Agave has been used as a raw material for food and folklore medicinal purposes. Traditional processing involves the use of agave as a source of carbohydrate-rich syrups for direct use or as substrate to yield hydrolyzed fermented products and spirits. Agave plants can accumulate significant amounts of inulin, important molecule with prebiotic activity. The agave plant has been used to feed ruminants in arid areas where drought episodes are prevalent. This plant is an important source of saponins, considered as antinutritional factors but also as anticancer, antifungal, and antiinflammatory agents. Considering the low hydrosolubility of saponins, these compounds are not being recovered from the plant and alternative processes need to be devised. Agave also contains polyphenols with activities such as: anticancer, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitical, antimicrobial, prebiotics and coadjuvant in mineral absorption. The full phytochemical characterization of the sap, leaves and byproducts generated from the traditional food uses is needed to validate the beneficial effects of agave consumption and its potential use as a source of functional ingredients.

Agave, commonly known as “maguey” is an important part of the Mexican tradition and economy, and is mainly used for the production of alcoholic beverages, such as tequila. Industrial exploitation generates by-products, including leaves, bagasse, and fibers, that can be re-valorized. Agave is composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, fructans, and pectin, as well as simple carbohydrates. Regarding functional properties, fructans content makes agave a potential source of prebiotics with the capability to lower blood glucose and enhance lipid homeostasis when it is incorporated as a prebiotic ingredient in cookies and granola bars. Agave also has phytochemicals, such as saponins and flavonoids, conferring anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties, among other benefits. Agave fibers are used for polymer-based composite reinforcement and elaboration, due to their thermo-mechanical properties. Agave bagasse is considered a promising biofuel feedstock, attributed to its high-water efficiency and biomass productivity, as well as its high carbohydrate content. The optimization of physical and chemical pretreatments, enzymatic saccharification and fermentation are key for biofuel production. Emerging technologies, such as ultrasound, can provide an alternative to current pretreatment processes. In conclusion, agaves are a rich source of by-products with a wide range of potential industrial applications, therefore novel processing methods are being explored for a sustainable re-valorization of these residues.

Power ultrasound is applied in food technology to intensify extraction processes, due to the phenomena ultrasonic energy induces in the medium, enhancing mass transfer. The purpose of this work was the acoustic characterization of four transducers of different geometries and the evaluation of their performance in the ultrasonically assisted supercritical fluid extraction of antioxidants from oregano. The transducers differed in the amount of energy transmitted into the medium. Designs varied from the base model (T1), a larger cylindrical headmass (T2), a stepped circular section sonotrode (T3) and a multiplate configuration (T4). The highest nominal power density provided according to the calorimetric method was for T4 (151.6 ± 7.1 W/L). The T2 produced a more uniform acoustic field and a higher acoustic pressure (150.6 ± 20.5 kPa). Both parameters had an impact on total phenolics and antioxidants extraction with CO2 under supercritical conditions (35 MPa, 35 °C, 2.3% ethanol as co-solvent). T4 and T2 were equally efficient (4.0 ± 0.2 and 4.2 ± 0.2 mg GA/g) for phenolic extraction, and with respect to antioxidant capacity, the best performance was that of T4 (26.4 ± 1.1 μmol TE/g). Of the antioxidant compounds extracted, flavones and flavanones were identified. Therefore, transducer geometry influenced the amount and distribution of energy transmitted into the medium, thus determining the efficiency of the extraction process.