Subcritical water extraction of phenolic compounds from flaxseed meal sticks using accelerated solvent extractor (ASE)

Subcritical water extraction (SWE) is a technique based on the use of water as an extractant, at temperatures between 100 and 374 degrees C and at a pressure high enough to maintain the liquid state. SWE provides higher selectivities, low cost, and shorter extraction times. In this study, phenolic compounds in flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) meal sticks were extracted with subcritical water using accelerated solvent extractor. For this aim, the interactions between temperature (160, 170, and 180 degrees C) and extraction time (5, 15, 30, and 60 min) for subcritical water extraction of SDG lignan, total phenolics, and total flavonoids from flaxseed meal sticks were investigated. The highest extraction yield of SDG lignan (77.01 %) in subcritical water extracts was determined at 160 degrees C for 60 min. However, high extraction yields were obtained as 70.67 and 72.57 % at 170 and 180 degrees C for 15 min, respectively. Also, the highest extraction yield of total phenolics (70.82 %) and total flavonoids (267.14 %) were determined at 180 degrees C for 15 min. Besides, high correlations between SDG lignan- total phenolics, SDG lignan-total flavonoids, and total phenolics-total flavonoids were obtained from 0.86 to 1 in water extracts.