Extraction of antioxidant compounds from Espino maulino (Vachellia caven) fruit using supercritical CO2 and accelerated solvent extraction in a serial process: characterization and application in amodel lipid system
Main Article Content
Keywords
Vachellia caven hawthorn, supercritical CO2, accelerated solvent extraction, antioxidant properties, thermostability
Abstract
This study investigated the extraction of antioxidant compounds from hawthorn fruit (Vachellia caven), a species native to South America, using supercritical CO2 (Sc-CO2) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) method. The results revealed that according to the total phenols assay, pod had a richness of phenolic compounds (22568.49 GAE/100 g dry matter), and a strong antioxidant activity was demonstrated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical (362.27 µmol TE/g dry matter) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (3049.39 umol TE/g dry matter) assays. The seed fraction was rich in tocopherols, particularly γ-tocotrienol, which is scarce and associated with good antioxidant activity (59.92 ug/g oil). The Sc-CO2 extract contained a significant amount of unsaturated fatty acids (65–84%), including linoleic and linolenic acids, which are of nutritional interest. Hawthorn extracts, particularly the pod extract, demonstrated significant antioxidant properties in a refined sunflower oil model system, slowing the generation of primary and secondary lipid oxidation compounds in a thermo-oxidative process, indicating their potential as natural preservatives in food applications.
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