Hybrid ultrasound-based extraction techniques in food industry: A state-of-the-art review

Ultrasonication has emerged as a prominent non-thermal processing technology in the food industry due to its capacity to enhance mass transfer through acoustic cavitation, thereby facilitating cell disruption and the release of intracellular bioactive compounds. Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE) offers notable advantages over conventional techniques, such as shortened processing times, reduced solvent consumption, and improved recovery under comparatively mild conditions. Despite these benefits, standalone ultrasonication may encounter limitations related to matrix heterogeneity, limited penetration in compact plant tissues, scale-up complexity, and variable selectivity. These challenges underscore the need for integrated strategies capable of further intensifying extraction performance. Hybrid Ultrasound-Based Extraction (HUBE) techniques represent a strategic advancement that combines UAE with complementary physical and biochemical approaches to overcome the constraints of single-method systems. This state-of-the-art review provides a comprehensive overview of hybrid configurations integrating ultrasound with various extraction techniques. Across diverse food matrices and target compounds, hybrid ultrasound systems consistently demonstrated greater performance compared to conventional extraction methods. These improvements are reflected in enhanced recovery efficiency, accelerated kinetics, improved preservation of thermolabile bioactive, and reduced solvent and energy requirements. This review further highlights the evolution from conventional and single-technique ultrasound extraction toward integrated hybrid platforms and affirms their transformative potential in efficient and sustainable, extraction of compound within modern food processing systems.