Supramolecular Deep Eutectic Solvents as a Janus Green Platform: Integrating Curcuminoid Extraction and Biopolymer

Curcuminoids from Curcuma longa L. (curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin) are attractive bioactives yet constrained by low water solubility and chemical instability. Herein, we introduce a Supramolecular Deep Eutectic Solvent (SupraDES) as a “Janus” green platform, combining extraction and stabilization with a subsequent solvent-to-material strategy. Eight NaDES/SupraDES formulations based on choline chloride (ChCl) or betaine with glycerol (Gly) or citric acid (CitA), with/without β-cyclodextrin (βCD), were assessed. The extinction coefficients of the most promising solvents were extrapolated at 425 nm for the UV–vis quantification of curcuminoids, to determine extraction performance. The SupraDES ChCl:Gly:βCD gave the best performance during the first solvent screening, improving at the same time the bioactive stability (after 30-day, 47.5% loss vs. 62.8% of ChCl:Gly alone). Subsequent microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) optimization identified 80 °C as the optimal process temperature, with near-equilibrium reached within 15 min (3139.4 µgCurc/gEXT). Peleg modelling (R2 = 0.997) indicated a fast extraction rate and limited benefit from longer residence times. Finally, the curcuminoid-loaded SupraDES was incorporated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) networks crosslinked with CitA and 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)furan (BHMF); thermal analysis confirmed the formation of a stable crosslinked structure. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a βCD-based SupraDES acting as a Janus platform that couples supramolecular extraction of lipophilic bioactives with their direct incorporation into bio-based polymeric materials, exemplifying an integrated green chemistry approach aligned with circular bioeconomy principles.