Efficient Solvent Selection Approach for High Solubility of Active Phytochemicals: Application for the Extraction of an Antimalarial Compound from Medicinal Plants

Abstract

The proposed approach unveils an efficient solvent selection manner for the extraction of active compounds from medicinal plants based on their high solvency for the target compound while considering green engineering principles. Rationalization of resources is achieved through theoretical screening using the Hansen solubility parameters in practice (HSPiP) approach of 26 solvent candidates toward the solvency of the antimalarial drug “artemisinin”. Solvent selection is challenged to meet some green engineering principles, from which four solvents are identified and then confirmed using gravimetric tests. The highest solubility at 20 °C is attributed to dimethyl sulfoxide with 103.7 mg·mL–1, while isopropanol recorded 8.45 mg·mL–1. Despite being a polar solvent, propylene glycol gave a very low solubility of 0.6 mg·mL–1. Being a food grade with very low global warming potential score, isopropanol stands as a green alternative to substitute n-hexane, where solubility measurements using changes of turbidity...