Abstract
This study exploited the application of pulsed electric field (PEF) on the recovery of polyphenols from aerial parts of Sideritis scardica, tepals of Crocus sativus, and fruits of Vitis vinifera. Short pulses of 10 μs in a period of 1 ms were applied to the plant material, while different electric field intensities, 1.2 to 2.0 kV/cm were tested to optimize the procedure. The content in total polyphenols and the polyphenolic profile of the plant extracts were evaluated. Along with PEF samples, control samples were prepared for comparison. PEF treatment enhanced the recovery in total polyphenols for all the three plants examined. A significant increase was noticed in each plant tested and PEF condition applied, though lower electric field intensities up to 1.4 kV/cm proved to be more effective. Under the optimum electric field intensities, 1.4 kV/cm for V. vinifera and 1.2 kV/cm for S. scardica and C. sativus, increases of 49.15%, 35.25%, and 44.36% in total polyphenol content, respectively, were achieved. Additionally, an 85% increase of quercetin 3-rutinoside for V. vinifera, a 56% of apigenin 7-O-glucoside for S. scardica, and a 64% increase for kaempferol 3-O-glucoside for C. sativus were obtained.
Highlights
To further evaluate the pulsed electric field (PEF)’s potential as a green extraction method of bioactive compounds from plant material, the present study dealt with its application in the recovery of polyphenols from the plants V. vinifera, C. sativus, and S. scardica
The electroporation of the cell membrane depends on the electric field intensity
The study presented demonstrated the effectiveness of PEF in extracting polyphenols from the medicinal plants V. vinifera, S. scardica, and C. sativus
Summary
Herbal medicines have been used to maintain health and treat various diseases. The main factors implicated in PEF’s treatment efficiency are the electric field strength, pulse shape, pulse width, number of pulses, pulse specific energy, and frequency [15,20,21] These factors can be optimized to release only the desired compounds from the cell, adjusting extraction selectivity in addition to extraction efficiency. To further evaluate the PEF’s potential as a green extraction method of bioactive compounds from plant material, the present study dealt with its application in the recovery of polyphenols from the plants V. vinifera, C. sativus, and S. scardica. Such an extraction process of these plants has not been previously reported (to our knowledge). The content of produced extracts in total polyphenols was evaluated using the Folin–Ciocalteu method and the polyphenolic profile of the produced extracts was determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
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