Enhanced apigenin yield from parsley via synergistic subcritical-water extraction with pulsed electric field and intense pulsed light pretreatments

Subcritical water extraction (SWE) is a nontoxic, environmentally friendly, and rapid extraction method. This experiment aimed to maximize the apigenin content in parsley extracts using pulsed electric field (PEF) and intense pulsed light (IPL) pretreatment prior to SWE (200 °C for 10 min). The highest apigenin content was 21.17 ± 1.11 mg/g at 2.3 kV/cm, 10-Hz, 3 s by PEF pretreatment, and 14.89 ± 0.41 mg/g at 1,200 V, 60 s by IPL pretreatment. Environmental scanning electron microscopy observations and the electrical disintegration index confirmed that physical damage occurred in the parsley leaves after pretreatment. Physical destruction weakens the structure of parsley leaves and increases the apigenin extraction efficiency. This study found that the combined treatment of SWE with PEF and IPL pretreatments at high temperatures could maximize the extraction efficiency of apigenin from parsley. It can be used in the future to extract high-value-added functional materials in the food industry.