Supercritical CO₂ valorization of palm oil sterilization condensate for functional bioactive compounds

This study explores the green valorization of palm oil solid condensate (POSC) using supercritical CO₂–ethanol extraction. Temperature (40–80 °C) and pressure (10–30 MPa) were optimized to recover β-carotene, α-tocopherol, and phenolic-rich fractions. The optimum (80 °C, 13.6 MPa) produced 2.53 g extract with 9.34 mg/kg β-carotene and 15.44 mg/kg α-tocopherol. LC–MS/MS profiling revealed compositional evolution such as phenolic and lactone dominance at low severity; glycosides, flavonols, and alkaloids at intermediate; and triterpenoids and lignans at high severity. These compounds modulate NF-κB, MAPK, and Nrf2 pathways, supporting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The study confirms that controlled supercritical extraction can selectively tailor bioactive profiles from POSC, converting a palm oil by product into functional nutraceutical and pharmaceutical ingredients.