Optimization Of Extraction Process Research Articles

The effect of ultrasonic power on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of frosted figs pectin

Ultrasound has been widely used in industry due to its high energy and efficiency. This study optimized the ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) process of frosted figs pectin (FFP) using response surface methodology (RSM), and further investigated the effect of ultrasonic power on the structural characteristics and antioxidant activities of FFPs. The UAE method of FFP through RSM was optimized, and the optimal extraction process conditions, particle size of 100 mesh, pH value of 1.95, liquid–solid ratio of 47:1 (mL/g), extraction temperature of 50 °C and extraction time of 65 min, were obtained. The extraction rate of FFP under this condition was 37.97 ± 2.56 %. Then, the four FFPs modified by ultrasound were obtained by changing the ultrasonic power. Research had found that ultrasonic power had little effect on the monosaccharide composition, Zeta potential, as well as the thermal stability and appearance structure of the four FFPs. However, ultrasonic power had a significant impact on other properties of FFP: as the ultrasonic power increased, the DM% and particle size decreased continuously, while the total carbohydrate content increased. Meanwhile, ultrasonic power also had a significant impact on antioxidant activities of FFPs. From the research results, it could be seen that different ultrasonic power had certain changes in its spatial structure and properties, and the structural changes also affected the biological activity of FFP. The study of the effects of ultrasonic power on the physicochemical properties and biological activity of FFP lays the foundation for the development and application of FFP in food additives and natural drug carriers.

Enzyme-mediated ultrasound-assisted extraction of rutin, quercetin, and other antioxidant and antidiabetic compounds from Holarrhena antidysenterica seeds and optimization as per RSM

Rutin and quercetin are valuable bioactive natural products. The current study successfully discovered an efficient extraction protocol for these and other bioactive compounds from Holarrhena antidysenterica (HA) seeds based on an enzyme-mediated ultrasound-assisted extraction (EM-UAE). Extraction process optimization was done based on response surface methodology with seven response factors including total extraction yield (%), amount of rutin (AOR, mg/g), amount of quercetin (AOQ, mg/g), total phenolic content (TPC, mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry weight (mg GAE/g DW), total flavonoids content (TFC, mg rutin equivalents/g DW (mg RE/g DW) anti-radical activity (ARA, %), and α-amylase inhibitory activity (AIA, %). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for quantification of rutin and quercetin. The optimal extraction yield, AOR, AOQ, TPC, TFC, ARA, and AIA were 32.39 %, 71.43 mg/g, 23.68 mg/g, 178.63 mg GAE/g DW, 100.22 mg RE/g DW, 76.41 %, and 77.48 %, respectively. The optimal conditions were 91 min time, 6.1 mL enzyme cocktail, pH 4.8, and 48 ℃ temperature. For ARA, EC50 (µg/mL) of HA was 9.75 ± 0.27 compared to 6.10 ± 0.38 of ascorbic acid standard. For AIA, IC50 (µg/mL) of HA and acarbose standard were 51.97 ± 0.21 and 47.89 ± 0.61 μg/mL, respectively. The validation study strongly supported the predicted model with a very low relative standard deviation (0.45–3.37 %). The model was statistically significant and efficient for obtaining rutin, quercetin, and other antioxidant and antidiabetic compounds from Holarrhena antidysenterica seeds on the industrial level.

Optimization of Extraction Process and Analysis of Biological Activity of Flavonoids from Leaves of Cultivated 'Qi-Nan' Agarwood.

Currently, the planting of 'Qi-Nan' is continuously increasing, yet a substantial amount of 'Qi-Nan' leaves have not been properly exploited. To improve the 'Qi-Nan' tree 's utilization value, 'Qi-Nan' leaves were used as a raw material. An ultrasound-assisted method was performed to obtain the flavonoids from the 'Qi-Nan' leaves, followed by optimization of the extraction factors using a one-way and response surface methodology to enhance the extraction of flavonoids. Subsequently, the composition of the flavonoids, as well as their bioactive abilities, were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS) and in vitro activity testing methods. The findings demonstrated that a 1:50 material-to-liquid ratio, 60% ethanol concentration, and ultrasound-assisted extraction time of 30 min were the ideal procedures for extracting flavonoids (flavonoid content: 6.68%). Meanwhile, the 'Qi-Nan' leaves possessed the antioxidant and medicinal potential to prevent diabetes and Alzheimer 's disease, as evidenced by the semi-inhibitory concentrations (IC50 values) of flavonoid extracts for scavenging DPPH• free radicals, scavenging ABTS•+ free radicals, inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, and inhibiting α-glucosidase, which were 12.64 μg/mL, 66.58 μg/mL, 102.31 μg/mL, and 38.76 μg/mL, respectively, which indicated that the 'Qi-Nan' leaves possessed the properties of antioxidant and medicinal potential for the prevention of Alzheimer 's disease and diabetes.

