(PEF) Pulsed Electric Field Extraction
PEF is a new and green technology for extracting valuable compounds from wastes and food-agricultural by-products. The pulsed electric field is applied to the material between two electrodes with a pulsed amplitude. In this system, the pulse amplitude changes from 100-300 V/cm to 20-80 kV/cm with low energy 10-20 Kj/Kg. The process takes place at ambient temperature or slightly higher than ambient temperature in less than 1 second (microseconds or milliseconds). In this process, by exposing plant cells to a pulsed electric field, cell membranes are damaged and form temporary or permanent cavities (figure 13). The process of damaging cells and forming cavities with electricity is called electroporation [77, 78].