Plant polysaccharide itself as hydrogen bond donor in a deep eutectic system-based mechanochemical extraction method.

Area of Science:

• Green Chemistry
• Biopolymer Extraction
• Materials Science

Background:

• Traditional methods for polysaccharide extraction often involve harsh solvents and complex purification steps.
• Deep eutectic solvents (DES) offer a greener alternative, but their application with polysaccharides can be improved.
• Plant-based substances contain polysaccharides that act as hydrogen bond donors (HBD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and optimize a novel deep eutectic system (DESys) for direct polysaccharide extraction from plant substances.
• To investigate the efficiency of mechanochemical extraction (MCE) using in-situ formed DESys.
• To evaluate the impact of the DESys extraction method on the structural and physicochemical properties of polysaccharides.

Main Methods:

• Formation of a deep eutectic system (DESys) using a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and a plant substance acting as a hydrogen bond donor (HBD) in water.
• Application of mechanochemical extraction (MCE) for direct polysaccharide dissolution, extraction, and recovery.
• Systematic study and optimization of key factors influencing extraction efficiency.
• Characterization of polysaccharide structure and physicochemical properties using various analytical techniques.

Main Results:

• The direct DESys formation via MCE significantly enhanced polysaccharide extraction efficiency compared to traditional methods.
• The physicochemical properties and structural integrity of the extracted polysaccharides were well-preserved.
• The composition of polysaccharides extracted using the DESys method differed from those obtained by conventional approaches.
• The process simplified recovery and purification by eliminating the need for an additional HBD.

Conclusions:

• The developed DESys-based MCE offers a superior and simplified method for polysaccharide extraction.
• This approach is effective in retaining the native properties of polysaccharides while potentially yielding different compositions.
• The findings pave the way for more sustainable and efficient biopolymer recovery processes.