Abstract/Summary

Studying the phytochemical composition and bioactive potential of underexploited species is of great importance for promoting their valorization and for broadening the range of sources of bioactive compounds in the human diet. In this study, we used a simplex centroid mixture design to determine an optimal extraction solvent composition (using mixtures of water, acetone, and ethanol) for maximizing the extraction of phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity of bacaba juice (Oenocarpus bacaba). The compounds were identified and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Taxifolin, orientin, and isoorientin were identified and quantified in bacaba juice for the first time. It was possible to evidence the high potentiality of the bacaba regarding the contents of syringic, vanillic, ferulic, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acids, and orientin, which have significantly contributed to the antioxidant capacity of the extracts. Thus, this study indicates that bacaba juice can provide antioxidant compounds. Moreover, the determined extraction conditions can be applied for obtaining extracts rich in potential bioactive properties for food and pharmaceutical applications.