Licuri (Syagrus coronata) is a palm species endemic to Brazil’s Caatinga biome whose biotechnological potential remains poorly explored. While the kernel is traditionally used for oil extraction, the mesocarp is discarded. In this study, oils from licuri kernel and mesocarp were extracted and compared. Kernel oil was rich in medium-chain saturated fatty acids, notably lauric acid (≈50 % w/w), whereas mesocarp oil contained long-chain unsaturated fatty acids (oleic and linoleic acids; 55.4 % w/w). The mesocarp oil also exhibited high levels of free fatty acids, resulting from endogenous lipase-mediated hydrolysis of triacylglycerols and galactolipids. Blanching the fruit before extraction inactivated lipase activity and improved mesocarp oil recovery, yielding up to 13 % w/w compared with 40 % w/w for the kernel. Significant lipase activity was retained in the delipidated mesocarp cake after cold hexane extraction, with activities up to 375 ± 12 and 475 ± 25 U/g on olive oil and tributyrin. Partial purification yielded a lipase active over a broad pH range and on various lipid substrates, including licuri kernel oil, egg phosphatidylcholine, and vinyl propionate. These results highlight Licuri fruit as a dual source of oil and lipase, supporting its potential use in an integrated biorefinery approach.
Lisboa et al. (2026) studied this question.