Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites widely distributed among plants, with bioactive properties, especially antioxidant activity. The search for sustainable extraction methods has driven the use of natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs), formed by combinations of natural compounds, such as organic acids, sugars, alcohols, and amino acids. This study optimized NaDES (sorbitol, citric acid, and glycine) efficiency and compared it to that of 70% methanol solution in extracting total soluble phenolic compounds (TSPCs) from six flours matrices—corn, buckwheat, biofortified orange sweet potato, red lentil, Sudan grass, and chickpea—before and after thermoplastic extrusion cooking. Quantification was performed using the Folin–Ciocalteu method, with statistical analysis at the 10% significance level. In general, the methanolic extracts showed higher TSPC levels in the raw materials, whereas the levels were higher in NaDESs for legumes. After extrusion, a reduction in the TSPC levels was observed, except in the sweet potato. Multivariate analysis (PLS-DA and heatmap) distinguished the raw and extruded samples, revealing structural and chemical changes from thermal processing. The AGREE scores were 0.7 (NaDES) and 0.54 (methanol), favoring NaDES. The BAGI score (75.0) confirmed the method’s robustness and suitability for sustainable analytical applications.

The growing demand for clean-label products has intensified the search for natural and sustainable alternatives to synthetic colorants. Anthocyanins stand out as promising pigments due to their coloring capacity and bioactive properties. This study evaluated the efficiency of natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) in extracting anthocyanins from agro-industrial by-products—molasses grass, black corn cobs, and grape skins—and their application in food and cosmetic matrices. A simplex-centroid mixture design with Response Surface Methodology was used to optimize solvent composition based on sorbitol, citric acid, and glycine. NADES showed high extraction efficiency, especially for black corn cobs, reaching 54.20 mg/100 g under optimized conditions. Although conventional extraction performed better for grape skins, NADES demonstrated competitive efficiency and superior environmental performance (AGREE index 0.73 vs. 0.58). The extracts were successfully incorporated into yogurt and moisturizing gel formulations. Yogurts maintained stable physicochemical properties and color, while gels showed good homogeneity and chromatic stability. These findings support the use of NADES as green solvents for recovering natural colorants from agro-industrial residues, with potential applications in sustainable food and cosmetic products.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench), a climate-resilient, gluten-free cereal with high levels of bioactive phenolic compounds, is a promising ingredient for functional food and beverage development. This study aimed to optimize the germination of red sor-ghum to enhance its nutritional quality and fermentative potential for gluten-free la-ger beer production. A Central Composite Design was employed to investigate the ef-fects of germination time and temperature and the germination process was evaluated by Response Surface Methodology (P < 0.10; R2 > 0.75). The optimal conditions (94.5 hours at 30.7 °C) significantly increased radicle length, total reducing sugars, soluble protein concentration, and total soluble phenolics in the sorghum wort. These changes supported greater enzymatic activity and improved substrate availability for fermen-tation. The resulting wort underwent a standard mashing and fermentation process using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, yielding a beer with 2.56% (v/v) ethanol, a mildly acidic pH of 3.84, and well-balanced concentrations of lactic, succinic, and acetic acids. The final product exhibited an appealing reddish-amber color, influenced by the presence of tannins and anthocyanins, and resembled Weissbier or Amber ale styles. These results highlight the potential of germinated sorghum as a sustainable, nutritious, and senso-rially appealing malt alternative, contributing to innovation in gluten-free and craft beer markets.