Supercritical CO₂ extraction of ucuúba (Virola surinamensis) seed oil: global yield, kinetic data, fatty acid profile, and antimicrobial activities

Abstract

Virola surinamensis is an abundant floodplain tree, popularly known as ucuúba, that grows in the Amazon. In this study, ucuúba seed oil was obtained by supercritical fluid extraction under different operating conditions, as well as Soxhlet extraction. The operating conditions for supercritical extraction were an extraction temperature of 40, 60, or 80 °C, a pressure of 350 bar, and a CO₂ mass flow of 7.9 × 10⁻⁵ kg/s. The supercritical extraction curves were fitted to mass transfer models, and the fatty acid profiles of the extracts were determined by gas chromatography. The antimicrobial activity was assessed against Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. The highest yield obtained using supercritical CO₂ was 64.39% and the lowest was 59.21%. The phytochemical analysis showed the presence of steroids, terpenes, coumarins, and phenolic compounds. All ucuúba oil samples showed antioxidant activity. Regarding the antimicrobial activity, ucuúba oil only showed activity against S. aureus.

Keywords:

• Antimicrobial activity
• Modeling
• Supercritical CO₂
• Virola surinamensis

Additional information

Funding

Renato Macedo Cordeiro thanks CAPES-Brazil for the master's scholarship (process: 1214046/2013-4), and the authors thank UFPA for their financial support.