Aqueous two-phase system coupled with ultrasound for the extraction of lignans from seeds of Schisandra chinensis (turcz.) Baill

Extraction and separation of anthocyanins from Kushui rose by ethanol-(NH4)2SO4 aqueous two-phase system

Simultaneous extraction of anthocyanins and removal of sugars from Kushui rose was performed using an ethanol-ammonium sulphate aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). The effects of different parameters, such as type of salt, concentrations of salt and ethanol, temperature and pH on the partition coefficient and recovery of anthocyanins in the top system and sugars in the bottom system were studied. Furthermore, an experimental design of a three-level three-factor Box-Behnken design response surface methodology (RSM) was used to obtain optimal extraction conditions. The maximum partition coefficient (5.64) and recovery (78%) of anthocyanins in the top system within the investigated range were obtained at 22% (w/w) concentration of ammonium sulphate, 25% (w/w) concentration of ethanol, pH 5 and 33.5 °C. During the discussion of the main factors, the maximum recovery of sugars reached 70.09%. The HPLC profile of anthocyanins obtained from the ATPS top phase was similar to that of anthocyanins extracted by ethanol, which indicated that the ethanol-ammonium sulphate ATPS was suitable for the extraction of anthocyanins. On the basis of the anthocyanin stability experiment, anthocyanins extracted from Kushui rose should be stored at low pH and temperature.

Cardioprotective effects of Schisantherin A against isoproterenol-induced acute myocardial infarction through amelioration of oxidative stress and inflammation via modulation of PI3K-AKT/Nrf2/ARE and TLR4/MAPK/NF-κB pathways in rats

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The scientific community is concerned about cardiovascular disease mortality and morbidity, especially myocardial infarction (MI). Schisantherin A (SCA), a dibenzocyclooctadiene lignan monomer found in S. chinensis fruits has cardiovascular advantages such as increasing NO production in isolated rat thoracic aorta and reducing heart damage caused by ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) through decreasing apoptosis. The present study was undertaken to explore the potential effects of SCA on ISO-induced myocardial infarction in rats.

METHODS

Rats were randomly allocated to four groups: control; ISO-treated, and two additional groups of ISO + SCA (5 or 10 mg/kg body weight). All SCA-treated groups were administered with SCA for 20 days and all ISO groups were challenged with ISO on days 19 and 20.

RESULTS

SCA significantly attenuated ISO-induced rise in heart/body weight ratio, myocardial infarct size, and cardiac functional biomarkers (CK-MB, cTnI and BNP). SCA pre- and co-treatment resulted in a significant reduction in oxidative stress (via MDA, NO and GSH and increased activities of SOD, CAT and GPx) and inflammation (via decreased levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) markers when compared to the same levels in cardiac tissue of ISO-treated rats. This study also showed that SCA protects ISO-induced oxidative stress and inflammation by activating the PI3K-AKT/Nrf2/ARE pathway and suppressing TLR4/MAPK/NF-κB pathways. Furthermore, SCA treatment protected histopathological alterations observed in only ISO-treated cardiac transverse sections of rats.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the findings of this study suggest that SCA protects against cardiac injury in the ISO-induced MI model of rats.

Comparative bioreactor studies of different process enhancement methods in B. licheniformis for enzyme co-production

Conventional fermentation processes need to be upgraded to produce a wide array of biomolecules to overcome lower product yield. The cost of production of biomolecules using the fermentation method could be reduced by increasing the product yield by various process enhancement methods. In this study, different innovative process enhancement methods were evaluated to increase the co-production of uricase and alkaline protease at the bioreactor level. Ultrasound-assisted fermentation (UAF), Extractive fermentation (ATPS), and Ultrasound-assisted extractive fermentation (UATPS) are the three innovative methods used for process enhancement. Maximum enzyme production was obtained in a combinatorial approach of ultrasound and extractive fermentation, i.e., ultrasound-assisted extractive fermentation where uricase and protease production enhanced by 2.5 fold and 1.9 fold, respectively, as compared to conventional fermentation.

