Effects of recycling on the aqueous two-phase extraction of bioactives from haskap leaves

Abstract

Aqueous two-phase extraction (ATPE) is an emerging technique that integrates separation, concentration, and partial purification of target compounds from natural resources. One potential issue which may prevent industrial application of ATPE, is the large consumption of phase-forming components such as alcohol, polymers, salt, and sugar. On top of that, post-handling and disposal of these components will increase associated costs. This research evaluated the effects of recycling ATPE components on the extraction of bioactive compounds from haskap (Lonicera caerulea) leaves. In this work, the ATPE systems were combinations of ammonium sulphate/ethanol, sodium dihydrogen phosphate/ethanol, glucose/1-propanol, and maltose/1-propanol. Total phenolic content (TPC), flavonoids, and chlorogenic acid were assessed in terms of their partitioning behavior, extraction efficiencies, and yields. The results showed that with two recycling stages, the extraction performance for all four ATPE systems was maintained. The average TPC extraction efficiencies across the first extraction stage and two recycling stages were 91.4% for ammonium sulphate/ethanol, 99.6% for sodium dihydrogen phosphate/ethanol, 85.1% for glucose/1-propanol, and 85.0% for maltose/1-propanol systems. This suggests that recycling could make ATPE a more sustainable technique in recovering high-value compounds from natural resources.