Preliminary Evaluation of Supercritical Fluid Extraction Conditions for Phenolic and Flavonoid Compounds Recovery from Swietenia macrophylla Seeds

Swietenia macrophylla is a tropical hardwood tree recognized for its bioactive compounds, including phenolics and flavonoids, which offer potential antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and other therapeutic benefits. However, the extraction process has not been thoroughly investigated, particularly due to their oily nature. This study investigates the influence of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) parameters on the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of S. macrophylla seeds, incorporating ethanol as the polar modifier. The effects of CO₂ flow rate, temperature, and pressure on bioactive compound recovery were analysed. The finding indicates that a CO₂ flow rate of 2 mL/min, a temperature of 60°C, and a pressure of 20 MPa yielded the highest TPC (74.00 mg GAE/g) and TFC (42.34 mg QE/g). The S. macrophylla seeds extract exhibited a scavenging activity of 21.062±1.45 mg TE/g using the FRAP assay. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) identified eight major bioactive compounds, with linoleic (62.88±0.71%) and oleic acids (15.24±0.90%) as the predominant fatty acids. The presence of eugenol, a polar compound, highlights the effectiveness of ethanol as a modifier in enhancing SFE, enabling the extraction of both polar and non-polar compounds from S. macrophylla seed oil. The results demonstrate the enhanced efficiency of SFE with ethanol as a modifier compared to SFE alone. These findings provide valuable insights into optimizing SFE parameters for the efficient recovery of phenolic and flavonoid compounds from S. macrophylla seeds. Future research utilizing a Design of Experiments (DOE) approach will further deepen our understanding of the extraction process and its potential applications.