Research Progress on the Pharmacological Action of Schisantherin A

Schisantherin A (Sch A) is a dibenzocyclooctadiene lignan monomer isolated from the fruit of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (S. chinensis). At present, many studies have shown that Sch A has a wide range of pharmacological effects, including its anti-Parkinson and anti-inflammatory effects and ability to protect the liver, protect against ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, suppress osteoclast formation, and improve learning and memory. Its mechanism may be related to the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties of Sch A through the MAPK, NF-κB, AKT/GSK3β, and PI3K/AKT pathways. This is the first review of the recent studies on the pharmacological mechanism of Sch A.

Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion Coupled with HPLC-UV for Simultaneous Extraction, Purification and Determination of Six Lignans in Schisandra chinensis Fruits

An efficient method for simultaneous extraction, purification and determination of six lignans in Schisandra chinensis Baill was developed by employing matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) extraction followed by HPLC-UV determination analysis. Several sorbent and desorption solvent that affected the extraction yield of lignans were investigated; neutral alumina and absolute ethanol were selected as the best dispersing material and desorption agent, respectively. Other extraction conditions for MSPD were optimized as follows: 1:2 of S. chinensis raw material to neutral aluminum oxide mass ratio, 1:30 (g/mL) of sample to absolute ethanol, 2.5 h of desorption time and 50°C of desorption temperature. Under the above conditions, the total extraction yield for six lignans have reached (16.99 ± 0.33) x 103 mg/kg with a higher content of 6.88 ± 0.25% in the extracts. Comparative studies were explored by conducting other six extraction approaches including Soxhlet extraction, heat reflux extraction, smashing tissue extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, ultrasonic-assisted extraction and ultrasonic-microwave synergistic extraction. Results showed MSPD technique not only improved the extraction yield, but also improved the purity of lignans, it can be generalized to more extraction of natural compounds. In addition, the validated HPLC-UV method had been successfully applied to analysis of lignans from 10 real S. chinensis samples.

Ultrasound-assisted of alkali chloride separation using bulk ionic liquid membrane

An ultrasonic-assisted separation of alkali chloride (LiCl, NaCl, and KCl) salts have been carried out using of an hydrophobic ionic liquid membrane (ILM). The ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate and tributyl phosphate mixture have been used as ILM. An ultrasonic probe with different frequencies (25, 100, and 250) kHz have been applied as source of ultrasound generator with different times of sonication (2, 5, and 10) min in three phases system containing feed, ILM, and receiver in osmotic U-shaped tube. Also, 250, 500, and 1000 ppm of the feed (alkali chloride) concentration have been used to separate. The frequency of 250 kHz with higher sonication time provides optimum condition for separation of LiCl with lower feed concentration. The thermodynamic properties such as density and speed of sound and the related thermodynamic properties have been calculated to optimize ILM composition (x_IL = 0.45) for ultrasound-separation.

Research for improvement on the extract efficiency of lignans in traditional Chinese medicines by hybrid ionic liquids: As a case of Suhuang antitussive capsule

Recently, efficient extraction of natural products from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) by green solvents is deemed an essential area of green technology and attracts extensive attentions. In this work, a green protocol for simultaneous ultrasonic-extraction of the native compounds with different polarities of TCMs by using a hybrid ionic liquids (HILs)-water system was reported for the first time. As a case study, three superior ILs (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([EMIM][BF4]), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM][OAc]), and 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([AMIM]Cl)) were chosen as the compositions of the HILs system, and the TCMs Suhuang antitussive capsule (SH) containing different-polarity lignans was selected. Primarily, an ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) method in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode was established for qualitative and quantitative analysis of 18 lignans. After majorization by uniform design experiment, the HILs prepared with [AMIM]Cl, [EMIM][BF4], and [EMIM][OAc] at a volume ratio of 1:5:5 could simultaneously extract multi-polarity lignans compared to single IL. Subsequently, the conditions of ultrasonic extraction employing with HILs and traditional organic solvent were optimized by the response surface methodology, respectively. The results indicated that the extract efficiency of the HILs system for target compounds was significantly improved compared with the traditional organic solvent-extraction, i.e. the content of total lignans in ethanol system was up to 47 mg/g, while that in the HILs system was up to 69 mg/g, with an increasing of 47%. Additionally, ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR spectra were used to characterize the hydrogen-bond interactions in the HILs-lignan mixtures. Extraction with the HILs in TCMs is a new application schema of ILs, which not only avoids the use of volatile toxic organic solvents, but also shows the potential to be comprehensively applied for the extraction of bioactive compounds from TCMs.

