Abstract

The health benefits of polyphenols present in green tea have sparked great interest. However, it is crucial to identify processes that allow efficient extraction of these components in a reduced time, without causing negative impacts on the environment. This study aimed to investigate pulsed electric field (PEF)-assisted extraction of green tea polyphenols (GTPs) on extraction yield and environmental impact. The PEF conditions (electric field strength of 0.59–5.88 kV/cm, frequencies of 1–200 Hz, and processing times of 100–1000 ?s) were evaluated using response surface methodology (RSM) and analysis of life cycle. Other properties were also evaluated, such as antioxidant capacity, rate of cellular disintegration due to electrical conductivity, and the adjustment of empirical models to the kinetics of PEF extraction. The results demonstrated that PEF-assisted GTP extraction, under conditions of 5.88 kV/cm, a frequency of 200 Hz, and a processing time of 1000 ?s, significantly increased the extraction yield (149.87 ± 0.569%). by 50%, compared to maceration, the main factor that was most relevant in the extraction was the electric field strength followed by processing time and frequency. Furthermore, PEF treatment improved the percent inhibition of DPPH (65.711 ± 1.555%) by 40% compared to maceration. The kinetic study determined that Peleg’s model fit the experimental data better (RMSE = 1.212; R2 = 0.978). Life cycle analysis demonstrated that emissions generated by PEF (0.006 kg CO2 eq) were lower than those from maceration (0.073 kg CO2 eq), microwave (0.02 kg CO2 eq), and ultrasound (0.097 kg CO2 eq), validating the use of PEF as a sustainable extraction technology. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.) © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2023.