BUSCADOR RECOLECTA

Ora-pro-nobis (Pereskia aculeata) leaves were selected as raw material for biorefinery application based on compressed fluid extractions with green solvents. The fractionation followed the sequential processes: (1) Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with CO2, (2) Gas expanded liquid extraction (GXL), using CO2:Ethanol, and pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with ethanol, and (3) Subcritical water extraction (SWE). In vitro analysis of total phenolic and total carotenoid contents and antioxidant activity (DPPH and ORAC) were assessed, stipulating PLE method as the second step of the sequential extractions. Total protein and carbohydrate contents were evaluated from SWE samples. Phenolics profile from PLE and SWE samples was assessed by LC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS, identifying 8 phenolic compounds, with quercetin, isorhamnetin and kaempferol as the main detected flavonoids. SWE at 150 and 185 °C provided the highest protein recovery, as the third step in a sequential process., The authors are grateful to the following agencies for the financial support: CNPq (National Council of Technological and Scientific Development, Brazil), project 404347/2016-9 CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher-Level Personnel, Brazil), projects CAPES/PROEX-1624/2018 and CAPES/PRINT 88887.310560/2018-00; and MINECO (Ministery of Economy and Competitiveness, Spain), project AGL2017-89417-R. G.A.-R. would like to acknowledge MINECO for a “Juan de la Cierva” postdoctoral grant., Peer reviewed