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted aqueous two phase extraction of polyphenols from olive leaves

In this study, polyphenols from olive leaves was extracted by ultrasound-assisted aqueous two phase extraction (UAATPE). Based on single factor experiment and response surface methodology (RSM), the optimum extraction conditions of polyphenols contained 29% (w/w) (NH₄)₂SO₄, 35% (w/w) ethanol, pH 6.7, and 45 °C. The maximum extraction yield of polyphenols and oleuropein content were 34.06 mg/g and 44.13 mg/L, respectively. Compared with ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and aqueous two phase extraction (ATPE), the extraction yield of polyphenols by UAATPE was 9.48 and 61.19% higher, respectively. In addition, the extract of UAATPE had higher purity. The results of antioxidant activity showed that polyphenols extracted by UAATPE had stronger DPPH and hydroxyl radicals scavenging ability and reducing power. Therefore, UAATPE is an efficient method for extracting polyphenols from olive leaves.

Ultrasound-assisted aqueous two-phase extraction of synephrine, naringin, and neohesperidin from Citrus aurantium L. fruitlets

The ultrasound-assisted aqueous two-phase extraction (UA-ATPE) was first employed to develop an effective technique for simultaneous extraction and preliminary purification of synephrine, naringin, and neohesperidin from Citrus aurantium L. fruitlets. Five types of ethanol/salts of aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) were investigated and then the extraction conditions were further optimized using single-factor experiments and response surface methodology (RSM) via Box-Behnken Design (BBD). The optimum process parameters were concluded as follows: 20.60% (w/w) K₂CO₃, 27% (w/w) ethanol, solvent-to-material ratio of 45.17:1 (g:g), 120-mesh particle size of fruitlets powder, extraction temperature of 50 °C, extraction time of 30 min, and ultrasonic power of 80 W. Under these conditions, the extraction yields of synephrine, naringin, and neohesperidin were up to 11.17 mg/g, 7.39 mg/g, and 89.27 mg/g, respectively. The yield of neohesperidin extracted by the optimal UA-ATPE was over eight times higher than that extracted by the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) using conventional solvents, and the total yield of target compounds was over twice higher while the impurity content in the extract was much lower. Therefore, UA-ATPE appeared to be a highly effective and promising approach for the extraction of synephrine, naringin, and neohesperidin from C. aurantium fruitlets.

Selective extraction of bioactive compounds from plants using recent extraction techniques: A review

Plant extraction has existed for a long time and is still of interest. Due to technological improvements, it is now possible to obtain extracts with higher yields. While global yield is a major parameter because it assesses the extraction performance, it can be of interest to focus on the extraction of particular compounds (specific metabolites) to enrich the sample and to avoid the extraction of unwanted ones, for instance the primary metabolites (carbohydrates, triacylglycerols). The objective then is to improve extraction selectivity is then considered. In solid-liquid extraction, which is often called maceration, the solvent has a major impact on selectivity. Its polarity has a direct influence on the solutes extracted, related to the chemical structure of the compounds, and modelling compound/solvent interactions by using various polarity or interaction scales is a great challenge to favor the choice of the appropriate extracting liquid. Technical advances have allowed the development of recent, and sometimes green, extraction techniques, such as Microwave-Assisted Extraction (MAE), Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE), Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE) and Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE). This review focuses on the specificity of these recent techniques and the influence of their physical parameters (i.e. pressure, intensity, etc.). In addition to the solvent selection, which is of prime interest, the physical parameters applied by the different techniques influence the extraction results in different ways. Besides, SFE is a versatile and green technique suitable to achieve selectivity for some compounds. Due to its properties, SC-CO₂ allows tailoring conditions to improve the selectivity.

