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Extraction Methods of Active Compounds from Plants

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Products Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 4513

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Centre for Biotechnology, Siksha O Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar 751003, India
Interests: medicinal and aromatic plants; bioprospecting; genetic diversity; bioactive compounds; tissue culture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to announce a new Special Issue entitled “Extraction Methods of Active Compounds from Plants”.

Plants are a rich source of various bioactive compounds (polyphenols, pigments, phytosterols, terpenoids, carotenoids, vitamins, and fatty acids), possessing a wide range of health-promoting effects, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiproliferative, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory properties, among others. With consumers’ increasing awareness of health, there is a growing demand for the use of raw herbal materials in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. As a result, research is needed addressing the development of sustainable extraction and recovery processes for obtaining biologically active compounds from plants with good retention of their biological properties. A suitable isolation/extraction method is needed to efficiently isolate plant bioactive constituents. 

Recently, novel and nonconventional extraction methods with improved extraction yield and efficiency have been developed using ultrasound, microwave, high-pressure, supercritical fluids, alternative solvents, and pulsed-electric-field methods. Therefore, considering the considerable interest in this field, this Special Issue will cover the latest knowledge on the development of novel extraction technology with improved extraction yield and selectivity, analytical characterization, and bioactivity studies of active compounds and green extraction processes with pilot-scale production of bioactive compounds for industrial application.

Dr. Sanghamitra Nayak
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • bioactive compounds
  • biological activity
  • green extraction techniques
  • alternative solvents
  • kinetic modeling

