The goals of this study were to determine the phytochemical profile of Jodina rhombifolia and to evaluate the ability of supercritical fluids (ScFCO2) to selectively extract the metabolites responsible for the bioactivity. This species has simple aromatic compounds and lignan monomers, as well as glycerides containing epoxidized saturated fatty acids. Regarding the extraction by ScFCO2, the extracts showed a higher antimicrobial activity against human pathogenic strains, with respect to the ethanolic extracts obtained from plant residues after extraction by ScFCO2. Furthermore, the bioactive compounds were concentrated in just 1% P/P of the weight of the dry plant material. Extraction by ScFCO2 was carried out under different conditions of pressure and temperature, with the best results being obtained at 30 °C and 30 MPa. The results obtained demonstrate the advantages of ScFCO2 extractions over classical solvent extractions, in terms of improved safety and the ability to selectively extract the compounds of interest.
Keywords: Jodina rhombifolia; Staphylococcus aureus; antimicrobial activity; supercritical fluid extraction.