Abstract
Hypericum triquetrifolium Turra is a plant rich in biologically functional polyphenolic phytochemicals. The efficient recovery of polyphenols from this material has not been previously investigated in depth, in terms of establishing an environmentally benign and cost-effective process that would aim at producing extracts enriched in polyphenolic compounds. The objective of the present study was the examination of the efficiency of water/glycerol mixtures in extracting polyphenols from dried aerial parts of H. triquetrifolium Turra and its critical comparison with water. Extraction temperature and time were optimised using response surface methodology, while comparative assessment of the extraction efficiency between water/glycerol and water was carried out using kinetics. The results showed that 10 % (w/v) aqueous glycerol at 70 °C provided very satisfactory extraction yield in total polyphenols (54.83 mg gallic acid equivalents per g of dry weight), which was significantly higher than that attained with water (17.3 %). Similar results were drawn for the reducing power, in concurrence with the polyphenolic concentration. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis showed that the polyphenolic profile of water/glycerol extract was composed by polar substances, such as chlorogenic acids and quercetin glycosides.
Highlights
The industrial exploitation of medicinal plants is tightly associated with the recovery of fine chemicals and production of precious metabolites, such as natural antioxidants, which are value-added products of high significance to the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries [1]
The objective of the present study was the examination of the efficiency of water/ glycerol mixtures in extracting polyphenols from dried aerial parts of H. triquetrifolium Turra and its critical comparison with water
The results showed that 10 % (w/v) aqueous glycerol at 70 °C provided very satisfactory extraction yield in total polyphenols (54.83 mg gallic acid equivalents per g of dry weight), which was significantly higher than that attained with water (17.3 %)
Summary
The industrial exploitation of medicinal plants is tightly associated with the recovery of fine chemicals and production of precious metabolites, such as natural antioxidants, which are value-added products of high significance to the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries [1]. To meet market demands and low-cost production, the search for medicinal and aromatic plants as cost-effective sources of multifunctional phytochemicals is directed towards (1) exploiting materials with high content and rich composition, (2) deploying effective recovery processes and (3) ascertaining production of novel formulations without further generation of waste. In this line, the use of low-cost, non-toxic solvent systems for the recovery of target compounds becomes imminent. Data concerning the extraction and polyphenolic composition from Hypericum triquetrifolium Turra, a plant with pharmacological potency [2, 3], are very scarce
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