Box-Behnken Design Optimization of Green Extraction from Tomato Aerial Parts and Axillary Shoots for Enhanced...

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Phytochemistry
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Tomato plant waste, including aerial parts and axillary shoots, is an underutilized resource with significant phytochemical potential.
• Rutin is a well-known antioxidant, but optimized extraction methods from different tomato vegetative parts are lacking.
• Green extraction techniques offer sustainable approaches for isolating bioactive compounds from agricultural byproducts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) for maximizing rutin and bioactive compound recovery from tomato plant biomass.
• To comparatively analyze the phytochemical profiles of extracts obtained from distinct tomato vegetative components (aerial parts vs. axillary shoots).
• To investigate the impact of optimized extraction parameters (temperature, solvent concentration, plant-to-solvent ratio) on total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity (DPPH), and rutin concentration.

Main Methods:

• Box-Behnken design (BBD) and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) were employed to optimize MAE and UAE parameters.
• MAE and UAE were utilized as green extraction techniques.
• Extraction efficiency was evaluated based on TPC, TFC, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and specific rutin quantification.

Main Results:

• Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) from axillary shoots yielded the highest rutin concentration (8614.23 mg/kg).
• MAE demonstrated superior efficiency in recovering primary and secondary metabolites from axillary shoots compared to UAE.
• UAE showed a preference for extracting certain micronutrients and amino acids, while cascade extraction enhanced recovery of vitamin E and quinic acid.
• Significant phytochemical differences were observed between extracts from tomato aerial parts and axillary shoots.

Conclusions:

• Optimized MAE is highly effective for extracting rutin and other bioactive compounds from tomato axillary shoots, establishing tomato waste as a valuable source of antioxidants.
• UAE and cascade extraction offer complementary benefits for recovering diverse phytochemicals and micronutrients.
• This research addresses a critical gap in understanding the phytochemical composition and extraction potential of different tomato plant waste streams, paving the way for their valorization.