Separation, Purification, Component Identification, and Bioactivity Analysis of Polyphenols from Aronia melanocarpa

Aronia melanocarpa (black chokeberry) is rich in bioactive compounds. In this study, polyphenols from A. melanocarpa were extracted using both ultrasound-assisted deep eutectic solvent (DES) and conventional organic solvents (80% methanol and 60% ethanol). The crude extracts were purified using AB-8 macroporous resin. The purified fractions were analyzed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatographyquadrupole time-of-flighttandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS), identifying and quantifying 49 polyphenolic compounds, including 16 anthocyanins, 3 procyanidins, 20 flavonoids, and 10 phenolic acids. The DES extract exhibited the highest total polyphenol content (84.56 ± 3.85 mg/g), significantly surpassing the conventional extracts. Antioxidant activities were evaluated in vitro by assessing the scavenging capacities against hydroxyl, DPPH, and ABTS⁺ radicals. The DES extract demonstrated superior antioxidant activity in all assays. Furthermore, the DES-extracted A. melanocarpa polyphenols (AMP) and a blueberry polyphenol (BP) extract underwent in vitro simulated digestion. Postdigestion, the AMP extract showed significantly stronger inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase activities compared to BP, indicating its greater potential for hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic applications. Results demonstrate that ultrasound-assisted DES extraction is a highly efficient and green method for obtaining polyphenol-rich extracts from A. melanocarpa with enhanced bioactivity, providing a scientific basis for its utilization in functional foods.