Screening and Identification of the Main Metabolites of Schisantherin a In Vivo and In Vitro by Using UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS

Schisantherin A is an active ingredient originating from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) which has hepatoprotective and anti-oxidation activities. In this study, in vitro metabolisms investigated on rat liver microsomes (RLMs) and in vivo metabolisms explored on male Sprague Dawley rats of Schisantherin A were tested, respectively. The metabolites of Schisantherin A were identified using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS). Based on the method, 60 metabolites were successfully identified and structurally characterized including 48 phase-I and 12 phase-II metabolites. Among the metabolites, 45 metabolites were reported for the first time. Moreover, 56 and eight metabolites were detected in urine and bile and 19 metabolites were identified in rats’ plasma. It demonstrated that hepatic and extra-hepatic metabolic pathways were both involved in Schisantherin A biotransformation in rats. Five in vitro metabolites were structurally characterized for the first time. The results indicated that the metabolic pathways mainly include oxidation, reduction, methylation, and conjugation with glucuronide, taurine, glucose, and glutathione groups. This study provides a practical strategy for rapidly screening and identifying metabolites, and the results provide basic data for future pharmacological and toxicology studies of Schisantherin A and other lignin ingredients.

Determination of orientin in Trollius chinensis using ultrasound-assisted extraction and high performance liquid chromatography: Several often-overlooked sample preparation parameters in an ultrasonic bath

The erratic pressure intensities and cavitation exhibited in an ultrasonic bath pose various during practical application. To achieve the most efficient experimental design, this manuscript aims to discover violently sites that are subject to the effect of slight changes in position on cavitation and ultrasound intensity distributed in the ultrasonic bath. In addition, optimization several often over-looked ultrasound parameters and experimental conditions, are intended to place the reaction vessel properly and operate under suitable experimental conditions to obtain the maximum yield of target analyte. In this study, an investigation of the various ultrasound intensities and cavitation in ultrasonic bath space were conducted with the help of the orientin yield using ultrasound-assisted extraction. Conventional parameters such as the volume fraction of ethanol, liquid-solid ratio, ultrasound irradiation power, time and frequency, and reaction temperature were investigated, all of which affect the extractive yield factors. Also several often over-looked parameters such as the extraction vessel position in the ultrasonic bath base, the distance between the bottom of the extraction vessel and the ultrasonic bath base, the diameter, the shape and the texture of the extraction vessel, height of the liquid medium and the ultrasound propagating medium salt concentration in the ultrasonic bath were tested exhaustively in this study. These results can therefore serve as a guide to optimize the usage of the ultrasonic bath for future applications.

Optimization of Ultrasonic-Assisted Aqueous Two-Phase Extraction of Phloridzin from Malus Micromalus Makino with Ethanol/Ammonia Sulfate System

Application of an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) coupled with ultrasonic technology for the extraction of phloridzin from Malus micromalus Makino was evaluated and optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The ethanol/ammonium sulfate ATPS was selected for detailed investigation, including the phase diagram, effect of phase composition and extract conditions on the partition of phloridzin, and the recycling of ammonium sulfate. In addition, the evaluation of extraction efficiency and the identification of phloridzin were investigated. The optimal partition coefficient (6.55) and recovery (92.86%) of phloridzin were obtained in a system composed of 35% ethanol (w/w) and 16% (NH₄ )₂ SO₄ (w/w), 51:1 liquid-to-solid ratio, and extraction temperature of 36 °C. Comparing with the traditional solvent extraction with respective 35% and 80% ethanol, ultrasonic-assisted aqueous two-phase extraction (UAATPE) strategy had significant advantages with lower ethanol consumption, less impurity of sugar and protein, and higher extracting efficiency of phloridzin. Our result indicated that UAATPE was a valuable method for the extraction and preliminary purification of phloridzin from the fruit of Malus micromalus Makino, which has great potential in the deep processing of Malus micromalus Makino industry to increase these fruits' additional value and drive the local economic development.

