ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF CHELIDONIUM MAJUS EXTRACTS OBTAINED BY SC-CO2

GAÑAN, NICOLAS ALBERTO; BOMBALDI, FERNANDA; ALEXANDRE, AGOSTINHO; DIAS, ANA M. A.; SEABRA, INES; ZYGADLO, JULIO ALBERTO; BRIGNOLE, ESTEBAN ALBERTO; BRAGA, MARA E. M.; SOUSA, HERMINIO C.

San Francisco, CA

Congreso; 10th International Symposium on Supercritical Fluids (ISSF 2012); 2012

University of Arkansas - Virginia Commonwealth University

Chelidonium majus extracts contain a great number of isoquinoline alkaloids which are responsible for their well known anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. In this work, different extracts from the aerial parts of this plant were obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extraction (SFE) using a semi-continuous extraction system. Extraction kinetics and global yields were studied varying scCO2 density from 325 up to 929 kg/m3 at an averaged CO2 flow rate of 4.5×10-5 m3/s. SFE extracts were compared with hydrodistillation (HD) and Soxhlet (SoE) extracts. Extraction kinetic parameters were fitted according to a 3-period model in order to discuss the effect of the operation conditions on the efficiency of the process. The composition of the extracts was qualitatively characterized by gas chromatography and their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were determined based on the coupled oxidation of beta-carotene/linolenic acid system and inhibitory effect on lipoxygenase, respectively. The results showed that SFE extraction yields were between 0.61 and 0.88% (on a dry basis, d.b.) being the highest value achieved at higher pressures and temperatures. Extracts obtained at these conditions also present higher lipoxygenase inhibitions indicating that they favor the extraction of compounds with higher anti-inflammatory activities.