Optimizing the Integration of Microwave Processing and Enzymatic Extraction to Produce Polyphenol-Rich Extracts from Olive Pomace

The integration of green technologies such as microwave- and enzyme-assisted extraction (MEAE) has been shown to improve the extraction efficiency of bioactive compounds while reducing processing time and costs. MEAE using tannase alone (MEAE-Tan), or in combination with cellulase and pectinase (MEAE-Tan-Cel-Pec), was optimized to produce enriched phenolic and antioxidant extracts from olive pomace. The individual and integrated impact of enzyme concentration, temperature, and pomace/water ratio were determined using a central composite rotatable design. Optimal extraction conditions for MEAE-Tan (60 °C, 15 min, 2.34% of enzyme (w/w), and 1:15 pomace/water ratio) and MEAE-Tan-Cel-Pec (46 °C, 15 min, 2% of enzymes (w/w), in the proportion of 1:1:1, and 1:20 pomace/water ratio) resulted in extracts containing 7110.6 and 2938.25 mg GAE/kg, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was correlated with phenolic acid release, which was enzyme-dependent, as determined with HPLC-DAD analysis. Enzyme selection had a significant impact on the phenolic profile of extracts, with tannase releasing high concentrations of chlorogenic acid and the combined use of enzymes releasing high concentrations of hydroxytyrosol and chlorogenic and ferulic acids. The novelty of this study relies on the integration and optimization of two green technologies (microwave- and enzyme-assisted extraction) to improve the extraction efficiency of bioactive phenolics from olive pomace while reducing processing time and costs. While these techniques have been evaluated isolated, the benefits of using both processing strategies simultaneously remain largely unexplored. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the integration and processing optimization of two environmentally friendly technologies as a promising alternative to treat agro-industrial byproducts.