Supercritical fluid extraction with a modifier of antioxidant compounds from jabuticaba (Myrciaria cauliflora) byproducts: economic viability

Jabuticaba ( Myrciaria cauliflora ) is a grape-like fruit that is found extensively throughout Brazil. In spite of the very few studies done on its chemical constituents, some authors have reported the potential use of jabuticaba as a source of antioxidant compounds, which are believed to play an important role in the prevention of many oxidative and inflammatory diseases. Local populations enjoy jabuticaba as a favorite fruit, but the majority of these crops are wasted during harvesting and processing. Thus, the application of innovative technologies such as supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) for processing by-products is important to obtain high quality yields, which increases the value of the product. In addition, processing by-products currently represents an increasing niche market, which is mainly due to their ecological, economic and social implications. In order to evaluate their industrial applicability, it is essential to perform a critical analysis of the chemical composition and economic viability of the extracts obtained. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of antioxidant recovery by SFE with a co-solvent using varying conditions of pressure and temperature. SFE was carried out under two temperatures (323 and 333 K) and three pressures (10, 20 and 30 MPa) using ethanol as a modifier at 20% v/v, for a total of six different extraction conditions. The assays were performed in triplicate. The extracts were evaluated for their global yield (X0) and antioxidant capacity by radical scavenging activity using the DPPH method.