Extração, identificação e potencialidades farmacêuticas de compostos obtidos da fibra prensada da palma (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

Abstract

The increase in palm oil demand in the world market generates a greater amount of co-products resulting from the extraction process. These by-products are being investigated for the presence of bioactive compounds, since they are free of chemical solvents. Furthermore, only the oily components were extracted from the fruit and seed, there is a large quantity of compounds trapped in the palm pressed fiber and palm kernel cake and possibly an amount of residual oil. In this sense, the objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of different types of extraction in chemical and biological activity of bioactive compounds of fiber and seed pressed of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (Palm), as well as optimizing the development of nanoemulsions containing palm oil. We evaluated the extraction of bioactive compounds of the pressed palm kernel using supercritical CO2 and pressurized LPG. The LPG was more effective in palm kernel oil extraction, since the time spent in the process was about 3- 4 minutes, while with supercritical CO2 was about 75 minutes. Extraction yield using LPG was higher than CO2 at a lower temperature. The chemical composition of the extracts presented primarily fatty acids (18), mostly lauric acid, myristic, oleic, which were found in all samples. Regarding the extraction of bioactive compounds from the palm pressed fiber using supercritical CO2and pressurized LPG, it was found that using CO2 we obtained the highest extraction yield at 60 °C and 25 MPa, as well as the highest antioxidant activity and sun protection factor. The chemical composition for both solvents was lauric acid, oleic and palmitic acid, which together represent 80% of the chemical composition of the samples. Also it was identified compounds such as α-tocopherol, squalene, β- sitosterol and total carotenoids. Optimization of the extraction of antioxidants and fiber photoprotective palm pressed with ethanol using ultrasound probe, the condition with the highest yield (3.24%) was at ultrasound intensity of 120 W.cm-2 and pulse 0.4. Compounds such as fatty acids, β- sitosterol, α-tocopherol, squalene and phenolic were identified. The extract presented antioxidant activity towards synthetic radicals (DDPH and ABTS) and organic hydroxyl (•OH), and a sun protection factor of 15.01. Palm oil was incorporated in nanoemulsions, being stable at different conditions of storage (4°C, 25°C and 40°C). The best operational condition to obtain the nanoemulsion was combining pre-formulation step using the ultra turrax and after high intensity ultrasonic processor at 200 W.cm-2 for 15 minutes. The oil and surfactants concentrations were 2.8 wt % and the HLB 6.5 (mixture of Span 80 and Tween 80). The results demonstrated the possibility to incorporate the palm oil in cosmetic formulations to increase the sun protection factor as well as be used both as an antioxidant in cosmetic and/or food products. The use of palm processing residues to obtain bioactive compounds is a sustainable way to obtain value-added products.