The Passifloraceae family is extensively used in native Brazilian folk medicine to treat a wide variety of diseases. The problem of flavonoid extraction from Passiflora was treated by application of design of experiments (DOE), as an experiment with mixture including one categorical process variable. The components of the binary mixture were: ethanol (component A) and water (component B); the categorical process variable: extraction method (factor C) was varied at two levels: (+1) maceration and (-1) percolation. ANOVA suggested a cubic model for P. edulis extraction and a quadratic model for P. alata.These results indicate that the proportion of components A and B in the mixture is the main factor involved in significantly increasing flavonoid extraction. In regard to the extraction methods, no important differences were observed, which indicates that these two traditional extraction methods could be effectively used to extract flavonoids from both medicinal plants. The evaluation of antioxidant activity of the extract by ORAC method showed that P. edulis displays twice as much antioxidant activity as P. alata. Considering that maceration is a simple, rapid and environmentally friendly extraction method, in this study, the optimized conditions for flavonoid extraction from these Passiflora species is maceration with 75% ethanol for P. edulis and 50% ethanol for P. alata.

Foi avaliada a influência dos fatores (1) tempo: 10 e 40 minutos; (2) tamanho de partícula: 840 e 420 mm; (3) hidromódulo: 1:50 e 1:100 e (4) temperatura: 40 e 60 °C na extração do 4-nerolidilcatecol, (4-NC) mediante planejamento fatorial "2(4)" em que quatro variáveis foram estudadas em dois níveis (máximo e mínimo). O método de extração foi maceração e a quantificação do 4-nerolidilcatecol foi realizada por cromatografia liquida de alta eficiência (CLAE) com detetor eletroquímico. Os resultados da análise fatorial indicam que o fator principal que favorece a extração do princípio ativo é o tamanho de partícula [efeito (2): 12,2086]. Diminuindo o tamanho de partícula aumenta três vezes a quantidade de 4-nerolidilcatecol extraída, enquanto o tempo de maceração [efeito (1): -0,64198], hidromódulo [efeito (3): 1,069804] e temperatura [efeito (4): -0,64198] não influenciam de forma significativa a extração. As interações de dois fatores: (2:3) tamanho:hidromódulo: 1,181142; (2:1) tamanho:tempo: 0,9435065 e (2:4) tamanho:temperatura: 0,0817575 mostraram que apesar do fator tamanho(2) ter favorecido o processo, quando combinado com os demais fatores, não aumenta a eficiência da extração. A metodologia de otimização mediante análise fatorial aplicada ao processo de extração do 4-nerolidilcatecol demonstra a importância do estudo das interações e não de cada fator isolado.

The influence of factors: (1) time, 10 and 40 minutes, (2) particle size, 840 and 420 mm; (3) hydromodule, 1:50 and 1:100, and (4) temperature, 40 and 60 °C, in the extraction of 4-nerolidylcathecol (4-NC) from the roots of P. umbellata using factorial design "2(4)" was studied in two levels (maximal and minimal). The extraction method was maceration and the measurement of 4-NC was by HPLC with electrochemical detection. The results of the factorial analysis indicated that the main factor that increases the extraction of the active principle is particle size [effect (2): 12.2086]. The reduction of the particle size (mesh 60) increases threefold the amount of 4-nerolidylchatecol in the extract, while the time of maceration [effect (1): -0.64198], hydromodule [effect (3): 1.069804] and temperature [effect (4): -0.64198] practically do not influence the extraction. Interaction between two factors (2:3) size-hydromodule 1.181142, (2:1) size-time 0.9435065 and (2:4) size-temperature 0.0817575, showed that although the main factor size (2) increases the efficiency of the process, when one of the other three factors was taken together the amount of 4-NC extracted was not significantly increased. The technique of optimization using factorial analysis to investigate the extraction of 4-nerolylilchatecol showed to be useful to notice the interactions between factors and not only the effect of each isolated factor.