Sustainable extraction of bioactive compounds from oil residues.

• Grant number: 24/10211-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Thais Maria Ferreira de Souza Vieira
• Grantee: Camila Maria Gonzales
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/10573-4 - Center for Carbon Research in Tropical Agriculture (CCARBON), AP.CEPID

Abstract

The demand for products from sustainable and environmentally friendly sources has forced both the food industry and the academic community to seek alternatives to active food ingredients. On the same hand, oil processing from different vegetable sources generates a significant amount of waste. The residues generated during the production of vegetable oil are promising sources of active compounds, with potential application in the food and cosmetic industries, due to the functional properties and antioxidant capacity presented. Despite their numerous applications, the achievement of these compounds of interest should be studied in a holistic way, in which all steps of the process are efficient and environmentally friendly. Brazil is one of the largest avocado producers in the world and, besides fruit consumption, avocado oil has become popular. To find an alternative to pressed oil production, which generates a large amount of by-products, the ultrasound-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds will be studied and optimized. The objective of this project is to develop sustainable processes for the recovery of antioxidants from the residues, adding value to discarded materials, increasing the knowledge about the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of products derived from slaughter oil extraction residues. The extraction process depends on several factors, such as the amount of sample, time, solvent composition, temperature, and the solvent-to-sample ratio. For this purpose, optimization methods will be applied to select the extraction conditions that allow the maximum extraction of the compounds of interest with reduced use of energy and materials.