Aronia melanocarpa, a plant with nutrient-rich fruits, with application in the food and pharmaceutical industry, has been extensively investigated but, nevertheless, the exploration of the secondary metabolites profile from its by-products remains quite limited. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the possibility of using some different natural mineral waters from Romania, as green solvents, for the extraction of bioactive compounds from aronia stems and fruits by applying eco-compatible working techniques (maceration for 24 h, and ultrasonication at room temperature and 50 °C for 30 min). The effect of five natural mineral waters (one with medium and four with low mineral content) on the extraction capacity and phytochemical profile of stems and fruits' extracts was monitored using fast and efficient analysis techniques (electrochemical, spectroscopic, and chromatographic) and compared with that of classical solvents. The results showed that, in the case of stems, extraction by maceration was, for all types of water used, the most efficient, followed by ultrasonication at room temperature. Also, at the same time, in most cases, all mineral waters showed better performance than distilled water, and the highest efficiency of the extraction process was recorded for natural water with a medium mineralization level. The similarity observed in the phytochemical profiles of aqueous extracts from the aronia stems and the fruits highlights both the potential of this by-product as a source of bioactive compounds and the efficiency of natural mineral waters as green extraction solvents.
Keywords: aronia; by-products; eco-friendly extraction; natural mineral water; phytochemicals; sustainability.