Abstract
The case of banana peel as a rich source of pharmaceutically important polyphenols is well-known. Our research focuses on techno-economic and environmental impact assessment of sourcing polyphenols from banana peel. Firstly, phenolic acids and flavonoids, the two major classes of polyphenols, are extracted from dried banana peel powder. The extraction process is carried out with different solvents with varying properties and different extraction techniques with differences in their working mechanism. These extraction protocols were compared on the basis of techno-economics. Distilled water was the most favored solvent in that regard. On the other hand, from the perspective of carbon dioxide emission potential, ethanol stood out as the best. Recovery of extraction solvent was considered and its impact, on techno-economics and emission potential of the protocols was analyzed. The exact nature of the impact was a strong function of the specific protocol and the target polyphenols.