The growing demand for natural antioxidants and clean-label lipid formulations has prompted the development of eco-friendly extraction technologies. In this study, we investigated the co-extraction of bioactive compounds from Rosa canina flowers into sunflower oil using supercritical CO₂ (SC-CO₂) for the formulation of oleolites, with particular focus on enhancing their oxidative stability.
Sunflower oil was employed as a food-grade co-solvent during SC-CO₂ extraction under optimized conditions of pressure, temperature, and extraction time. The resulting oleolites were evaluated for oxidative stability using isothermal calorimetry, and antioxidant activity was assessed through the DPPH radical scavenging assay. The enriched oils were further characterized using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) to identify and quantify key bioactive compounds.
The results showed that co-extracted oleolites displayed significantly improved oxidative stability, as evidenced by increased induction times and delayed onset of lipid oxidation. This effect was attributed to the successful transfer of lipophilic antioxidants such as tocopherols and carotenoids from Rosa canina into the oil matrix.
This work demonstrates the potential of SC-CO₂ co-extraction as a green and efficient strategy for producing functional lipid-based systems, offering oxidative protection and bioactive enrichment suitable for nutraceutical, food, and cosmetic applications.