DEVELOPMENT OF BIOACTIVE MATERIAL FROM THE FULL USE OF AMAZONIAN FRUIT UMARI (Poraqueiba paraensis)

• Grant number: 24/03862-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Mariana Agostini de Moraes
• Grantee: Sara Caroline Pacheco de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Química (FEQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/21197-4 - Untargeted chemical prospection and in silico solubility modeling of bioactives from the amazonian fruit Poraqueiba paraensis for optimization of the extraction process, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

The Amazon has enormous biodiversity, especially in relation to native fruits. Umari is one of the countless fruits found in this region, with a chemical composition rich in lipids and bioactive compounds that enhance its antioxidant activity. Antioxidants are relevant because in addition to strengthening the immune system, they fight diseases such as diabetes, arthritis and even cancer, through their anti-inflammatory and healing effects. This fruit is widely consumed in the State of Pará, especially in Breves - PA, a region where residents report using it not only for food, but also for popular medicine, indicating the healing potential of umari based on medicinal use by different generations, for healing minor injuries caused in the agricultural sector. Therefore, this project will map and use the fruit in its entirety, through the use of umari fractions (peel, seed and pulp) to extract bioactive compounds with healing activity, in addition to extracting starch from the umari seed. The materials will be evaluated for physical, physicochemical and biological parameters, for scientific validation of the bioactive properties of umari, as well as the valorization of Brazilian biodiversity. The umari starch (polymeric matrix), as well as the extracted bioactive compounds, will be combined for the development of films, intended for use as an innovative material for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors, adding value to this natural resource, without wasting it.