Ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from Cratoxylum formosum ssp. formosum leaves using central composite design and evaluation of its protective ability against H2O2-induced cell death

Phenolic components from carrot (Daucus carota L.) pomace: Optimizing the extraction and assessing its potential antioxidant and antimicrobial activities

Carrot pomace is a significant agricultural byproduct. Obtained during carrot juice processing. This residue is an appropriate reservoir of constituents with bioactive properties that could be investigated in the development of food constituents and nutritional supplements and in improving the quality and safety of foods. For this purpose, the objective of the present investigation was to extract the polyphenols from carrot pomace utilizing maceration and ultrasound-based extraction (UAE) procedures and to evaluate the antioxidant properties of phenolic constituents. To maximize the extraction of carrot pomace, a response surface approach was used. The optimal mixture of extraction time (A, min), ultrasonication power (B, w), and solvent type (C, v/v) for the highest yield of carrot pomace was found using a three-variable composite rotatable design (CRD). In order to assess different functional groups, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was utilized to investigate the extract collected under optimal circumstances. The highest polyphenols (26.53 %) were extracted by ethanol 70 % at 10 min with a sonication power of 250 w. The optimized extract also exhibited significant antioxidant and antimicrobial functions. The total phenolic compounds and scavenging of the DPPH radical were 85 mg GAE/gr and EC50: 55 ± 1 μg/mL, respectively. Together with Staphylococcus aureus, the highest zone of inhibition (12 mm) was identified. Our finding revealed that carrot pomace is an appropriate source of bioactive phenolic constituents, exhibiting antioxidant and antibacterial attributes, and could be applied as a natural preserver for promoting safety and quality properties in food products on an industrial scale.

Comparative Study on the Effect of Phenolics and Their Antioxidant Potential of Freeze-Dried Australian Beach-Cast Seaweed Species upon Different Extraction Methodologies

Brown seaweed is rich in phenolic compounds and has established health benefits. However, the phenolics present in Australian beach-cast seaweed are still unclear. This study investigated the effect of ultrasonication and conventional methodologies using four different solvents on free and bound phenolics of freeze-dried brown seaweed species obtained from the southeast Australian shoreline. The phenolic content and their antioxidant potential were determined using in vitro assays followed by identification and characterization by LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS and quantified by HPLC-PDA. The Cystophora sp. displayed high total phenolic content (TPC) and phlorotannin content (FDA) when extracted using 70% ethanol (ultrasonication method). Cystophora sp., also exhibited strong antioxidant potential in various assays, such as DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP in 70% acetone through ultrasonication. TAC is highly correlated to FRAP, ABTS, and RPA (p < 0.05) in both extraction methodologies. LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analysis identified 94 and 104 compounds in ultrasound and conventional methodologies, respectively. HPLC-PDA quantification showed phenolic acids to be higher for samples extracted using the ultrasonication methodology. Our findings could facilitate the development of nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and functional foods from beach-cast seaweed.

Tuning water chemistry for the recovery of greener products: pragmatic and sustainable approaches

The environmental impact and denaturing propensity of organic solvents in the extraction of plant bioactives pose great challenges in extraction systems. As a result, proactive consideration of procedures and evidence for tuning water properties for better recovery and positive influence on the green synthesis of products become pivotal. The conventional maceration approach takes a longer duration (1-72 h) for product recovery while percolation, distillation, and Soxhlet extractions take about 1 to 6 h. An intensified modern hydro-extraction process was identified for tuning water properties with an appreciable yield similar to organic solvents within 10-15 min. The percentage yield of tuned hydro-solvents achieved close to 90% recovery of active metabolites. The additional advantage of using tuned water over organic solvents is in the preservation of the bio-activities and forestalling the possibility of contamination of the bio-matrices during extractions with an organic solvent. This advantage is based on the fast extraction rate and selectivity of the tuned solvent when compared to the traditional approach. This review uniquely approaches the study of biometabolite recovery through insights from the chemistry of water under different extraction techniques for the very first time. Current challenges and prospects from the study are further presented.

