Development of innovative platforms for the extraction of prenylated flavonoids from Baccharis dracunculifolia

• Grant number: 25/16532-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: October 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Juliane Viganó
• Grantee: Lucca Phellyp Santos de Oliveira Cunha
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/15142-0 - Development of Sustainable Processes for Obtaining Antimicrobial Products from Baccharis dracunculifolia: Technological, Economic and Environmental Solutions, AP.R

Abstract

Baccharis dracunculifolia is a native Brazilian plant with great potential due to the presence of bioactive compounds with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, which have promising applications in areas such as ethanol production and animal nutrition. However, the extraction method for these compounds can significantly influence the quality and yield of the extracts obtained. Therefore, the objective is to develop platforms that optimize the extraction process of bioactive compounds from alecrim-do-campo, with a focus on their application in the microbial control of alcoholic fermentation. The plant samples will be dried, ground, and subjected to physicochemical characterization. Extractions will be performed using different methods: supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), expanded gas extraction (GXL), SFE with co-solvents (SFE-cos), ultrasound-assisted low-pressure extraction (EBP-UAE), and Soxhlet extraction with ethanol and hexane. Phenolic compounds will be identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), and total phenolic compounds will be quantified using the total reducing capacity (TRC) method, as proposed by Singleton et al. (1999). Antioxidant activity will be assessed by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), according to Ou et al. (2002). Antimicrobial activity will be assessed by measuring optical density at 650 nm for 24 hours. The target microorganisms are Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus plantarum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Pediococcus damnosus, and Lactococcus lactis. Based on the results obtained, we hope to identify the most efficient extraction method in terms of yield and concentration of bioactive compounds, generating a database that will contribute to the selection of more effective and environmentally sustainable methods. The results may strengthen the industrial application of Baccharis dracunculifolia extract in fermentation processes.