Green processes to obtain natural extracts for food, cosmetics and pharmacy - Composition analysis

Brazil contains a large part of the world's biodiversity (around 15 to 20%) and medicinal plants fall into this percentage. In addition to the fact that the country is an important food producer, in this way, cultivated plants or those naturally present in Brazilian flora is responsible for the production of raw materials for the development of foods, cosmetics, medicinal plants and other medicines.

This biodiversity, combined with the rich ethnic and cultural diversity, holds the traditional knowledge associated with the use of these plants. This is why the High Pressure Technology and Natural Products  Laboratory (LTAPPN) of the University of São Paulo is developing research aimed at developing green technologies, optimizing processes and increasing the scale of extract production rich in active compounds and free from toxic residues of organic solvent origin.

Although the rich biodiversity and traditional knowledge are a necessary potential to develop research with technologies, the study of the composition of these extracts is fundamental for their applications.