Mutivariate optimization strategy for the sonication-based extraction of Nardostachys jatamansi roots and analysis for chemical composition, anti-oxidant and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory potential

Extracts from medicinal plants are generally obtained by conventional methods like percolation and maceration. Owing to limitations of traditional methods and to meet the rising demand of extracts, the development of new green approaches is need of hour. In the present research, we have developed an ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method for the Nardostachys jatamansi (NJ) D. Don, DC roots and optimized the extraction parameters for possible improved extract yield. A multivariate optimization strategy using the Centre Composite Design coupled with response surface methodology was applied. A numerical optimization approach accurately predicted the extraction conditions (sonication time ∼ 20 min, ethanol ∼ 70 % and a liquid/solid ratio of about 21:1). Scanning electron microscopy of the plant samples after UAE also indicated the cavitation effect due to sound waves. GC-MS analysis of the optimized ultrasound extract (OUNJ) confirmed improvement in the concentration of various secondary metabolites like jatamansone (91.8 % increase), spirojatamol (42.3 % increase), globulol (130.4 % increase), sitosterol (84.6 % increase) as compared to the soxhlet extract (SXNJ). Different anti-oxidant parameters (DPPH, Glutathione, Catalase SOD and NO) were also significantly altered (p < 0.05) in the optimized extracts. The IC₅₀ to inhibit acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) in vitro and its concentration in brain homogenates were significantly (p < 0.05) improved by OUNJ extract as compared to the SXNJ ones. To conclude, we can say that established optimized conditions for UAE of N. jatamansi roots not only reduce the extraction time but also improved the pharmacological potential of the extracts.

Evaluation of the ethanolic ultrasound-assisted extraction from clove (Syzygium aromaticum) leaves and chemical characterization of the extracts

In this study, clove leaves (Syzygium aromaticum) were subjected to ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) with ethanol as the solvent, following a central composite design to evaluate the effects of time, amplitude, solvent/sample ratio, and temperature on the yield, eugenol content, and antioxidant capacity of the extracts. The results were compared with those obtained using the conventional method of maceration (ME). The optimum conditions for extract yield were achieved with an extraction time of 25 min,amplitude of 85%, solvent/sample ratio of 35 mL g^-1, and temperature of 70 °C, and the result (14.63 wt%) was three times higher than that of conventional extraction. Eugenol was detected in the extracts obtained by both methods, with the highest yield of 2.94 g eugenol kg leaves^-1obtained in the UAE method, while the ME method achieved 1.36 g eugenol kg leaves^-1.In general, the extracts exhibited high antioxidant capacities.

Modified Alginate Beads with Ethanol Extraction of Cratoxylum formosum and Polygonum odoratum for Antibacterial Activities

Bacteria contaminations in water are concerned as environmental effects including human health, so water treatment is required before use. Although using extracted plant is interesting because of their good chemical compounds for bacterial inhibitions, no study has applied the extracted plant in bead materials for disinfection in wastewater. The current research attempted to extract Cratoxylum formosum and Polygonum odoratum for the synthesis of C. formosum beads (CFB) and P. odoratum beads (POB), and their antibacterial efficiencies were investigated by agar diffusion tests, antibacterial batch tests, adsorption isotherm and kinetics, and material reusability. C. formosum and P. odoratum leaves were ethanol-extracted, and their bead materials (CFB and POB) were synthesized. Furthermore, their characterizations of surface area, chemical compositions, and chemical functional groups were investigated. For field emission scanning electron microscopy and focused ion beam (FESEM-FIB) analysis, CFB and POB had spherical shapes with coarse surfaces. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) analysis of CFB and POB illustrated five main chemical compositions, which were carbon (C), oxygen (O), calcium (Ca), chlorine (Cl), and sodium (Na), whereas Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis identified seven main chemical functional groups, which were O-H, C-H, C=O, C=C, N-H, C-O, and C-Cl. Agar diffusion tests confirmed the abilities of CFB and POB to inhibit both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and batch experiments examined high antibacterial efficiencies of CFB of almost 100% on both bacterial types. The adsorption isotherm of CFB corresponded to the Freundlich model, which is related to the physiochemical adsorption process with multilayer or heterogeneous adsorption, and the adsorption kinetics of CFB was correlated to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, which involved chemisorption relating to physiochemical interaction. Moreover, the desorption experiment confirmed the reusability of CFB. Therefore, CFB is a potential material to possibly apply for disinfection of wastewater.

