Passion fruit seed extract enriched in piceatannol obtained by microwave-assisted extraction

Apart from being food, passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) offers seeds to be used as an oil source, and the residual seed cake from oil extraction contains piceatannol, a molecule that can prevent skin damages. In this work, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was evaluated as a technique for the preparation of piceatannol-rich seed cake extracts, and its performance was compared to the conventional Soxhlet extraction. MAE and Soxhlet exhibited different selectivities for the seed cake compounds. A sequential MAE at 87 degrees C, with 70% EtOH, for 30 min each cycle, provided a fine brown powder with 27.17 +/- 0.9 mu g of piceatannol per mg of the extract, while Soxhlet extraction for 120 min resulted in a dark lumpy extract containing 13.03 +/- 0.4 mu g mg-1. Thus, MAE was shown to be a promising alternative to produce a passion fruit seed extract for cosmetic purposes, adding value to a residue from the passion fruit chain by providing a faster extraction and a more color friendly and easier-tohandle product with higher levels of piceatannol in comparison to the conventional method.

Automated summary

The study found that microwave-assisted extraction is a promising technique for preparing passion fruit seed extract rich in piceatannol. Compared to traditional Soxhlet extraction, MAE produced a purer and faster extract with higher levels of piceatannol.