Brazilian coffee turns sunscreen
Passion national and international coffee that wakes up a lot of people could be consumed by the beach.
But with one difference: as sunscreen. Search the Agronomic Institute (IAC), Campinas, demonstrated the potential of a substance extracted from oil grain of coffee, kahweol, capable of blocking ultraviolet rays. The substance use is not restricted to application on the skin and can be used in any type of equipment that needs protection account the solar radiation, such as sheets of asphalt roads. The result is unprecedented and it already has the patent application.
The oil extracted from coffee contains many substances classified as unsaponifiable and saponifiable, that is, whether or not to become soap chemist. The kahweol is a substance found in the unsaponifiable matter. “The oil of coffee is a jumble of things. The potential for the discovery of new uses is in research, “says IAC researcher, Nilson Borlina Maia.
The survey of the coffee oil began informally in 2003 at the Institute, but it was not until 2010 that the student’s Graduate IAC in Tropical and Subtropical Agriculture, such Alerian Lucon Wagemaker, defended master’s thesis proving the potential of kahweol. The Graduate was guided by the researcher and director of the Center Café, Oliveiro Guerreiro Filho, and researcher Cassia Regina Carvalho Limonta, Center for Plant Genetic Resources of the IAC.
The objective of this research is to find alternative uses for existing materials. This potential is in coffee, studied in the breeding program of the IAC. “Do not improve the genetics of coffee to discover the potential of oil, we look to the material that has been improved new possibilities,” said Maia, a researcher at the IAC, the Agency Paulo Agribusiness Technology, the Department of Agriculture and Food Supply of the State of Sao Paulo.
The work was made possible through a partnership between the IAC, the Foundation for Research Support of São Paulo (FAPESP) and Linax, the company that operates within the IAC with funds from FAPESP also via Project Small Companies (PIPE-FAPESP ). The Linax works in partnership with the IAC to develop sustainable technology packages in the business of distilling essential oils.
According to Maia, the use of kahweol protect against ultraviolet rays is just one of the research developed by the IAC in this area. “The potential of coffee is far from being exhausted. Through research, you can always find a new use, never seen before, “he explains. The researchers also studied, in partnership with Unicamp, the effect of oil from Brazil’s most famous drink in the healing of skin ulcers, or sores. “We always seek innovative uses for materials that already exist,” he adds.
The research with kahweol is already completed, but depends on partnerships to reach the consumer market. With this focus, the IAC will present this and many other technological packages during the third edition of the Business Innovation in technology between companies, research centers and Universities, the Inovatec it happens 07 to 09 November 2011, in Sao Paulo .
The Inovatec always been focused on the implementation of new contacts between companies and research institutes of technology. There will be four areas of knowledge available for the registration of designs, patents, services, technology, and expertise in research laboratories and equipment available for rental or service delivery.