Chemical and economic evaluation of natural antioxidant extracts obtained by ultrasound-assisted and agitated bed extraction from jussara pulp (Euterpe edulis)

This work aimed to evaluate the influence of ultrasonic and agitated bed extractions on the chemical composition and manufacturing costs of extracts obtained from jussara (Euterpe edulis) pulp. The effects of extraction time (5–180 min), temperature (25–55 °C), ethanol concentration (0–90% in acidified water) and solvent/pulp ratio (5–30 mL/g) on the extraction yield, phenolic content, anthocyanin content, antioxidant capacity and manufacturing costs were assessed. The yields provided by the ultrasound-assisted and agitated bed extractions were not significantly different. The anthocyanins and phenolic compound yields were significantly affected by the extraction time, the ethanol concentration in water and the solvent/feed ratio, but not by the temperature. In general, the antioxidant capacity of the extracts displayed tendencies similar to the anthocyanin and phenolic compound yields. The production of crude extracts obtained by ultrasound and agitated bed extraction incurred greater manufacturing costs compared to the market prices of assai extracts.