Intensification of Polyphenols Extraction from Sohiong (Prunus nepalensis) using Microwave-Assisted Extraction

Abstract

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was investigated to extract polyphenols from sohiong (Prunus nepalensis) fruit. The effect of process variables (solvent concentration, solvent-solid ratio, microwave power and time) on yield and total phenol content (TPC) of fruit extract were studied using response surface methodology. The best conditions for extraction of polyphenolic extract were solvent concentration (55.17%), solvent-solid ratio (26.09%), microwave power (500 W) and time (238 s). Under optimized MAE conditions, the yield, TPC, DPPH and FRAP of sohiong extracts were 47.25%, 146.61 mgGAE/g, 89.02% and 0.58 mgAAE/g, respectively. Furthermore, MAE showed higher yield, TPC and antioxidant activity as compared to conventional solvent extraction (CSE) (28.13%, 96.56 mgGAE/g, 74.87% (DPPH) and 0.54 mgAAE/g (FRAP)), respectively. Thus, MAE is a potential alternative for polyphenols extraction from sohiong fruit and as a rich source of antioxidant compounds, it can be a potent ingredient for pharmaceuticals and food industries.