Açaí (Euterpe oleracea) and Bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba) as Functional Food

This chapter reviews two oleaginous fruits that are widely consumed by people in the Amazon region: Bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba) and Açaí (Euterpe oleracea). Besides their food and the folk medicinal uses, studies suggest that substances present in both berries have antioxidative effects, antimicrobial, and therapeutic properties such as hypocholesterolemic and neuroprotection effects. These therapeutic effects are related to phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and fatty acids, which can prevent serious problems such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, and depression. The use of supercritical fluid technology is described as a technique to obtain the best extracts of bacaba and açaí, as well as their valuable constituents. Indubitably, this technology is a great tool for human health and all with the advantage of presenting nontoxic solvents such as carbon dioxide or water. Açaí and bacaba fruits represent not only food but also a source of compounds that can work in both prevention and treatment of diseases

Carbon Dioxide Use in High-Pressure Extraction Processes

This chapter describes the use of carbon dioxide at high pressures as an alternative for the extraction of bioactive compounds in a more sustainable way, addressing some of its physicochemical properties, such as pressure, temperature, density, solvation, selectivity, and its interaction with the solute when modified by other solvents such as ethanol and water. This extraction process is considered chemically “green,” when compared to conventional extraction processes using toxic organic solvents

Potential of Medicinal Use of Essential Oils from Aromatic Plants

The use of medicinal plants rich in essential oils can represent a viable source for the control of some diseases, being able to constitute a possible therapeutic alternative due to its effectiveness. Essential oils are natural volatile fractions extracted from aromatic plants and formed by classes of substances such as esters of fatty acids, mono and sesquiterpenes, phenylpropanoids, aldehyde alcohols and, in some cases, aliphatic hydrocarbons, among others. Essential oils have been used by mankind for medicinal purposes for several centuries, with reports coming from Ancient Egypt. In this sense, the present work aims to approach the biological activities of essential oils such as antioxidant, anticancer, antiprotozoal, antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities of different plant matrices rich in essential oils

Invasive Species in the Amazon

One of the main reasons for environmental disturbances such as declination in pasture productivity and biodiversity losses is the high infestation of herbaceous weeds, generally referred to as “Juquira” in the Amazon region. If they are not adequately controlled, such infestation might lead to degradation of pasture, resulting in complete loss of productivity and subsequent abandonment of the area. In this sense, this chapter aims to describe the main invasive species present in the Amazon region, as well as to characterize both the old and innovative techniques of use in agriculture, in large and small scale, for the control of agricultural pests

Appliance of a high pressure semi-batch reactor: supercritical transesterification of soybean oil using methanol

Abstract This work presents the results of a supercritical transesterification process of soybean oil using methanol, performed in a laboratory high pressure semi-batch reactor. A full description of the equipment and a standard operating procedure are also provided. Since fossil fuels are not renewable, biofuels such biodiesel, have gained attention over the past decades. Biodiesel is the result of the transesterification of triacylglycerols in vegetable oils or animal fats and it works as an alternative fuel for compression-ignition engines. Methanol was chosen to perform the reaction, at molar ratios of 1:24 (oil: alcohol) and 0.1 (CO 2:methanol), temperature of 280 °C and pressure of 130 bar. In order to decrease the reaction time, CO2 in the supercritical state was used as cosolvent. The yield of biodiesel produced was equal to 95.19% in only ten minutes of reaction. A high yield of methyl esters (84.41%) was detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In general, 10 compounds were identified. The component in higher concentration was linoleate, followed by methyl hexadecanoate, oleic acid methyl ester and methyl stearate. The ester conversion rate means that the process with supercritical methanol can be successfully applied to produce biodiesel

Cytotoxic effect of cipó-pucá (Cissus sicyoides L.) supercritical extract on human red blood cells and as anti-inflammatory in spinal cord injury in adult rats

Federal University of Pará. Program of Post-Graduation in Food Science and Technology. Extraction Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Program of Post-Graduation in Food Science and Technology. Extraction Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Program of Post-Graduation in Food Science and Technology. Extraction Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Program of Post-Graduation in Food Science and Technology. Extraction Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Laboratory of Neuroprotection and Experimental Neurorregeneration. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Laboratory of Neuroprotection and Experimental Neurorregeneration. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Center for Valorization of Amazonian Bioactive Compounds. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Program of Post-Graduation in Food Science and Technology. Extraction Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Institute of Biological Sciences. Laboratory of Neuroprotection and Experimental Neurorregeneration. Belém, PA, Brazil.Federal University of Pará. Center for Valorization of Amazonian Bioactive Compounds. Belém, PA, Brazil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.Federal University of Pará. Program of Post-Graduation in Food Science and Technology. Extraction Laboratory. Belém, PA, Brazil.Cissus sicyoides L. is a plant that has great anti-inflammatory activity, due to the presence of phenolic compounds. The objective of this work was to identify such substances by HPLC and to evaluate the cytotoxic effect on human red blood cells, of the C. sicyoides extract obtained by supercritical extraction, using CO2 and EtOH as co-solvent, in comparison to the extract obtained by conventional extraction (Soxhlet), as well as, to evaluate its anti-inflammatory effect on spinal cord injury (SCI) in adult rats. In HPLC analysis, the UV/Visible spectral data revealed compounds with absorption bands in wavelengths characteristic of glycosylated flavonoids. The supercritical extract did not show cytotoxic effect, as there was no rupture of red blood cell membranes. The in vivo test demonstrated reduction in cell concentration in the lesion surrounding area in treated animals, suggesting an anti-inflammatory effect of the supercritical extract on the SCI model