OBTAINING CAROTENOID EXTRACTS FROM PEQUI PULP (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) USING MIXTURE PLANNING

Introduction: The pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) is a fruit with high energetic value and good nutritional quality due to its high content of lipids, fibers, vitamins, and minerals. In addition, this fruit presents high levels of phenolic compounds and carotenoids, which that may reflect its high antioxidant capacity. However, studies with pequi pulp showed controversial results regarding the total carotenoid content. It is possible that these divergences are due to the region and the soil of the crop, chemical composition, physical characteristics, and maturation stage of the pequi. Another possible explanation is that the studies were carried out with different methods and solvents for the extraction of carotenoids. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the solvents are related to the divergence of results. Objectives: To determine the nutrient composition and which solvent or solvent mixture is more efficient for the carotenoids’ extraction from pequi pulp. Methods: The pequi was collected from Hidrolândia-GO city, after natural fall from the tree. Mature and intact fruits were selected. The proximal centesimal composition was determined by classical methods. Three pure solvents, acetone, petroleum ether and ethyl alcohol, and their mixtures in different proportions, determined by a completely randomized design mixtures, using a Simplex-centroid type increased in interior points, was used for carotenoids extraction. Therefore, the carotenoid content was determined using the different solvent compositions. Results and discussion: The pequi pulp presents on the integral base g/100g of the sample 61.79% ± 0.1 of moisture, 0.67% ± 0.0 of ash, 2.47% ± 0.0 of proteins, 19.72 % ± 0.3 lipids and 15.35% ± 0.3 total carbohydrates. Relative to the carotenoids extraction the most efficient approach was that containing pure petroleum ether (229.04 μg/g ± 7.6), followed by the mixture of acetone with petroleum ether in a ratio of 1:1 (195.54 μg/g ± 6.1), whereas the less effective extraction was the one containing pure ethyl alcohol (124.98 μg/g ± 1.5). The highest total carotenoid content found in this study was superior to a work that used pure acetone for extraction. However, it resembled the levels found by another study that also used acetone. Thus, the solvent used for extraction contributed to the discrepancies between the levels of carotenoids found in the literature. Conclusions: The pequi presented high nutritional quality and high levels of carotenoids. Pure petroleum ether was the most efficient solvent for extracting carotenoids.