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PreprintCC BY-NC-NDChemRxiv

Deep Eutectic Solvents as novel food ingredients: biosafety assessment of water-based DESs (aquoDESs) extracts from spent coffee grounds

  • Francesca Pompei1,2
  • Mattia Acito3
  • Beatrice Francucci4
  • Laura Olivieri3
  • Xinying Suo5,6
  • Aleksei Smirnov4
  • Iolanda Grappasonni3
  • Elena Vittadini5,6
  • Sauro Vittori1,2
  • Matteo Tiecco1
  • Cinzia Mannozzi1
6 affiliations
  1. 1School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, Camerino, Italy, 62032
  2. 2Research and Innovation Coffee Hub, Via Emilio Betti 1, Belforte del Chienti, Italy
  3. 3School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri 9, Camerino, Italy, 62032
  4. 4School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Health Products, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri 9, Camerino, Italy, 62032
  5. 5School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine
  6. 6University of Camerino
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Abstract

The recovery of bioactive compounds, such as caffeine and chlorogenic acids, from spent coffee grounds (SCGs) represents a promising opportunity for developing functional food ingredients. However, the direct incorporation of extracts into food matrices requires rigorous safety validation of both the extraction solvent and the resulting extract. In this study, two food-grade water-based deep eutectic solvents (aquoDESs), trimethylglycine:water (TMG:H2O) and glycerol:water (Glyc:H2O) and their corresponding SCGs extracts at different dilutions (1:1, 1:5, 1:10) were evaluated in terms of chemical, biological and microbial safety. Antibacterial colony-counting assays, cytotoxicity screening on intestinal cell lines (Caco-2, HT-29, HCT116), furanic contaminant quantification, and INFOGEST static in vitro gastrointestinal digestion were investigated. The aquoDESs were designed to function not only as extraction media but also as potential food ingredients, thereby avoiding the need for solvent removal. Antibacterial activity was strongly concentration-dependent, with TMG:H2O-based formulations consistently outperforming Glyc:H2O ones against four foodborne pathogens. Cytotoxicity screening confirmed excellent biocompatibilities for all the samples; notably, TMG:H2O extracts stimulated cell proliferation at 1:5 and 1:10 dilutions. Furanic process contaminants (furfural, 5-methylfurfural, furfuryl alcohol, furfuryl acetate) were quantified: although TMG:H2O extracts contained higher levels than Glyc:H2O-SCGs extracts, all concentrations remained well below toxicological reference values. Finally, in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion demonstrated that phenolic compounds are bioaccessible after digestion of the extracts, reaching an intestinal bioaccessibility index of 51.91% (TMG:H2O-SCGs) and 70.19% (Glyc:H2OSCGs). These findings validate the investigated aquoDESs as safe solvents and their corresponding SCGs extracts as bioaccessible, ready-to-use functional food ingredients directly incorporable into food systems without solvent removal.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{pompei2026deep,
  title = {{Deep Eutectic Solvents as novel food ingredients: biosafety assessment of water-based DESs (aquoDESs) extracts from spent coffee grounds}},
  author = {Francesca Pompei and Mattia Acito and Beatrice Francucci and Laura Olivieri and Xinying Suo and Aleksei Smirnov and Iolanda Grappasonni and Elena Vittadini and Sauro Vittori and Matteo Tiecco and Cinzia Mannozzi},
  howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15008346/v1},
  url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008346/v1},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - Deep Eutectic Solvents as novel food ingredients: biosafety assessment of water-based DESs (aquoDESs) extracts from spent coffee grounds
AU  - Francesca Pompei
AU  - Mattia Acito
AU  - Beatrice Francucci
AU  - Laura Olivieri
AU  - Xinying Suo
AU  - Aleksei Smirnov
AU  - Iolanda Grappasonni
AU  - Elena Vittadini
AU  - Sauro Vittori
AU  - Matteo Tiecco
AU  - Cinzia Mannozzi
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/04
PB  - ChemRxiv
DO  - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15008346/v1
UR  - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15008346/v1
AB  - The recovery of bioactive compounds, such as caffeine and chlorogenic acids, from spent coffee grounds (SCGs) represents a promising opportunity for developing functional food ingredients. However, the direct incorporation of extracts into food matrices requires rigorous safety validation of both the extraction solvent and the resulting extract. In this study, two food-grade water-based deep eutectic solvents (aquoDESs), trimethylglycine:water (TMG:H2O) and glycerol:water (Glyc:H2O) and their corresponding SCGs extracts at different dilutions (1:1, 1:5, 1:10) were evaluated in terms of chemical, biological and microbial safety. Antibacterial colony-counting assays, cytotoxicity screening on intestinal cell lines (Caco-2, HT-29, HCT116), furanic contaminant quantification, and INFOGEST static in vitro gastrointestinal digestion were investigated. The aquoDESs were designed to function not only as extraction media but also as potential food ingredients, thereby avoiding the need for solvent removal. Antibacterial activity was strongly concentration-dependent, with TMG:H2O-based formulations consistently outperforming Glyc:H2O ones against four foodborne pathogens. Cytotoxicity screening confirmed excellent biocompatibilities for all the samples; notably, TMG:H2O extracts stimulated cell proliferation at 1:5 and 1:10 dilutions. Furanic process contaminants (furfural, 5-methylfurfural, furfuryl alcohol, furfuryl acetate) were quantified: although TMG:H2O extracts contained higher levels than Glyc:H2O-SCGs extracts, all concentrations remained well below toxicological reference values. Finally, in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion demonstrated that phenolic compounds are bioaccessible after digestion of the extracts, reaching an intestinal bioaccessibility index of 51.91% (TMG:H2O-SCGs) and 70.19% (Glyc:H2OSCGs). These findings validate the investigated aquoDESs as safe solvents and their corresponding SCGs extracts as bioaccessible, ready-to-use functional food ingredients directly incorporable into food systems without solvent removal.
ER  -