Extraction of bioactives and oil from gac seeds

Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng) seeds are a by-product of Gac fruit processing. The increase in growing Gac and the processing of the Gac fruit for its aril, the red-orange covering around the seeds, has lead to thousands of tonnes of Gac seeds being produced or under-utilised in Gac factories each year. They are usually dumped in landfill whole or after being pressed for their oil; this is causing environmental concerns and it is a waste of their other valuable components such as trypsin inhibitors, saponins and phenolic compounds. However, in traditional medicine, Gac seeds are alleged to have a wide array of therapeutic effects for a wide variety of conditions, including fluxes, liver and spleen disorders, hemorrhoids, wounds, bruises, inflammation, swelling and infections. Recently, the bioactive compounds in Gac seeds have been reported to have health benefits such as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and antioxidant properties, to name a few. Therefore, the extraction and utilisation of these bioactive compounds may constitute a viable use for Gac seeds while simultaneously reducing the environmental impact of the Gac aril processing. Although several constituents have been identified, which could be involved in the medicinal effects of Gac seeds, studies on how to efficiently extract these various components from Gac seeds are scarce and they are vital for facilitating future applications for these bioactives. The effective extraction of these bioactives is not only important in order to add value to an underestimated resource but also meaningful in the context of the growing interest for natural-based medicines and the development of new markets in the field of nutraceuticals.