The extraction of biologically active compounds from eggplant pulp by modified supercritical CO2 extraction was investigated. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the extraction of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity by assessing the pressure, temperature, and cosolvent percentage. The results demonstrated that the maximum phenolic content (3,530.79 mg CAE/100 g extract) and antioxidant capacity (4,593.22 mu mol TE/g extract) were observed at 56.8 degrees C, 280 bar, and 1.22% of ethanol and were higher than those obtained by conventional solvent extraction. Four phenolic acids were identified in the supercritical extracts and not in the conventional extracts using HPLC-DAD analysis, suggesting that modified supercritical CO2 extraction is more efficient and selective.