Disolventes eutécticos profundos en la extracción de compuestos fenólicos en fruto entero de <i>Brosimum alicastrum</i>

Deep eutectic solvents (DES) have been applied instead of organic solvents (such as methanol) in green phenolic compound (PC) extraction processes. The objective of the study was to determine a PC extraction process with high antioxidant capacity from whole fruit of B. alicastrum, using ultrasound-assisted DES. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of PC from the freeze-dried fruit was performed using 10 DES and an organic solvent, 50% aqueous methanol (50% Met-OH). After determining a DES with the highest content of total phenolic compounds (TPC) and antioxidant capacity, a single-factor experimental design was applied to establish the extraction conditions (water content of DES, temperature and UAE time) of PC. Finally, the UAE of PC was carried out considering the best extraction conditions with DES and it was compared with 50% Met-OH with respect to the chromatographic profile of PC and the morphology by scanning electron microscopy. The DES betaine-glycerol showed a higher TPC content (2 200 mg equivalent to gallic acid 100 g-1) and antioxidant capacity (1 996.94 mg equivalent to ascorbic acid 100 g-1) compared to 50% Met-OH. The highest TPC content was obtained with 20% water in DES at 40 °C and 30 min UAE. The DES betaine-glycerol and 50% Met-OH obtained the highest content of naringin and vanillic acid, respectively. The betaine-glycerol system is proposed as a green solvent for the UAE of PC from the whole fruit of B. alicastrum.