel green solvents and extraction techniques for sustainable recovery of bioactive phenolics from rose hips.

## Key findings

- Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) with ethanol or ethanol/green solvent mixtures yielded the highest phenolic recovery and antioxidant activity.
- Binary mixtures of γ-valerolactone (GVL) with ethanol showed promising results in phenolic yield and antioxidant activity.
- Cyrene™ extracts, though less efficient, uniquely stimulated fibroblast migration, indicating potential health benefits.

## Abstract

Growing interest in sustainable functional food ingredients has accelerated the search for green extraction methods for bioactive compounds. This study systematically evaluates the use of three emerging green solvents, namely γ-valerolactone (GVL), Cyrene™, and ethyl lactate (EL), as alternatives to conventional solvents for extracting phenolic antioxidants from rose hip (Rosa canina L.) fruit. Using maceration, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), we compared extraction efficiency, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity across various solvent systems and techniques. Our results demonstrate that MAE consistently provided the highest extraction yields and phenolic recovery, particularly when using ethanol or ethanol/green solvent mixtures. While pure green solvents showed lower extraction efficiency than ethanol, certain binary mixtures, especially GVL with ethanol, delivered promising results both in phenolic yield and antioxidant activity, without significant interference in standard assays. Additionally, while Cyrene™ consistently yielded low extraction efficiencies and low levels of phenolic compounds, its extracts were unique in exhibiting selectivity and stimulated fibroblast migration in vitro, suggesting additional functional benefits for health applications. Overall, our findings support the practical use of selected green solvents in sustainable extraction protocols for food, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries.