Abstract
APPLICATION OF MICROWAVE-ASSISTED EXTRACTION TO THE FAST EXTRACTION OF PLANT PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS IN LAFOENSIA PACARI A. ST-HIL

Lafoensia pacari A. ST-Hil stands out for its therapeutic properties, used as a diaphoretic, healing, antiinflammatory and analgesic. Among its major active constituents phenolic compounds. Given the need for use of pacari constituents, it becomes important to study suitable extraction methods. The extraction assisted by microwave irradiation may be considered a method with high efficiency in extraction of bioactive compounds, having advantages such as lower consumption of reagents and shorter time of extraction. This study aimed to develop an extractive method using as a source of heat radiation in the frequency of microwave. The extraction procedure was conducted by conventional extraction analysis in conjunction with extraction analysis by microwave irradiation with a view to the dosing of phenols, tannins. The contents of total phenols, total tannins and flavonoids extracted using conventional extraction were 11.91%, 7.12% and 5.11%, respectively and the extraction by microwave irradiation comprising the track 10.10 to 14.81%, 7.05 to 9.33%, and 3.90 to 6.96%, respectively. Quantitative analysis of phenols, tannins and flavonoids present in pacari shells extracted by microwave irradiation is equivalent to the conventional method as measured by spectrophotometry in the ultraviolet and visible region. However, it took less time for extraction, reduced sample volume and lower energy consumption