Cratoxylum formosum dyer extract alleviates testicular damage in hypertensive rats

The effects of a Cratoxylum formosum (Jack) Dyer ssp. (CF) extract on testicular damage were assessed in hypertensive rats. N^ω -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME; 40 mg kg^-1  day^-1 ) was administered for 5 weeks to induce hypertension in male Sprague-Dawley rats, and treated with CF extract (100, 300 or 500 mg kg^-1  day^-1 ) or sildenafil (5 mg kg^-1  day^-1 ) during the final 2 weeks (n = 8/group). Biochemical components of the CF extract were identified and mainly contained phenolic compounds. The CF extract significantly reduced systolic blood pressure and alleviated impaired sperm quality and seminiferous tubular morphology in hypertensive rats. CF extract restored reduced serum testosterone and protein expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), nuclear factor erythroid-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and haem oxygenase 1 (HO-1) in L-NAME rats. Hypertensive rats presented decreased antioxidant enzyme activities, and increased testicular and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide production, all of which were normalised by CF extract. Furthermore, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression in testicular tissue and plasma nitrate/nitrite levels were restored in hypertensive rats administered CF extract. Conclusion: CF extract alleviated testicular damage in hypertensive rats. Potential molecular mechanisms may involve suppression of oxidative stress and restoration of StAR, Nrf2, HO-1 and eNOS expression in hypertensive rats.

Assessment of the anti-diabetic potential of the Cratoxylum formosum subsp. formosum extracts via carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes inhibitory activities

Introduction: This research aims to evaluate the anti-diabetic activity of the extracts from different parts of Cratoxylum formosum subsp. formosum.Methods: The in vitro inhibitory activities of the hexane (HEX), dichloromethane (DCM) and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extracts from the flowers, leaves, roots and stems on pancreatic α-amylase (pAA), Saccharomyces α-glucosidase (SAG), rat intestinal maltase (rIM), and sucrase (rIS) were investigated. Results: The DCM and EtOAc extracts from the flowers (IC50 5.4 ± 1.5 and 10.5 ± 0.6 µg/mL) displayed the similar inhibitory activities as acarbose (IC50 7.2 ± 0.4 µg/mL) in the pAA assay. The inhibitory activities of the DCM and EtOAc extracts from the flowers (IC50 56.7 ± 8.9 and 20.4 ± 0.4 µg/mL), EtOAc extract from leaves (IC50 45.0 ± 3.5 µg/mL), DCM and EtOAc extracts from roots (IC50 35.0 ± 6.7 and 16.7± 3.6 µg/mL), and EtOAc extract from stems (IC50 31.1 ± 7.3 µg/mL) were more potent than acarbose (IC50 431.4 ± 16.7 µg/mL) on SAG inhibitory assay (P<0.05). In the rIM assay, DCM and EtOAc extracts from the flowers (IC50 8.5 ± 0.2 and 12.4 ± 0.3 µg/mL) exhibited stronger inhibitory activity than acarbose (IC50 38.5 ± 7.2 µg/mL) (P<0.05). Moreover, the inhibitory activity of DCM extract from the flowers (IC50 16.9 ± 1.5 µg/ mL) was comparable to the acarbose (IC50 15.5 ± 1.2 µg/mL) on rIS assay. Conclusion: The DCM and EtOAc extracts from the flowers were more active than the leaves, roots and stems in the inhibition of our defined target enzymes.