Study on the pharmacokinetics of deoxyschizandrin and schizandrin in combination with epigallocatechin gallate, a component of green tea, in rats

1. Green tea is commonly used worldwide due to its potential positive health benefits. We have examined the effects of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the most abundant catechin in green tea, on the pharmacokinetics of deoxyschizandrin (DSD) and schizandrin (SD), which are the representative lignans in popular traditional Chinese medicines Fructus schisandrae, in rats. 2. The effects on the transport in Caco-2 cells and metabolism in human liver microsomes (HLMs) of DSD and SD by EGCG were determined to analyze their interactions thoroughly. 3. In pharmacokinetic studies, rats were divided into four groups. Each group was orally treated with DSD alone (Group 1), DSD combined with EGCG (Group 2), SD alone (Group 3) and SD combined with EGCG (Group 4). The pharmacokinetic parameters of DSD and SD in rats were determined by UPLC-MS/MS. 4. The in vivo results indicated that EGCG had no significant influence on the pharmacokinetic behaviors of DSD or SD in rats, which were in accordance with the in vitro transport and metabolism studies. However, there were marked differences between male and female rats among C_max, AUC_0-t, AUC_0-∞ of DSD and SD. This disparity suggested that gender differences might exist in the pharmacokinetic processes of DSD or SD in rats.

Ultrasound-Assisted Aqueous Two-Phase System for Extraction and Enrichment of Zanthoxylum armatum Lignans

In the study, an aqueous two phase system (ATPS) coupled with ultrasound was employed to extract lignans from Zanthoxylum armatum. Three standard lignans, namely (−)-fargesin, sesamin and L-asarinin, were used as marker compounds, and extraction was optimized and projected by response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN). The optimal condition for ATPS with 20% n-propanol and 24% (NH₄)₂SO₄ coupled with ultrasonic-assisted extraction including a solvent to solid ratio of 15:1, a temperature of 40 °C, and a treatment time of 55 min was obtained. Under the condition, the yield of (−)-fargesin increased 15.12%, and the purities of (−)-fargesin, sesamin and L-asarinin reached 2.222%, 1.066%, and 1.583%, with an increase of 44.38%, 25.70%, and 26.34% compared to those extracted with 95% ethanol, respectively. Coefficient of the determined (0.9855) and mean squared error (0.0018) of ANN model suggested good fitness and generalization of the ANN. Taken together, the results showed that ultrasonic-assisted ATPS can be a suitable method for extraction and enrichment of lignans from Z. armatum.

Smashing Tissue Extraction of Five Lignans From the Fruit of Schisandra chinensis

Schisandra chinensis is one of the most famous herbal medicines in China, Korea and Japan. It has been widely used as a tonic, sedative, anti-aging and astringent agent. Lignans are one of its main bioactive components. The classical methods for extracting lignans, however, were tedious and energy-consuming. With the aim to develop an effective extraction method of lignans, the smashing tissue extraction (STE) technique was adopted and optimized in this study. Extraction conditions of STE have been optimized by the response surface methodology based on the Box-Behnken design. Results showed that 75% aqueous ethanol was the optimal extraction solvent, and the other optimal conditions were as follows: extraction voltage of 180 V, extraction time of 1 min, solid-liquid ratio of 1 : 19 and sample particle size of 120 mesh. Under these optimized conditions, the total content of the five lignans (Schisandrol A, Schisantherin A, Deoxyschisandrin, Schisandrin B and Schisandrin C) in S. chinensis collected from Baishan City located in the northeast of China was 13.89 ± 0.014 mg/g, which was well matched with the value predicted by the model. Other techniques, including heat reflux, Soxhlet, ultrasonic-assisted and microwave-assisted extraction, were further compared. Results suggested that STE had the highest extraction efficiency of lignans with the shortest time. It indicates that the approach proposed in this study is a simple and efficient technique for the extraction of lignans in S. chinensis.