Explorando o Potencial Funcional de Óleos Vegetais

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.930112518031

• Palavras-chave: Óleos vegetais; Ácidos graxos poli-insaturados; Atividade antioxidante; Atividade antibacteriana; Staphylococcus aureus.

• Keywords: Vegetable oils; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Antioxidant activity; Antibacterial activity; Staphylococcus aureus.

• Abstract: The use of vegetable oils as sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids has gained increasing relevance in research due to their beneficial properties for human health. This work investigates the chemical profile and antioxidant and antibacterial activities of vegetable oils with high concentrations of fatty acids, such as oleic, linoleic and linolenic, present in soybean, sunflower, linseed and olive oils. The characterization of these oils was performed by means of chromatography, evidencing variations in the proportions of fatty acids in different plant species. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH and FRAP methods, while the antibacterial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus strains. The results show that vegetable oils have high antioxidant potential, especially those rich in linolenic acid, and have significant action against pathogenic bacteria. In addition, the bioavailability and challenges related to the use of these compounds in high concentrations, due to the risk of toxic effects, are discussed. It is concluded that these oils are promising for the development of nutraceutical products with applications in the prevention of chronic and infectious diseases.