Obtaining bioactive compounds from barbatimão bark (Stryphnodendron adstringens)

Abstract

The interest in obtaining and using bioactive compounds from plant matrices is growing for several applications in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. Furthermore, it is unquestionable that biodiversity and traditional knowledge on plant are important sources for the development of therapeutic products. The barbatimão (Stryphnodendron adstringens) is a tree of the Fabaceae family found in the Cerrado of southeastern Brazil. The stem bark of the species is traditionally used as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antiseptic agent, as well as to promote wound healing due to the presence of tannins. However, these compounds are often obtained by using extraction techniques, such as percolation - a process already commercially established for barbatimão. However, this method has low yields and a long process time. Ultrasound extraction technology is a viable alternative to obtain high quality bioactive compounds. Such technique is considered environmentally friendly, with less energy consumption and spending less processing time. Thus, it has been the focus of researches and development in industries to replace or to improve conventional processing techniques. Therefore, this project proposes the study tannins extraction process from barbatimão bark by applying percolation assisted by ultrasound. First, it will be evaluated the effect of temperature and solvent composition on the overall yield obtained by percolation. Then, will be evaluated the effect of ultrasound-assisted percolation. Finally, the number of cycles and the cycle time necessary for the depletion of the raw material will be determined. The extracts will be evaluated in terms of total polyphenols and tannins, and overall yield. This project is expected to intensify the extraction yields and the tannin concentration of the barbatimão extract, and to understand the mechanisms governing extraction to explain the phenomenology of the processes.