Extração de compostos bioativos da casca de maracujá

Abstract

The yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f flavicarpa) is a fruit with a wide geographic distribution, with Brazil being one of the main producers worldwide, standing out mainly in the production "in natura" and derivatives. It should be noted that during the processing of passion fruit, a considerable amount of waste is generated, as the pulp, which is consumed, constitutes 29% of the weight of the fruit, generating waste from peels and seeds. In this sense, it is necessary to emphasize that the conscious use of these by-products has a positive impact on the environment. In addition, these residues are sources of bioactive compounds, such as antioxidants, capable of developing a variety of biological functions that can trigger benefits to the human body. Bioactive compounds of plant origin can help in the treatment of diseases such as diabetes, being an alternative to act in the inhibition of amylase enzymes, responsible for the degradation of carbohydrates. Although there are already some synthetic inhibitors of these enzymes that can be used in the treatment of diabetes, their use has been linked to several side effects, such as diarrhea and flatulence, for this reason efforts are directed towards finding natural inhibitors that can minimize this negative effect. Therefore, the objective of this work was to obtain passion fruit peel extracts with different extraction methods, to evaluate their yield and their bioactive properties, such as antioxidant capacity and effect on alpha-amylase activity. The extracts were obtained by three different agitation mechanisms (mechanical, ultrasound and ultra-turrax), using ethanol as solvent. Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity was determined by estimating the content of total phenolic compounds and the DPPH method, and then the porcine pancreatic alpha-amylase activity was evaluated with different extract concentrations. As for the extracts obtained, it can be seen that there is no significant difference in yield between the methods. In addition, from the results, it appears that the extracts had antioxidant capacity and an inhibitory effect on the action of alpha-amylase. Regarding the DPPH method, it can be observed that the extract obtained with ultrasound can sequester free radicals, showing about 30.52% of discoloration at a concentration of 40mg/ml. The in vitro evaluation of porcine pancreatic alpha-amylase activity showed that the ethanolic extracts of the bark were able to act as inhibitors, showing significant differences between the mechanisms, highlighting ultrasound, as it was the most effective extraction device, providing the lowest concentration capable of inhibiting 50% of the enzyme activity. In conclusion, it appears that the applied methods showed good results, which can contribute to future research, helping in the development of new products with an appeal to healthiness and reduction of waste.