The Effect of Various Extraction Methods and Solvents on the Phytochemical Contents and Antioxidant Capacities of Safflower Florets (Carthamus Tinctorius L.) from South Sulawesi

Abstract

Safflower is a traditional medicine commonly applied for the treatment of varicella in South Sulawesi. The aim of this study is to study the effect of extraction methods and solvents on phytochemical content and antioxidant capacity in the extraction of safflower. The study began with sample extraction with various solvents, i.e., water, ethanol 70, methanol, ethyl acetate and hexane and various methods, i.e., reflux, Soxhlet, hot maceration, cold maceration and room temperature maceration. Each extract was standardized for its phytochemical content, i.e., phenolics, flavonoids and carotenoids and the antioxidant capacities were also determined by the radical scavenging 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, total antioxidant capacity, cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity and Ferric reducing antioxidant power. The results indicated that the optimum total phenolic content was obtained when the florets were refluxed with methanol, flavonoids were refluxed with 70 % ethanol and carotenoids were Soxhleted with methanol. The research data also showed that 70 % ethanol and methanol have maximal antioxidant capacity. The results conclude that 70 % ethanol and methanol as solvents have the potential to extract the highest levels of phytochemical content and antioxidant substances. HIGHLIGHTS The phytochemical content and antioxidant capacity of safflower floret extract are influenced by the selection of solvent and extraction method. Polar solvents (70 % ethanol or methanol) can efficiently extract higher levels of phytochemical components and antioxidant substances from safflower florets. The hot extraction approach exhibits a higher potential for extracting phytochemical content compared to the cold extraction method, but its antioxidant capacity exhibits the opposite. The application of cold maceration, combined with methanol or 70 % ethanol as solvents, has been identified as a promising method for the extraction of phytochemical compounds and antioxidant substances. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT