Abstract
This study aimed to examine the impact of the combination of acoustic energy at the nominal powers of 100, 200, 300, and 400 W with moderate heat processing at 40, 50, and 60 °C on the extraction of phytochemical compounds from Foeniculum vulgare. Thermosonication processing, based on high-intensity ultrasound combined with an external heat source, can potentialize the extraction of soluble solids from plant material. However, the excessive temperature increase generated by the two energy sources during thermosonication treatment may degrade the thermolabile bioactive compounds. Regardless of the temperature condition, fennel extracts obtained at 400 W presented lower total phenolic content (TPC) than those obtained at 300 W. The cavitation heat and mechanical stress provided at 400 W may have degraded the phenolic compounds. Thereby, the best extraction condition was 300 W and 60 °C. The fennel extract presented the highest content of TPC (3670 ± 67 µg GAE/g) and antioxidant activity determined by DPPH and ABTS methods (1195 ± 16 µg TE/g and 2543.12 ± 0.00 µg TE/g, respectively) using this treatment. Thermosonication can be an innovative technique for extracting phytochemicals because it provides good results in shorter processing times, with 73% and 88% less energy consumption than Percolation and Soxhlet techniques, respectively.
Highlights
Plants and plant extracts have been used to prevent and treat various diseases for thousands of years
This paper examined the influence of process design of thermosonication on the recovery of phenolic compounds from Foeniculum vulgare using ethanol as solvent
Thermosonication-assisted extraction processes can reach high temperatures due to the temperature increase caused by acoustic cavitation and the external heat source
Summary
Plants and plant extracts have been used to prevent and treat various diseases for thousands of years. The seeds, leaves, fruits, and the entire plant have been used to prepare infusions The consumption of these infusions, popularly denominated as tea, contributes to preventing diseases related to the digestive, endocrine, reproductive, and respiratory systems, such as cancer, conjunctivitis, gastritis, colic in children, kidney ailments, and laxatives [2]. The secondary metabolites of plants responsible for their protection provide their pharmacological effects These are bioactive compounds classified into three groups: phenolic compounds, terpenes, and alkaloids [3]. Fenchone, estragole (methyl-chavicol), myrcene, and limonene are the volatile bioactive compounds reported in fennel [1,4] These compounds have demonstrated beneficial effects, such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, diuretic, antispasmodic, antithrombotic, and antitumor [2,5]
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