Extraction of pilocarpine and epiisopiloturine from jaborandi (pilocarpus microphyllus) using processes involving supercritical solvents / Extração de pilocarpina e episopiloturina de jaborandi utilizando processos envolvendo solventes supercriticos

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

Pilocarpine is an alkaloid found only in jaborandi leaves (Pilocarpus microphyllus), a native tree of Brazil, and is widely used in the treatment of glaucoma and xerostomia (dry mouth). Epiisopiloturine, another alkaloid also found in jaborandi has a similar biological activity, acting by different mechanisms. This research evaluated the applicability of the technology that uses supercritical fluid (SCF) in the recovery of these two active compounds from jaborandi leaves and from an industrial pastelike residue produced during extraction of pilocarpine with organic solvents. The SCF extractions runs used pure CO2 and CO2 + 10% (m/m) ethanol at pressures of 200 and 300 bar and temperatures of 40, 50 and 60ºC. In an additional study, a silica gel adsorption stage was coupled to the system in an attempt to purify the extracts. Results using pure CO2 indicate that increases in pressure increase the extraction capacity in all situations studied, more intensively the pilocarpine extraction from the leaves and epiisopiloturine from the paste. Higher temperatures improved the extraction rates, except for pilocarpine extractions from the leaves, at 200 bar, when a reverse trend was found, signalizing the proximity of a crossing pressure. Pure CO2 showed poor effectiveness in extracting pilocarpine from the leaves. At the conditions evaluated, the highest recovery found for pilocarpine was at 60°C and 300 bar (14.5% from the leaves; 64.5% from the paste). The addition of a co-solvent (10% ethanol) boosted the pilocarpine recovery level, and was even more effective in the recovery of epiisopiloturine. The pure CO2 leaves extracts were contaminated with chlorophyll, a condition aggravated when CO2 with ethanol was used. Silica showed higher affinity for chlorophyll than for the alkaloids. In the extraction/adsorption coupled process, all chlorophyll was adsorbed on silica, displacing the pilocarpine and epiisopiloturine molecules, and suggesting a suitable alternative for the production of high quality extracts. The extraction/adsorption runs using the paste indicated that silica was unable to separate pilocarpine from epiisopiloturine

ASSUNTO(S)

alcaloides supercritical fluid extraction adsorção jaborandi pilocarpina adsorption extração com fluido supercritico pilocarpine

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