Extraction of bioactive compounds from Dipsacus fullonum leaves using deep eutectic solvents.

Area of Science:

• Phytochemistry
• Green Chemistry
• Natural Product Extraction

Background:

• Dipsacus fullonum L. leaves contain bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-Borrelia properties.
• Traditional organic solvent extraction methods may be less efficient and environmentally impactful.
• Deep eutectic solvents (DES) offer a promising alternative for selective and efficient extraction of plant bioactives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and optimize deep eutectic solvent (DES) systems for the selective extraction of chlorogenic acid derivatives, flavone glycosides, and iridoid glycosides from Dipsacus fullonum L. leaves.
• To compare the recovery yields of DES-based extraction with traditional organic solvent methods.
• To identify the optimal DES composition and extraction parameters for maximizing the recovery of target compounds.

Main Methods:

• Screening of twelve hydrophilic and hydrophobic DESs, utilizing choline chloride, betaine, menthol as hydrogen bond acceptors (HBA), and various organic acids and glycerol as hydrogen bond donors (HBD).
• Optimization of the most effective DES composition using Box-Behnken design for selective extraction of three main analyte groups.
• Quantification and identification of extracted bioactive compounds using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode-Array Detection and Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS).

Main Results:

• The optimal DES composition for highest overall recovery was determined to be a molar ratio of choline chloride to lactic acid of 1:2.4, with 35% water and 27 mL of solvent per gram of dry material.
• The optimized DES extract achieved 1.8 to 2.2 times higher concentrations of target analytes compared to traditional organic solvent extracts.
• The study demonstrated the selectivity of DES for different groups of bioactive compounds from D. fullonum L. leaves.

Conclusions:

• Deep eutectic solvents provide a highly efficient and selective method for extracting key bioactive compounds from Dipsacus fullonum L. leaves.
• Optimized DES extraction significantly enhances the recovery of chlorogenic acid derivatives, flavone glycosides, and iridoid glycosides compared to conventional solvents.
• This study highlights the potential of DES as a green and effective technology for the sustainable production of valuable phytochemicals from medicinal plants.