Macaúba’s world scenario: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Macaúba is a tropical palm native in South and Central America, and its fruits present a high-quality oil for biodiesel production. Notwithstanding, macaúba's wastes and by-products are not usually repurposed as energy sources. This study shows a bibliometric analysis to assess macaúba's current applications and to investigate other energy recovery routes for its by-products. All the investigations focused on information about the main research fields related to macaúba. The study showed that only 397 articles and reviews were published from 1900 until 2021, and Brazil is the leading publisher. Although oleic and protein macaúba's by-products are applied as animal feed, some conversion routes related to the lignocellulosic contents, present in non-edible parts, were identified thermal conversion, combustion, gasification, pyrolysis, biochemical conversion, fermentation, esterification, and anaerobic digestion. From the agricultural perspective, plant characterization, germination, embryogenesis, and seed development were also found. From the bibliometric study, the different potential applications of macaúba for energy, pharmaceutical, and food purposes were listed to support the identification of a knowledge gap on its by-products revaluation.