Brazil Nut Semi-Defatted Flour Oil: Impact of Extraction Using Pressurized Solvents on Lipid Profile, Bioactive Compounds Composition, and Oxidative Stability

• Published in: Plants (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 19; p. 2678
• Main Authors: Barbosa Abrantes, Karen Keli, Colombo Pimentel, Tatiana, da Silva, Camila, Santos Junior, Oscar de Oliveira, Barão, Carlos Eduardo, Cardozo-Filho, Lucio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 24.09.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Bioactive compounds; Biological activity; Carbon dioxide; Cold; Cold pressing; Economic importance; Energy consumption; Fatty acids; Flour; Gallic acid; Linoleic acid; Lipids; Local population; Mixtures; Nuts; Oil recovery; Oils & fats; Phenols; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Population studies; Pressurized fluids; Propane; Rainforests; Scavenging; Selenium; Solvents; Squalene; Stability; Vegetable oils; Brazil
• ISSN: 2223-7747; 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants13192678

Brazilian nuts are native to the Amazon rainforest and are considered a non-timber forest-product of extreme economic importance to local populations. This study evaluated the lipid profile, bioactive compounds, and oxidative stability of semi-defatted Brazilian nut flour oil (BNSDFO) obtained using pressurized fluids (n-propane at 40 °C and 2, 4, and 8 MPa or a CO2/n-propane mixture at 40 °C and 12 MPa). A Brazilian nut kernel oil (BNKO) processed by conventional cold pressing was also obtained. The BNKO showed a higher concentration of total phenolic compounds and saturated fatty acids, higher antioxidant activity, and the presence of gallic acid derivatives. The oils extracted using pressurized fluids showed a higher concentration of linoleic acid, β-sitosterol, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The utilization of pressurized n-propane resulted in higher yields (13.7 wt%), and at intermediate pressures (4 MPa), the product showed myricetin 3-O-rhamnoside and higher oxidative stability (OSI, 12 h) than at lower pressures (2 MPa). The CO2/n-propane mixture of pressurized solvents resulted in higher concentrations of squalene (4.5 times), the presence of different phenolic compounds, and a high OSI (12 h) but lower yield (2.2 wt%). In conclusion, oils with better fatty acid profiles (oleic e linoleic acids), phytosterol composition, and suitable radical scavenging activity may be obtained using pressurized fluids and Brazilian nut flour, a byproduct of oil extraction. The mixture of solvents may improve the concentration of squalene, whereas using only n-propane may increase oil yield.