MICROENCAPSULATION AND STABILITY OF EXTRACTS RICH IN BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS FROM THE PULP AND BARK OF BURITIRANA (Mauritiella armata)

Globalization and technological advances have significantly changed eating habits, directly impacting the population's health. Despite Brazil's remarkable biodiversity, many native species with nutritional and functional potential remain underexploited. Buritirana (Mauritiella armata), found in the Cerrado and Amazon regions and belonging to the Arecaceae family, stands out for its high nutritional value, pleasant flavor, and richness in bioactive compounds, especially carotenoids with recognized antioxidant activity, showing promising potential for food and pharmaceutical applications. This study aimed to evaluate different extraction and subsequent microencapsulation methods, seeking to expand the use of the species and contribute to the valorization of native Brazilian fruits. Buritirana samples were collected in the Cerrado and cleaned, pulped, and separated into pulp and rind. Both fractions were dried in an air-circulating oven at 45°C, crushed, sieved, and stored at −20°C. Three extraction methods, combined with three solvents, were applied to analyze the content of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity. The extract with the best performance was subjected to microencapsulation with calcium alginate and chitosan, and water activity, encapsulation efficiency, and stability of bioactive and antioxidant compounds were evaluated. The results showed significant differences between the extraction methods (p < 0.05). Soxhlet extraction with absolute alcohol (SOX₁) showed the highest levels of phenolic compounds (38.83 mg GAE L⁻¹), flavonols (164.36 mg QE 100 g⁻¹), and antioxidant activity by the DPPH method (94.14%). The combination of maceration and ultrasonic bath with d-limonene (MAC₃+US₃) stood out in the content of carotenoids (11.00 mg 100 g⁻¹) and total flavonoids (820.23 mg CE 100 g⁻¹). The SOX₁ extract was selected for microencapsulation, which showed relatively low efficiency (8.76%) and a reduction in the content of bioactive compounds. However, it maintained high antioxidant activity by the ABTS method (804.93 μmol TE 100 g⁻¹). The water activity of the microcapsules was high (0.940), a factor that may compromise long-term stability. In summary, the Soxhlet method with absolute alcohol proved to be more efficient for the extraction of bioactive compounds from buritirana. At the same time, microencapsulation, despite losses, preserved a relevant part of the antioxidant capacity, demonstrating viability for the development of functional ingredients and applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.