Kinetic Modelling for Flavonoid Recovery from Red Grape (Vitis vinifera) Pomace with Aqueous Lactic Acid

This study was undertaken with the aim of establishing a correlation between the extraction yield in total flavonoids from red grape pomace and the extraction temperature, using 0.5% (w/v) aqueous lactic acid as the solvent system. Extraction of flavonoids was found to obey second-order kinetics, and on such a basis, the yield in total flavonoids at saturation could be very effectively determined and correlated with temperature using non-linear regression. The results indicated that the extraction yield at saturation is highly correlated with temperature, following a quadratic function. The extract obtained at 40 °C had an optimal predicted total flavonoid yield of 13.27 mg rutin equivalents per gram of dry weight, and it was further analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to characterize its major constituents. The polyphenols detected were flavanols, flavonols and an anthocyanin. The outcome of this study outlined that temperatures above 40 °C are rather unfavorable for flavonoid extraction from red grape pomace, as suggested by the model established through kinetics.