Abstract
Ionic liquids (ILs) are recognized as a possible replacement of traditional organic solvents, and ILs have been widely applied to extract various compounds. The present work aims to extract ginsenosides from Panax ginseng flower buds using aqueous ionic liquid based ultrasonic assisted extraction (IL-UAE). The extraction yields of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ionic liquids with different anions and alkyl chains were evaluated. The extraction parameters of eight ginsenosides were optimized by utilizing response surface methodology (RSM). The model demonstrated that a high yield of total ginsenosides could be obtained using IL-UAE, and the optimum extraction parameters were 0.23 M [C4mim][BF4], ultrasonic time of 23 min, temperature of extraction set to 30 °C, and liquid-solid ratio of 31:1. After that, an aqueous biphasic system (ABS) was used to separate ginsenosides further. The nature and concentration of salt, as well as the value of pH in ionic liquid were evaluated, and the optimal conditions (6.0 mL IL extract, 3 g NaH2PO4, and pH 5.0) were obtained. The preconcentration factor was 2.58, and extraction efficiency reached 64.53%. The results indicate that as a simple and efficient method, an IL-UAE-ABS can be considered as a promising method for extracting and separating the natural active compounds from medicinal herbs.
Highlights
Ginseng has been used in Chinese herbology for thousands of years [1]
The effect of nine kinds of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ionic liquids with different anions or cations on the extraction yields of total ginsenosides from flower buds of Panax Ginseng were studied in this work
The results showed the Ionic liquids (ILs)-ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) method reached the highest extraction yield of total ginsenosides among these three methods, which meant that ionic liquid based ultrasonic assisted extraction (IL-UAE) is an efficient and speedy technique in preparing samples for extraction of ginsenosides from ginseng flower buds
Summary
Ginseng has been used in Chinese herbology for thousands of years [1]. Ginseng has many bioactive ingredients, including various ginsenosides. Tea made from the flower buds of Panax ginseng has become popular as an anti-aging nutritive for older people [5]. The ginsenosides, which are major active constituents in ginseng flower buds, were proven to have good pharmacological effect in lowering blood pressure and anti-inflammation [6,7,8]. Previous phytochemical studies showed that the dammarane-type triterpene saponins such as ginsenoside -Rg1, -Rg2, -Rc, -Rd, -Re, -Rf, -Rb1, and -Rb2, which were often applied to the quality control of ginseng flower buds, were mainly responsible for the wide biological activity [9,10]
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