Characterization of the blueberry residue and extraction of its bioactive compounds using supercritical CO2

• Grant number: 13/00221-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2013
• End date: March 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Julian Martínez
• Grantee: Raquel Dotta
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia de Alimentos (FEA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project aims to evaluate the bioactive properties of the blueberry residue, and the capacity of obtaining, by supercritical fluid extraction, extracts rich in the compounds that are responsible for such properties. The blueberry residue, a byproduct from the juice processing, which is composed by peel and seeds, will be evaluated in terms of phenolic content by the method of Singleton and Rossi (1965), anthocyanins by the differential pH method, and antioxidant activity through the DPPH and ABTS methods. Further, extractions will be performed from the residue, using supercritical carbon dioxide as solvent. In the supercritical extraction the infuence of process parameters as pressure and solvent flow rate will be evaluated, on the global yield and bioactive properties. Finally, the analyses of phenolics, anthocyanins and antioxidant activity will be performed also on the extracts, and the results will be compared to those obtained for the residue before the extraction.