Vânia Maria Borges Cunha

By Wanessa Almeida da Costa, Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira, Marcilene Paiva da Silva, Vânia Maria Borges Cunha, Rafael Henrique Holanda Pinto, Fernanda Wariss Figueiredo Bezerra and Raul Nunes de Carvalho Junior

This chapter reviews two oleaginous fruits that are widely consumed by people in the Amazon region: Bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba) and Açaí (Euterpe oleracea). Besides their food and the folk medicinal uses, studies suggest that substances present in both berries have antioxidative effects, antimicrobial, and therapeutic properties such as hypocholesterolemic and neuroprotection effects. These therapeutic effects are related to phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and fatty acids, which can prevent serious problems such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, and depression. The use of supercritical fluid technology is described as a technique to obtain the best extracts of bacaba and açaí, as well as their valuable constituents. Indubitably, this technology is a great tool for human health and all with the advantage of presenting nontoxic solvents such as carbon dioxide or water. Açaí and bacaba fruits represent not only food but also a source of compounds that can work in both prevention and treatment of diseases.

Part of the book: Superfood and Functional Food

By Vânia Maria Borges Cunha, Marcilene Paiva da Silva, Wanessa Almeida da Costa, Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira, Fernanda Wariss Figueiredo Bezerra, Anselmo Castro de Melo, Rafael Henrique Holanda Pinto, Nelio Teixeira Machado, Marilena Emmi Araujo and Raul Nunes de Carvalho Junior

This chapter describes the use of carbon dioxide at high pressures as an alternative for the extraction of bioactive compounds in a more sustainable way, addressing some of its physicochemical properties, such as pressure, temperature, density, solvation, selectivity, and its interaction with the solute when modified by other solvents such as ethanol and water. This extraction process is considered chemically “green,” when compared to conventional extraction processes using toxic organic solvents.

Part of the book: Carbon Dioxide Chemistry, Capture and Oil Recovery

By Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira, Marcos Martins Almeida, Marielba de Los Angeles Rodriguez Salazar, Flávia Cristina Seabra Pires, Fernanda Wariss Figueiredo Bezerra, Vânia Maria Borges Cunha, Renato Macedo Cordeiro, Glides Rafael Olivo Urbina, Marcilene Paiva da Silva, Ana Paula Souza e Silva, Rafael Henrique Holanda Pinto and Raul Nunes de Carvalho Junior

The use of medicinal plants rich in essential oils can represent a viable source for the control of some diseases, being able to constitute a possible therapeutic alternative due to its effectiveness. Essential oils are natural volatile fractions extracted from aromatic plants and formed by classes of substances such as esters of fatty acids, mono and sesquiterpenes, phenylpropanoids, aldehyde alcohols and, in some cases, aliphatic hydrocarbons, among others. Essential oils have been used by mankind for medicinal purposes for several centuries, with reports coming from Ancient Egypt. In this sense, the present work aims to approach the biological activities of essential oils such as antioxidant, anticancer, antiprotozoal, antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities of different plant matrices rich in essential oils.

Part of the book: Potential of Essential Oils

By Marielba de los Angeles Rodriguez Salazar, Glides Rafael Olivo Urbina, Priscila do Nascimento Bezerra, Vânia Maria Borges Cunha, Marcilene Paiva da Silva, Flávia Cristina Seabra Pires, Ana Paula de Souza e Silva, Sérgio Henrique Brabo de Sousa and Raul Nunes de Carvalho Jr

This chapter will describe the antioxidant and biological activity of Cissus sicyoides and Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extracts, which represent an important natural source of antioxidants. These plants contain several bioactive compounds with high antioxidant activity, such as phenolic compounds, which are compounds that prevent or delay oxidative stress, acting as free radical scavengers (FRSs), and thus reduce the onset of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, stroke, among other diseases. The supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) has been studied to obtain antioxidant compounds from natural sources, without the drawbacks associated with conventional extraction processes, such as the use of organic solvents, which present toxicity and contaminate the extracts, is proposed.

Part of the book: Antioxidants