Eco-friendly and high-performance extraction of flavonoids from lemon peel wastes by applying ultrasound-assisted extraction and eutectic solvents

This work aimed to develop an optimized extraction process to achieve an environmentally friendly proposal to recover flavonoids from lemon peel wastes using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and eutectic mixtures as solvents. The eutectic mixture choline chloride:acetic acid (ChCL:AA; 1:2 mol/mol) displayed the best extraction performance of the target compounds, here represented by hesperidin and narirutin. In Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) approach, we identified the ideal conditions for flavonoid recovery: a solvent-to-feed ratio (R(S/F)) of 30 (v/m), 40% water content (m/m), and a static time of 40 min. Combined with a dynamic extraction time of 6 min (under cavitation), those parameters yielded optimal results in flavonoid recovery. The 320 W ultrasound power achieved the maximum yield of the target compounds (5.25 mghesperidin/gbiomass and 0.21 mgnarirutin/gbiomass). Besides, our results showed that the ChCL:AA solvent enhanced the thermal stability of flavonoids, showcasing remarkable potential as a stabilizing agent for various applications. Ultrasound-assisted extractions were superior in extraction performance compared to conventional techniques, namely maceration and magnetic stirring.

Optimization of Piperine Extraction Process from Vietnamese White Pepper

The primary theme of this research was to consider and examine the piperine extraction process conditions from white pepper Piper nigrum L. The extraction method was carried out using a solvent cyclic extraction system with the same operating principle as the industrial apparatus and widely used in actual production. First, the one-factor-at-a-time method was used to determine the effects of the parameters on each process. The extraction conditions such as the ethanol concentration (90% v/v), solvent/solid ratio (3:1 mL/g), 3 times extraction per batch, each time at 70 °C for 60 minutes were found. The expected value of piperine yield from white pepper was 38.7 mg piperine/g of dry material and piperine content in oleoresin was 519.2 mg piperine/g of oleoresin. However, this method did not include the interaction effects between the research variables, which has not fully described the impact of the parameter for the response. Therefore, the study has successfully built a process for extracting oleoresin by Response Surface Methodolody (RSM) based on optimal conditions for 3 factors: ethanol concentration (85% v/v); solvent/solid ratio (3.4:1 mL/g), and extraction time (78 minutes). The results showed that the piperine extraction efficiency had a significant improvement (51.99%) compared with the variable-by-variable method (38.7%). This study proved the potential application of white pepper for the purpose of extracting active ingredients and economic. In other words, the entire skull of this pepper, which contained an abundant amount of piperine, was utilized to the maximum without wasting any leftover material after the extraction process.

Optimization of Extraction Process and Activity of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitory Peptide from Walnut Meal.

In order to further realize the resource reuse of walnut meal after oil extraction, walnut meal was used as raw material to prepare polypeptide, and its angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity was investigated. The ACE inhibitory peptides were prepared from walnut meal protein by alkaline solution and acid precipitation. The hydrolysis degree and ACE inhibition rate were used as indexes to optimize the preparation process by single-factor experiment and response surface method. The components with the highest ACE activity were screened by ultrafiltration, and their antioxidant activities were evaluated in vitro. The effect of gastrointestinal digestion on the stability of walnut peptide was analyzed by measuring molecular weight and ACE inhibition rate. The results showed that the optimal extraction conditions were pH 9.10, hydrolysis temperature 54.50 °C, and hydrolysis time 136 min. The ACE inhibition rate of walnut meal hydrolysate (WMH) prepared under these conditions was 63.93% ± 0.43%. Under the above conditions, the fraction less than 3 kDa showed the highest ACE inhibitory activity among the ACE inhibitory peptides separated by ultrafiltration. The IC50 value of scavenging ·OH free radical was 1.156 mg/mL, the IC50 value of scavenging DPPH free radical was 0.25 mg/mL, and the IC50 value of scavenging O2- was 3.026 mg/mL, showing a strong total reducing ability. After simulated gastrointestinal digestion in vitro, the ACE inhibitory rate of walnut peptide decreased significantly, but it still maintained over 90% ACE inhibitory activity. This study provides a reference for the application of low-molecular-weight walnut peptide as a potential antioxidant and ACE inhibitor.

Simultaneous Extraction and Decaffeination Process Optimization of Green Coffee Bean-Based Beverages Using Response Surface Methodology

Simultaneous Extraction and Decaffeination Process Optimization of Green Coffee Bean-Based Beverages Using Response Surface Methodology

Preliminary optimization of extraction process for Citrus sinensisOsbeck L. peel essential oil and quality evaluation

The present study performed optimization of the essential oil extraction from Citrus sinensis Osbeck L. peel. The conditions of grinding time of 1 min, extraction time of 150 min, and a water-to-material ratio of 1:3 (w/v) on frozen matter yielded 4.20 (%, g/100 g fresh matter) of extract in semi-pilot scaleby hydrodistillation method. C. sinensis peel EO was subjected to sensory evaluation, heavy metal contents, physical properties including density, pole rotation angles, and refractive index. D-limonene was identified in the synthesized peel extract with the highest content of 98.12 %. Thisprocess may have great potential as an alternative as it allows the recovery of C. sinensis by-products and production of high quality essential oils. ® 2024 Journal of Science and Technology - NTTU

