Fractionation of sesquiterpenes and diterpenic acids from copaiba (Copaifera officinalis) oleoresin using supercritical adsorption

摘要: Copaifera officinalis (known as ‘copaiba’) has shown potential application in food and pharmaceutical industries, where biological activities of terpenes are highlighted in the literature. However, clean technologies to fractionate these value-added compounds are still unexplored in literature. This work aimed to separate terpenes from copaiba oleoresin with supercritical CO2 adsorption (SFA), using three adsorbents (zeolite 13X, aluminum oxide, and silicon oxide) at pressures of 9–29 MPa and temperature of 50 ºC. At 9 MPa, zeolite 13X retained β-caryophyllene, achieving concentration factors (CFβ-C) below 0.48, despite good purification efficacy, with the purification factor (PFβ-C) = 1.25. Aluminum and silicon oxides were selective to β-caryophyllene, achieving CFβ-C > 1. Therefore, a two-step adsorption-desorption process could obtain highly concentrated β-caryophyllene fractions. Copalic acid remained …