Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Bioactive Compounds From Sucupira (Pterodon pubescens) Fruit: Chemical Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity

Abstract

The sucupira fruit (Pterodon pubescens) contains a valuable oil characterized by high levels of fatty acids and an abundance of bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids and terpenoids. This study aimed to evaluate the use of ultrasound-assisted extraction to obtain sucupira fruit oil through a complete 2² factorial rotational design. The effects of ultrasound intensity (%) and ethanol concentration (%) on lipid content, antioxidant capacity, color, and reducing capacity were assessed. The maximum lipid content was 26.9/100 g, which was significantly higher than that obtained by the Soxhlet method (23.4/100 g). The extract obtained at the optimized conditions (90% ultrasound intensity and 80% ethanol concentration) showed antimicrobial activity against Salmonella and Escherichia coli cocktails. Compounds such as β-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, α-humulene, α-copaene, and spathulenol, responsible for biologically relevant activities, were identified in the extract through GC/GC–MS. HPLC–MS/MS identified compounds such as catechin, luteolin, quercetin, taxifolin, among others.