Enzyme extraction of cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum S.) fat sedes

Abstract

Enzyme-assisted extraction is considered an environmentally friendly technique. Cellulase, pectinase and protease were tested for cupuassu seeds fat extraction. The best fat efficiency (81.66%) was obtained for the solute:solvent 1:5 (m:w), orbital shaker at 120 rpm, 60 °C, for 8 hours and enzyme concentrations (cellulase, pectinase and protease) of 1.0%. The fat was characterized for physicochemical properties, fatty acid profile, phenolic compounds, antioxidant activities and oxidative stability. The fat showed good thermal stability (14.26 h) and high contents of monounsaturated (42.42%) and saturated (43.47%) fatty acids with higher concentrations of oleic and stearic acids, respectively, and a high content of phenolic compounds (141.84 µg EAG·g-1) in the fat, and in the aqueous extract (926.47 µg EAG·g-1). The results indicated that the cupuassu seed fat obtained by enzymatic extraction showed superior properties to cupuassu fat obtained by cold pressing, in addition to generating an aqueous fraction which is rich in bioactive compounds that can be used as ingredients in the food and pharmaceutical sectors.