Biorefineries of proanthocyanidins

Neto RT, Santos SAO, Oliveira J, Silvestre AJD (2020). Biorefinery of high polymerization degree proanthocyanidins in the context of circular economy. Industrial Crops and Products 151, 112450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112450.

Abstract: Proanthocyanidins are polymers of catechin and its derivatives that are present in high amounts in almost all plants. These compounds have several industrial applications such as leather production with their usage expected to increase dramatically in the coming years. As the industrial process sustainability becomes a concern for modern societies, new sources for the extraction of proanthocyanidins presenting low environmental impact must be found to replace the use of crops that are specifically cultivated for that purpose. This review aims to address the sustainability problems by collecting the information available on analytical techniques for the characterization of proanthocyanidins extracts with different degrees of polymerization. This includes the discussion about the conventional and alternative extraction/fractionation techniques and the agroforestry by-products potential for the production of proanthocyanidins extracts with special emphasis on the ones with high degree of polymerization.

Link to the journal article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112450.

Link to the open access repository (see Chapter 1): http://hdl.handle.net/10773/34105.

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