Effects of phytochemicals on cellular signaling: reviewing their recent usage approaches

Most of the previous studies in last three decades report evidence of interactions between the different phytochemicals and the proteins involved in signal transduction pathways using in silico, in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo analyses. However, extrapolation of these findings for clinical purposes has not been that fruitful. The efficacy of the phytochemicals in vivo studies is limited by parameters such as solubility, metabolic degradation, excretion, etc. Various approaches have now been devised to circumvent these limitations. Recently, chemical modification of the phytochemicals are demonstrated to reduce some of the limitations and improve their efficacy. Similar to traditional medicines several combinatorial phytochemical formulations have shown to be more efficient. Further, phytochemicals have been reported to be even more efficient in the form of nanoparticles. However, systematic evaluation of their efficacy, mode of action in pathway modulation, usage and associated challenges is required to be done. The present review begins with basic understanding of how signaling cascades regulate cellular response and the consequences of their dysregulation further summarizing the developments and problems associated with the dietary phytochemicals and also discuss recent approaches in strengthening these compounds in pharmacological applications. Only context relevant studies have been reviewed. Considering the limitations and scope of the article, authors do not claim inclusion of all the early and recent studies.

Optimization of Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction and Purification of Rhein from Cassia fistula Pod Pulp

Rhein is used as an active ingredient in laxatives in medicinal herbal products and is a chemical marker for quality control purposes. Thus, a simple and effective method for the optimized extraction of a high amount of rhein from the fruit pulp of Cassia fistula was investigated using ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE). The response surface methodology was applied to find the most suitable parameters for optimizing the extraction process and to study the factors’ relationships with each other. The best conditions for ultrasonic extraction were the application of 1:40 g/mL solid-to-liquid ratio and 10% EtOH–H₂O as a solvent at 75 °C for 40 min. This method was compared to a conventional decoction in two variations. In these experiments, it was confirmed that the UAE was more favorable than the decoction methods. The resulting crude extract was further purified by liquid–liquid extraction with a basic pH adjustment, followed by recrystallization. High-purity rhein was obtained by using chromatographic techniques and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Therefore, this study suggests that UAE is an efficient alternative method for the extraction of rhein from C. fistula pod pulp. The resulting optimized conditions can be applied as a useful tool for the large-scale industrial production of a rhein-rich plant extract.

Ultrasound-Assisted Aqueous Extraction of Phenolic, Flavonoid Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Mucuna macrocarpa Beans: Response Surface Methodology Optimization

OBJECTIVE

This investigation was undertaken to optimize the effective extraction of total phenolics content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), and antioxidant activity from the Mucuna macrocarpa (MM) beans. An ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) technique with water as an effective solvent was proposed for the response surface methodology (RSM) optimization.

METHODS

A three-level, two-factor central composite design (CCD) was employed to reveal the optimal points of variables. Different extraction times (5, 10, 15 minutes) and ultrasonic power levels (10, 20, 30 W) were used for the optimization. The experimental runs given by the RSM were evaluated for TPC, TFC, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (RSA), and N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DMPD) RSA and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP).

RESULTS

The predicted times for maximum extraction of TPC (186.61 mg GAE g^-1), TFC (148.87 mg QUE g^-1), and DPPH RSA (99.37%), and DMPD RSA (50.58%) and FRAP (2.38 O.D. at 593 nm) were 12.57, 12.84, 12.43, 12.97, and 13.24 min, and ultrasonic power levels were found to be 27.30, 26.76, 26.22, 27.03, and 27.84 W, respectively. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) analysis of phenolics compounds from the RSM optimized sample showed tannic acid (48.09 ± 1.92 mg/g), gallic acid (1.17 ± 0.19 mg/g), p-coumaric acid (0.56 ± 0.03 mg/g), and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (0.049 ± 0.01 mg/g) content.

CONCLUSION

Water and ultrasonication were found to be an effective extraction solvent and technique. RSM was effectively employed to investigate the optimal process conditions for the maximum extraction of TPC, TFC, and antioxidant compounds from the MM beans. Further, MM beans can be explored as a prominent antioxidant source for the treatment of several disorders.

