IN VITRO BIOACESSIBILITY AND IDENTIFICATION OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS OF WATER EXTRACTS OF MALPIGHIA GLABRA DC CO-PRODUCT

In this study, the effects of ultrasound treatment using water as solvent on bioacessibility and types of phenolic compounds from agroindustrial acerola by-product extract were investigated for the first time. The freeze dried samples (acerola industrial by-product) were mixed with water in different proportions and extracted using ultrasound for different times (2, 6 and 10 minutes) and power intensities (20, 47.5 and 75 W/cm2). Based in total phenolic content, the best treatment was chosen. The extracts were submitted to total extractable polyphenols, ascorbic acid and organic acids (before and after simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion) determination and identification by UPLC-QTOF-MSE. The extract submitted to ultrasound treatment presented higher total phenolic compounds content when compared to the control. However, in evaluating the bioacessible phenolic compounds content, it was verified that the extract that was not submitted to the ultrasound treatment (control) showed a higher percentage after the in vitro digestion. For the control extract, the main compounds identified were citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, rutin and Kaempferol 3-O-glucoside. After ultrasound treatment, the acerola by-product extract presented citric acid, malic acid, rutin, luetolin and quercetin. It was verified that ultrasound application resulted in degradation of the ascorbic acid in the acerola by-product extract and increased the phenolic content, considering that luteolin was identified in the acerola by-product extract treated with ultrasound, and was not found in the control extract. The ultrasound assisted extraction using water as solvent can be used as a green technique for co-product acerola management.