Supercritical CO2 Extraction and Characterization of Lipophilic Natural Products from Cornus mas Fruits: Composition and Antimicrobial Activity

Cornus mas L. fruits are a valuable source of bioactive natural products with potential applications in functional foods and food preservation. In the present study, supercritical carbon dioxide (Sc-CO2) extraction was applied for the recovery of lipophilic fractions from Cornus mas fruits under different operating conditions of pressure, temperature, and extraction time. The influence of extraction parameters on the extraction yield was investigated using a design of experiments (DoE) approach. The chemical composition of the obtained extracts was characterized via high-resolution gas chromatography (HRGC), revealing a fatty acid profile dominated by linoleic acid (58–63%) and oleic acid (22–24%), followed by palmitic acid (8–9%), stearic acid (2–4%), arachidic acid (about 2%), and behenic acid (about 1%). The extracts were further evaluated for antimicrobial activity against selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including Staphylococcus au- reus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as against the yeast Candida albicans. The results demonstrated that supercritical CO2 extraction represents an effective green technology for the selective recovery of lipophilic bioactive compounds from Cornus mas fruits. The extracts exhibited measurable antimicrobial activity in broth microdilution assays against selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as Candida albicans, supporting their potential as natural antimicrobial agents. The combination of green extraction technology, analytical characterization, and bioactivity evaluation contributes to the valorization of Cornus mas fruits as a source of food-derived natural products.