Molecular distillation of copaiba oleoresin—A clean process for diterpenes enrichment

Abstract

Copaiba oleoresin has sesquiterpenes and diterpenes with significant medicinal properties, including being antimicrobial, antiparasitic, and wound healing, among others. Thus, the objective of this work was to study the diterpene enrichment of the copaiba oleoresin from Copaifera officinalis via molecular distillation. Evaporator temperature (EVT) and feed flow rate (Q) were evaluated using an experimental design (2 2 with central point) considering the ratio of distillate and residue streams (DTR) as the response to optimize the residue recovery. EVT and Q were the main effects for diterpenes recovery, with the best experimental condition at 100 C (EVT) and 15 ml/min (Q) under 0.001 mbar, of which the residue stream had a diterpenes content of 99.25%. With the molecular distillation process, it was possible to add value to the copaiba streams, separating and purifying diterpenes with applicability in the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries since no solvent is used in this process (clean).