Aromatic and medicinal plants constitute one of the most important treasures of Greek biodiversity. However, their processing leads to the production of large quantities of by-products, which are currently discarded, resulting in the loss of valuable bioactive substances and at the same time burdening the environment. EKPA has already developed, through European programs, methodologies for the secondary utilization of these by-products, which have however been applied only at the laboratory scale to date.
The ExtraPlant proposal aims to take the crucial step: adapting and implementing these methods in the industry, turning byproducts into innovative extracts of high added value. Partner CBD Extracts plays a key role, being the only one in Greece with supercritical CO₂ extraction facilities on an industrial scale, capable of supporting pilot and semi-industrial applications.
The methodology combines green extraction technologies (supercritical CO₂ and natural solvents) with metabolomic and phytochemical analyses to identify secondary metabolites of high biological value. The extracts will be evaluated using biological tests for antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, while quality and standardization specifications will be formulated. Through pilot scale-up applications, the processes will be optimized to ensure commercial exploitation in an industrial environment.
The use of supercritical CO₂, its application on a pilot scale and the utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) computational models in phytochemistry analysis constitute the innovative core of the project, surpassing the current state-of-the-art. The contribution of ExtraPlant is not limited to technological development: it introduces a new model of sustainable management of natural resources, enhances the circular economy and reduces the environmental footprint, while simultaneously upgrading the position of Greek research and industry in the international field of natural products.