Avaliação do uso de ultrassom no processo de extração de bromelina do caule de abacaxizeiro

Abstract

Bromelain is the name used to designate the set of proteolytic enzymes that are present throughout the pineapple. Bromelain has considerable applications in the textile, food, and especially in the pharmaceutical sector, therefore, the optimization of extraction and purification processes is of fundamental importance. This work aimed to evaluate the influence of the use of ultrasonic waves in the extraction of bromelain from the stem of the pineapple, using water as a solvent. Three factors were considered at two levels, namely: temperature (9 ° C, 25 ° C), power of the equipment (20%, 90%) and extraction time (1 min, 9 min). The stems were fragmented, and subjected twice, in sequence, to a centrifugal fruit extractor. To the resulting material, distilled water was added, in the proportion of 1: 2.5 (m/ v) of plant tissue / water, and then it was subjected to the tip sonicator. The evaluation of the process was done through the analysis of protein content and enzymatic activity. The best results for the process were obtained when used at a temperature of 25 ° C, 20% of the equipment's power and extraction time of 9 minutes. The extract obtained with the aid of ultrasound showed better results, with enzyme activity 3.6 times greater and the protein content 1.1 times greater, when compared with the extract obtained without the use of this technique, showing that this method acts positive way in obtaining the extract.