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Updated: Jan 26, 2026

Reconstitution of Msp1 Extraction Activity with Fully Purified Components
Published on: August 10, 2021
Effect of solvent and extraction technique on composition and biological activity of Lepidium sativum extracts
Katarzyna Rafińska1, Paweł Pomastowski2, Joanna Rudnicka1
1Department of Environmental Chemistry and Bioanalytics, Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Gagarina 7, 87-100 Toruń, Poland; Interdisciplinary Centre of Modern Technology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Wileńska 4, 87-100 Toruń, Poland.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to evaluate chemical and biological potential of garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.) to receive valuable plant extracts with potential application in pharmacy or food industry. Four techniques of extraction and three environmentally friendly solvents such as water, supercritical CO2 and ethanol have been tested. Biological activity and chemical profile were evaluated in obtained extracts. GC/MS analysis showed that SFE extract from dried sprouts of L. sativum was especially rich in such glucosinolate derivatives as benzyl cyanide and benzyl thiocyanate. However, the extract obtained from freeze-dried sprouts by SFE with addition of 96% ethanol as co-solvent was especially rich in flavonoids and simultaneously exhibited the best antimicrobial activity. Comparison of MALDI-TOF-MS spectra of all obtained extracts clearly indicates that both SFE and maceration with water are the most selective techniques of extraction due to the lowest level of interfering substances with high molecular masses.
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According to its composition, the matter can be classified into two broad categories — pure substances and mixtures.
A pure substance is a form of matter that has a constant composition throughout with uniform properties. For example, any sample of sucrose has the same composition and same physical properties, such as melting point, color, and sweetness, regardless of the source from which it is isolated.
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