Optimization of the Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Brosimum alicastrum Leaves and the Evaluation of Their Radical-Scavenging Activity

In order to maximize the yield of the total phenolic content (TPC) and total monomeric anthocyanin (TMA) from Brosimum alicastrum leaf and to study the radical-scavenging activity, a three-level three-factor Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to determine the optimal points for ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). In this study, we analyzed the extraction time (10, 20, and 30 min), temperature (28, 30, and 32 °C), and probe sonication power (40%, 28 W/cm²; 60%, 51 W/cm²; and 80%, 74 W/cm²). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that the sonication power plays a significant role in the extraction of phenolic compounds. An increase in time and temperature resulted in a decrease in the yield, in particular, of the TMA group. DPPH was found to be a better indicator of radical-scavenging activity than ABTS. The predicted TPC and TMA optimum levels (45.18 mg GAE/g and 15.16 mg CyE/100 g) were obtained at 28 °C, 80%, and 20-10 min. DPPH obtained a maximum value (67.27 μmol TE/g) under same optimization conditions. The RSM confirmed that TPC and TMA enhanced the antioxidant activity when subjected to low temperature (28 °C), extraction time less than 20 min, and higher sonication power (74 W/cm²), and hence achieving the better DPPH scavenging activity.

Anti-Genotoxicity Evaluation of Cratoxylum Formosum Dyer Leaves by Comet Assay and Micronucleus Test

Cratoxylum formosum Dyer is the Thai vegetable which commonly consumed a fresh leaves. In this study, we extracted Cratoxylum formosum with water and tested the extract for genotoxicity and anti-genotoxicity effects. We carried out the experiment using micronucleus test and comet assay in TK6 cells. In micronucleus experiment, we used cytokinesis-block proliferation technique to stop cell division which produced a cell at binucleated (BNC) stage. The comet assay was carried out after pre-treatment the cell with C. formosum for 18 h. The results revealed not increased the micronucleus frequency of C. formosum at concentration ranging from 50-150 μg/ml. In contract, it showed that the combination between C. formosum at various concentrations (25, 50, 75, 100, 150 and 200 μg/ml) and mitomycin C could decrease significantly in frequency of micronuclei. The mean of micronucleus frequency in the sample were 23.17 ±3.33, 23.33 ±4.72, 21.00 ±3.61, 11.33 ±3.21, 16.67 ±2.08, and 23.33±1.53 MN/ 1,000 BNC, respectively whereas the MMC-treated group was 33.67 ± 8.96 MN/ 1,000 BNC. The comet assay result showed that pre-treatment with Cratoxylum formosum (25, 50, 100, 200 μg/ml) could inhibit the hydrogen peroxide induced DNA damage by 6.95, 12.99, 17.61, and 26.39 respectively.

Effects of ultrasonication on increased germination and improved seedling growth of aged grass seeds of tall fescue and Russian wildrye

The effects of ultrasonic treatments on the germination and seedling growth of aged tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and Russian wild rye (Psathyrostaehys juncea Nevski) seeds were determined using orthogonal matrix experimental design with four ultrasonic factors. The multivariate analysis of variance detected significant differences and coupling effects of the pair-wise factors. The activities of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Peroxidase (POD) and the Malondialdehyde (MDA) content were affected. The ultrasonic treatments had positive effects on the germination percentage (GP) of the aged seeds and the growth of the seedlings (GS) and therefore we provided a basic evidence for the application of ultrasonic treatment to pretreat aged grass seeds. For the four ultrasonic factors, the optimal conditions were a sonication time of 36.7 min, a sonication temperature of 35 °C, an output power of 367 W and a seed soaking time 4.1 h after binary quadratic regressions analyses. The ultrasonic treatment has the potential to improve seedling growth. Moreover, the longevity of the tall fescue and the Russian wild rye seeds was approximately 9.5 and 11.5 years, respectively, under natural conditions of storage. The physiological mechanisms that might contribute to the improved GP and GS were discussed.