Evaluación de la destilación de Thymus vulgaris para el aprovechamiento del hidrolato como bioinsumo agrícola

Abstract

CONDITION FOR PROJECT PUBLICATION. The increasing demand for synthetic pesticides and the need for sustainable alternatives have driven the study of thyme hydrosol, considered a by-product of the distillation process, due to its content of bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antifungal properties. This study aims to improve the quality of thyme hydrosol through the optimization of steam distillation and the evaluation of its economic feasibility at an industrial scale. For this purpose, a response surface methodology was applied, considering distillation time and the plant material-to-water ratio as independent variables, and hydrosol yield and antioxidant activity determined by the ABTS method as response variables, optimized using the desirability function. The results indicated optimal operating conditions of 0,732 h distillation time and a plant material-to-water ratio of 1:5,9 (w/v), under which an antioxidant activity of 4,95 mmol TE/L of hydrosol was achieved. Industrial-scale projection, simulated in Aspen Plus and economically evaluated using CAPCOST 2017, demonstrated the feasibility of the process, with a net present value index of 6,62, a payback period of 1,31 years, and an internal rate of return of 76,00 %. It is concluded that the studied variables are significant and that thyme hydrosol shows high potential as a sustainable agricultural bioinput at the commercial level. Keywords: Thyme, Response Surface Methodology (RSM), ABTS, economic feasibility.