Extraction with supercritical CO2 of freeze-dried camu-camu pulp (Myrciaria dubia): evaluation of the kinetics, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of the extract

Abstract Supercritical fluid extraction was applied to obtain extracts from freeze-dried camu-camu pulp. The supercritical extraction was conducted using supercritical CO 2 at different pressures (200–300 bar) and temperatures (35–45 °C). A simplified equilibrium mathematical model provided a better empirical fit to the experimental kinetic extraction curves, with an average coefficient of determination of 0.999. The extracts obtained at 45 °C and 300 bar exhibited the highest extraction yield (4.4%) and were characterized for antioxidant capacity and antidiabetic activity. The DPPH and ABTS values were 1497 and 1004 µmol g -1 , respectively. These values were comparable to or higher than some literature values reported for camu-camu pulp and other tropical fruit matrices. However, direct comparisons are limited by differences in extraction and assay conditions. The extract also showed α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Overall, the results indicate that supercritical CO 2 extraction of freeze-dried camu-camu pulp is a promising approach for obtaining extracts with antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. At the same time, further studies are required to assess chemical composition, process scale-up, and economic feasibility.