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1853 KiB  
Article
Optimized Conditions for the Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Aeginetia indica L. and Its Potential Biological Applications
by Nattira On-Nom, Sirinapa Thangsiri, Woorawee Inthachat, Piya Temviriyanukul, Yuraporn Sahasakul, Amornrat Aursalung, Chaowanee Chupeerach and Uthaiwan Suttisansanee
Molecules 2024, 29(5), 1050; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29051050 - 28 Feb 2024
Viewed by 671
Abstract
Aeginetia indica L., a parasitic root in the Orobanchaceae family, is used as a food colorant in traditional Thai desserts. However, scant information is available on its food applications as well as medicinal properties, while overharvesting by the local people has severely depleted [...] Read more.
Aeginetia indica L., a parasitic root in the Orobanchaceae family, is used as a food colorant in traditional Thai desserts. However, scant information is available on its food applications as well as medicinal properties, while overharvesting by the local people has severely depleted wild plant populations. This research, thus, aimed to extract optimized total phenolic content (TPC) in varying extraction conditions using response surface methodology (RSM) and the Box–Behnken design (BBD). Results indicated that an extraction temperature of 90 °C, 80% (v/v) aqueous ethanol, and 0.5% (w/v) solid-to-liquid ratio yielded the highest TPC at 129.39 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dry weight (DW). Liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) identified the predominant phenolics as apigenin (109.06 mg/100 g extract) and luteolin (35.32 mg/100 g extract) with trace amounts of naringenin and rutin. Under the optimal extraction condition, the plant extract exhibited antioxidant activities of 5620.58 and 641.52 µmol Trolox equivalent (TE)/g DW determined by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, while the scavenging capacity of total radicals at 50% (SC50) was determined to be 135.50 µg/mL using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. The plant extract also exhibited inhibitory activities against the key enzymes relevant to type II diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting the potential for medicinal applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction Methods of Active Compounds from Plants)
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15 pages, 2352 KiB  
Article
Integrated Supercritical Fluid Extraction and Pre-Formulation Process of Punica granatum L. Pericarp Polar Compounds
by Sirine Atwi-Ghaddar, Emilie Destandau and Eric Lesellier
Molecules 2023, 28(24), 8110; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28248110 - 15 Dec 2023
Viewed by 733
Abstract
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a widely used fruit in the dietary supplement industry due to its richness in bioactive compounds. In this study, an experimental design was applied to optimize supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of polar compounds of interest (ellagic acid [...] Read more.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a widely used fruit in the dietary supplement industry due to its richness in bioactive compounds. In this study, an experimental design was applied to optimize supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of polar compounds of interest (ellagic acid and punicalagins), known for antioxidant and skin care properties from pomegranate’s pericarp. The effects of temperature, modifier percentage, and water additive percentage added in the modifier were explored through a Box–Behnken design, followed by a study of the extraction kinetics. The results indicated that 40 °C, 20% EtOH:H2O 80:20 v:v, with an extraction duration of 60 min allowed for the highest recovery of the above-mentioned molecules (19.59 mg/g). Due to solubilization issues encountered by the extract, a screening of cosmetic solvents was carried out to solubilize SFE pomegranate extracts and a composition of Gly:H2O 80:20 v:v was selected. Furthermore, an integrated SFE pre-formulation process of pomegranate pericarp extract (PPE) was elaborated. This allowed for the recovery of the extracts in cosmetic solvent, avoiding a full evaporation. Finally, the stability of the pre-formulated extracts was evaluated and showed high stability for over 3 months at 5 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction Methods of Active Compounds from Plants)
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14 pages, 2031 KiB  
Article
Effect of Extraction Methods on the Antioxidant Potential and Cytotoxicity of the Combined Ethanolic Extracts of Daucus carota L., Beta vulgaris L., Phyllanthus emblica L. and Lycopersicon esculentum against Gastric Adenocarcinoma Cells
by Mahima Chauhan, Vandana Garg, Ghazala Zia, Rohit Dutt, Badrah S. Alghamdi, Ayat Zawawi, Ghulam Md. Ashraf and Aisha Farhana
Molecules 2023, 28(18), 6589; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28186589 - 13 Sep 2023
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Abstract
Frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables in the daily diet may alleviate the risk of developing chronic diseases. Daucus carota L. (carrot), Beta vulgaris L. (beetroot) Phyllanthus emblica L. (amla), and Lycopersicon esculentum M (tomatoes) are traditionally consumed functional foods that contain a [...] Read more.
Frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables in the daily diet may alleviate the risk of developing chronic diseases. Daucus carota L. (carrot), Beta vulgaris L. (beetroot) Phyllanthus emblica L. (amla), and Lycopersicon esculentum M (tomatoes) are traditionally consumed functional foods that contain a high concentration of antioxidants, ascorbic acid, polyphenols, and numerous phytochemicals. This study assessed how three distinct preparation methods affect the phenolic, flavonoid, carotenoid, and ascorbic acid contents, antioxidant level, and cytotoxicity of the combined fruit extract. The fruit samples were taken in the ratio of carrot (6): beetroot (2): tomato (1.5): amla (0.5) and processed into a lyophilized slurry (LS) extract, lyophilized juice (LJ) extract, and hot-air oven-dried (HAO) extract samples. The sample extracts were assessed for their phytoconstituent concentrations and antioxidant and cytotoxic potential. The total phenolic content in LS, LJ, and HAO extracts was 171.20 ± 0.02, 120.73 ± 0.02, and 72.05 ± 0.01 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g, respectively and the total flavonoid content was 23.635 ± 0.003, 20.754 ± 0.005, and 18.635 ± 0.005 mg quercetin equivalent/100 g, respectively. Similarly, total ascorbic acid content, carotenoids, and antioxidant potential were higher in the LS and LJ extracts than in HAO. Overall, the LS extract had a substantially higher concentration of phytochemicals and antioxidants, as well as higher cytotoxic potential, compared to the LJ and HAO extracts. The LS extract was tested in the MKN-45 human gastric cancer cell line to demonstrate its effective antioxidant potential and cytotoxicity. Hence, lyophilization (freezing) based techniques are more effective than heat-based techniques in preserving the phytoconstituents and their antioxidant and cytotoxic potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction Methods of Active Compounds from Plants)
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24 pages, 5130 KiB  
Article
Variation in Yield, Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Essential Oil of Three Curcuma Species: A Comparative Evaluation of Hydrodistillation and Solvent-Free Microwave Extraction Methods
by Swagat Mohanty, Asit Ray, Pradeep Kumar Naik, Ambika Sahoo, Sudipta Jena, Prabhat Kumar Das, Jeetendranath Patnaik, Pratap Chandra Panda and Sanghamitra Nayak
Molecules 2023, 28(11), 4434; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28114434 - 30 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1593
Abstract
The essential oils of three medicinally important Curcuma species (Curcuma alismatifolia, Curcuma aromatica and Curcuma xanthorrhiza) were extracted using conventional hydro-distillation (HD) and solvent free microwave extraction (SFME) methods. The volatile compounds from the rhizome essential oils were subsequently analysed [...] Read more.
The essential oils of three medicinally important Curcuma species (Curcuma alismatifolia, Curcuma aromatica and Curcuma xanthorrhiza) were extracted using conventional hydro-distillation (HD) and solvent free microwave extraction (SFME) methods. The volatile compounds from the rhizome essential oils were subsequently analysed by GC–MS. The isolation of essential oils of each species was carried out following the six principles of green extraction and comparison was made between their chemical composition, antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase and anticancer activities. SFME was found to be more efficient than HD in terms of energy savings, extraction time, oil yield, water consumption and waste production. Though the major compounds of essential oils of both the species were qualitatively similar, there was a significant difference in terms of quantity. The essential oils extracted through HD and SFME methods were dominated by hydrocarbon and oxygenated compounds, respectively. The essential oils of all Curcuma species exhibited strong antioxidant activity, where SFME was significantly better than HD with lower IC50 values. The anti-tyrosinase and anticancer properties of SFME-extracted oils were relatively better than that of HD. Further, among the three Curcuma species, C. alismatifolia essential oil showed the highest rates of inhibition in DPPH and ABTS assay, significantly reduced the tyrosinase activity and exhibited significant selective cytotoxicity against MCF7 and PC3 cells. The current results suggested that the SFME method, being advanced, green and fast, could be a better alternative for production of essential oils with better antioxidant, anti-tyrosinase and anticancer activities for application in food, health and cosmetic industries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction Methods of Active Compounds from Plants)
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