Biological Activity and Oxidation Kinetics of Ungurahua Oil (Oenocarpus bataua var. bataua) Obtained by Subcritical Extraction

Ungurahua fruits (Oenocarpus bataua var. bataua) come from a palm tree native to the Amazon rainforest. While this fruit has a chemical profile high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and low in saturated fatty acids (SFAs), few studies have reported on ungurahua oils (UOs). To address this gap in our knowledge, a chemical analysis of ungurahua fruits and oils was performed. UOs were extracted by Soxhlet with hexane (SXH) and subcritical propane + butane (SBE). UOs were then evaluated for their antioxidant activity, total carotenoids, and UV extinction coefficients K232 and K270. The fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) profile was obtained from GC-FID. An analysis of oxidative stability was also performed. UOs obtained with SXH presented high antioxidant activity and carotenoids when compared to UOs obtained with SBE. SBE oil, however, presented lower K232 and K270 values. GC-FID analysis indicated that UOs obtained via both SXH and SBE possessed a FAME profile rich in MUFAs—predominantly oleic acid—coupled with low SFA contents. The kinetics of lipidic oxidation for UOs obtained with both techniques were also nearly identical. Based on these results, UOs obtained with SBE may be considered as a natural source of MUFAs and low levels of PUFAs.