Enhancement of the supercritical fluid extraction of grape seed oil by using enzymatically pre-treated seed

The supercritical fluid extraction of grape seed (Vitis vinifera L.) oil using carbon dioxide has been carried out at constant temperature (313.15 K) and solvent flow rate (1.7 × 10−4 kg s−1), at 160, 180 and 200 bar, using both untreated and enzymatically pre-treated seeds. The pre-treatment of triturated seeds has been performed with a cell wall degrading enzyme cocktail containing cellulase, protease, xylanase, and pectinase, in order to enlarge the broken/intact cells ratio, thus increasing oil availability. The maximum extraction yield obtained was 16.5%, which is 44% higher than the 11.5% yield obtained with untreated seeds. mulative extraction curves measured show two characteristic periods: a first linear part where the majority of the oil is obtained, and a second asymptotic branch which contributes with only 3–8% to the total oil removed. ssure rises, the mass of CO2 needed to reach a definite extraction yield decreases and the linear part of the extraction curves of treated and untreated seed approach themselves.