EXTRACTION OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS FROM POMEGRANATE HUSKS (PUNICA GRANATUM L.) USING PRESSURISED LIQUIDS ASSISTED BY ULTRASOUND
Husks of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) are rich raw material in bioactive compounds, such as punicalagins and ellagic acid, which can be extracted using the appropriate techniques and conditions. This work evaluated the possibility of combining two extraction techniques, pressurized liquid extraction and ultrasound, to improve the efficiency, selectivity and yield of the process for isolation of the phenolic compounds. Extracts were obtained using one gram of raw and dry pomegranate husks (as), 19 kHz frequency, 3 mL/min flow, 10 MPa of pressure and 400 watts of ultrasound power. Different temperatures (50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 °C) and solvents (pure water and mixtures with ethanol 30, 50, 70% v/v) were tested. In order to optimize the process and improve yield and concentration of phenolics in the extract, the best temperature and solvent were fixed and different ultrasound power (0, 160, 320, 480, 640 and 800 W), particle size and cycles were evaluated. Extracts were analyzed based on the quantity of phenolic compounds by HPLC, total phenolic compounds (FT), antioxidant capacity by FRAP and TEAC and concentration of compounds in dry extract (Y0). Results indicate the best conditions as 70 °C using water as a solvent extraction, amount of phenolics was 43.27 mg/g as, 81.00 mg EAG/g as (FT), 1.61 µmol ET/Kg as (FRAP), 858.48 µmol ET/L (TEAC) and 10124 mg/g (Y0). When bigger particles size was used, the best results were obtained using ultrasound power of 480 and 640 W. When smaller particle size was used, no significant influence of ultrasound power was observed. Comparison of the use of different particle sizes with and without ultrasound (480 W) in five cycles, revealed that using larger particle size ultrasound accelerated the extraction of phenolic compounds, while using smaller particles and ultrasound resulted in lower recovery of compounds.