Tomato seed (TS) wastes are obtained in large amounts from the tomato processing industry. In this work, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of antioxidant compounds from TS were optimized by using response surface methodology. The effect of MAE and UAE main extraction parameters was studied on total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (DPPH) responses. Antioxidant, structural, morphological, and thermal properties of MAE and UAE extracts were evaluated. A great influence of ethanol concentration was observed in both extraction methods. Optimal MAE conditions were determined as 15 min, 80 °C, 63% ethanol and 80 mL, with a desirability value of 0.914, whereas 15 min, 61% ethanol and 85% amplitude (desirability = 0.952) were found as optimal conditions for UAE. MAE extracts exhibited higher TPC and antioxidant activity values compared to UAE (1.72 ± 0.04 and 1.61 ± 0.03 mg GAE g TS-1 for MAE and UAE, respectively). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results suggested the presence of some high molecular weight compounds in UAE extracts. Chlorogenic acid, rutin and naringenin were identified and quantified by HPLC-DAD-MS as the main polyphenols found by MAE and UAE, showing MAE extracts higher individual phenolics content (1.11-2.99 mg 100 g TS-1). MAE and UAE have shown as effective green techniques for extracting bioactive molecules with high antioxidant activity from TS with high potential to be scaled-up for valorizing of TS industrial wastes.
Keywords: Box–Behnken design; antioxidant compounds; microwave-assisted extraction; response surface methodology; tomato seed wastes; ultrasound-assisted extraction.