Extraction and Analysis of Phenolic Compounds from Rocket: Development of a Green and Innovative DES-Based Extraction...

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Chemistry
• Green Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Eruca sativa (rocket) is rich in antioxidant phenolic compounds.
• Traditional organic solvent extraction poses environmental concerns.
• Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) offer a sustainable alternative for bioactive molecule extraction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a green analytical method for phenolic compound determination in rocket plants using DESs.
• To optimize DES-based extraction parameters for maximizing phenolic yield.
• To analyze the phenolic profile and identify growth conditions favoring bioactive molecule accumulation.

Main Methods:

• Screening of various DESs for optimal extraction solvent selection.
• Optimization of extraction parameters: water content, matrix-to-solvent ratio, time, and temperature.
• Utilizing ChCl-glucose (1:2 molar ratio) DES under optimized conditions (1:50 w/v ratio, 30% water, 30 min, 50 °C).
• Phenolic compound profiling using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS).

Main Results:

• ChCl-glucose (1:2) DES proved effective for phenolic compound extraction from Eruca sativa.
• Optimized extraction conditions significantly enhanced bioactive molecule yield.
• The developed green method successfully determined phenolic compounds in real plant samples.
• Insights gained into growth conditions influencing phenolic compound accumulation.

Conclusions:

• A novel, environmentally friendly DES-based method was established for efficient extraction and analysis of phenolic compounds in rocket plants.
• The optimized method provides a sustainable alternative to conventional organic solvent extraction.
• This research facilitates understanding of Eruca sativa's phytochemical composition and cultivation for enhanced bioactivity.