Green approach to obtain guarana seed extracts with antiproliferative and antitumor potential using natural eutectic solvents (NADES).

Abstract

The consumption of Paullinia cupana Kunth., popularly known as guarana, is mostly done through soft drinks, but it can be consumed in the form of capsules or powder, which are widely used in traditional medicine because of its stimulating and antioxidant properties, among other uses. However, in all of these preparations, guarana goes through some sort of extraction process that uses conventional solvents, such as hydromethanolic and chlorinated solvents, for its ingestion can cause many complications due to its toxicity. In light of these factors, this project proposes the preparation of guarana powdered extracts, focusing in methylxanthines, through eutectic mixtures or natural molecules named Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NADES). The NADES will be prepared using atoxic food molecules, which will be synthesized via microwaves, and also through experimental planning, to optimize the extraction conditions through a multiparametric approach. At the same time, a bioguided study will be conducted, testing the antiproliferative and antitumor properties of the extracts in tumoral cells. To optimize the extractions, the evaluation of the extracted amounts of methylxanthines from powdered P. cupana Kunth. will be done through using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), in the aim of keeping the entire process inside the limits of Analytic Green Chemistry