Extração e purificação de oleuropeína a partir das folhas de oliveira

Abstract

The present study was conducted with the purpose of designing an industry for oleuropein production from olive tree leaves. The substance aforementioned belongs to the class of secoiridoids, natural antioxidant, and is a food and pharmaceutical industry target, due to its benefits for human health. In the case of the pharmaceutical industry, the main consumer market for this work, oleuropein is sold as an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), which is used for the production of anti-inflammatory and nutraceutical formulations. Within this market, APIs are a branch that has a high growth trend, both nationally and internationally. In this way, the aim is to serve both markets. The company's main competitors are producers located in countries such as China, India and the United States. Regarding the location, Bagé was chosen to host the oleuropein industry, since Rio Grande do Sul is the largest producer of olive trees (and, therefore, raw materials) in Brazil. Receipt of raw materials (olive leaves) takes place within 6 months of the year and it is obtained from the horticultural activity of olive trees (pruning olive trees and harvesting olives) and from the olive oil industry. The technological route chosen to obtain oleuropein is ultrasound-assisted extraction using ethanol and water as solvent, with 60:40 v/v ratio. The decision to follow this route is due to the fact that ultrasound-assisted extraction method presents several advantages when compared to other methods, namely: greater yield and oleuropein content, greater efficiency, reduction in extraction time and reduction in the volume of solvent used. As for the solvent, a hydroalcoholic mixture helps to increase extraction yield, in addition to being less toxic and environmental friendly. After extraction, the mixture goes through purification steps that involve centrifugation, filtration using ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes, vacuum drying and micronization, ensuring an increase in product purity up to 80% and its sale in powder form (20 μm). This degree of purity occurs due to the presence of other phenolic compounds with a particle size close to that of oleuropein, such as vanillic acid, tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol and a small residual amount of solvent. From this process, a final product with high added value is obtained from a low-cost raw material. The capacity of the industrial plant in question is 134.4 tons from 3,367 tons of olive leaves per year, the latter value being defined based on the sum of the two main sources of raw material in Rio Grande do Sul aforementioned. The economic analysis carried out indicated a necessary investment of R$ 115,368,844.32, with a payback of 5 years and a net profit of R$ 42,614,968.88 per year.