Validation of spectrophotometric methods for the simultaneous determination of fluconazole and riparin B in the development of lipid nanoparticles modified by β-cyclodextrin: Application for in vitro characterization and ex vivo studies of nail retention

Fluconazole (FLC) has been used in the clinic for almost thirty years as a treatment for fungal infections, but its widespread use has led to the emergence of resistant strains. In this context, synthetic analogues of riparins, phytocompounds isolated from Aniba riparia (Nees) Mez (Lauraceae), such as Riparin B (RIP), stand out as an important agent for modulating antimicrobial resistance, potentially useful for treating superficial mycoses resistant to conventional antifungals. Onychomycosis is one of the main fungal infections affecting the nails. Its local treatment is desirable but has limited efficacy due to poor drug permeation. The use of nanoparticles and permeation promoters can increase permeability and improve treatment. Therefore, nanostructured lipid carriers coated with β-cyclodextrin (MNLC) were developed for the topical application of FLC and RIP on nails. To support the formulation, four spectrophotometric methods (amplitude factor, amplitude subtraction, modified amplitude subtraction, and fourth-order derivative), based on derivative spectroscopy and simple mathematical manipulations, were validated, in accordance with the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH), for simultaneous determination of FLC and RIP in the MNLC and in in vitro characterization studies of the formulation. In addition, the methods were applied to quantify drug retention in porcine hooves using an optimized extraction process. All the methods developed were found to be linear (r > 0.999), precise (RSD < 5 %), and accurate (92.33 to 108.86 %) without being affected by the components of the formulation or the biological matrix. The methods developed made it possible to determine the encapsulation efficiency and sustained release profile of the drugs. In addition, successive extractions revealed the amount of FLC and RIP retained in the superficial and deeper regions of porcine hooves. Thus, the results indicated that FLC and RIP can be determined simultaneously, quickly, simply, and economically, using any of the proposed methods, in complex MNLC samples and the biological matrix of porcine hooves.

Artificial neural network optimisation of natural deep eutectic solvent extraction process of Danshen–Gegen and cytotoxicity study

Natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs) are environmentally friendly and efficient for the componential extraction of traditional Chinese medicine compared to conventional organic solvents. In this study, NaDES was screened and employed to extract Danshen–Gegen (DG), and the extraction process was optimised by response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANN) model. Besides, the in vitro security of extracts of DG were evaluated in PC12 cells. As a result, Betaine-Urea (Bet-Ur) was screened as extraction solvent and ANN model was more accurate than RSM model in optimising the extraction parameter. The extraction process optimised by ANN was as follows: 70% NaDES concentration, 80 mg/mL solid to liquid ratio, 67 °C ultrasonic temperature, and 33 min of ultrasonic time. The comprehensive value of extraction yield was 0.7251 ± 0.84%. IC50 of Bet-Ur, NaDES DG extract and aqueous DG extract were 0.15%, 0.3% and 10% (v/v).

Optimization of ultrasonic-assisted extraction of polyphenols from Salvia deserta Schang flowers based on response surface methodology and deep neural network and analysis of its in vitro antioxidant activities

This study aims to establish the optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction for active compounds from Salvia deserta Schang flowers. The effect of ultrasonic time, ratio of liquid to material, ethanol concentration, and ultrasonic power on the extraction efficiency of total polyphenols and three phenolic compounds (e.g., rosmarinic acid, caffeic acid, and protocatechuic acid was investigated. Response surface methodology (RSM) and deep neural network (DNN) model was performed to find out the optimum extraction conditions to maximize the output using a comprehensive evaluation score in parallel. Compared with the DNN model, the optimal working conditions of the extraction procedures based on the RSM model achieves the maximum yield of active components in S. deserta Schang flowers while requiring a shorter extraction time, lower energy consumption, and greater cost effectiveness. The optimal extraction process for the active components of S. deserta Schang flowers was determined as follows: 39 min of ultrasonic time, 1:37 (g/mL) ratio of liquid to material, 55% ethanol concentration, and 200 W of ultrasonic power. Additionally, S. deserta Schang flowers exhibited promising antioxidative activity, which was verified through several in vitro antioxidant trials, including DPPH, ABTS, ·OH, and phosphomolybdate method, suggesting their remarkable antioxidant capacity. This findings contribute effective, sustainable and valuable insights into the ultrasonic-assisted extraction of valuable compounds from S. deserta Schang flower, and the more biological activity of compounds from S. deserta Schang flower remains to be further investigated.

Establishment of HPLC method and optimization of ultrasonic-assisted extraction process for two lignan active substances in Asarum heterotropoides

In the present study, developed a dependable HPLC technique to quantify asarinin and sesamin in Asarum heterotropoides Fr. Schmidt var. mandshuricum (Maxim.) Kitag. The optimal conditions for the ultrasonic-assisted extraction were determined by conducting single-factor experiment, Plackett-Burman design experiment, and Box-Behnken response surface method. Based on actual operation factors and analysis, the optimal extraction parameters were methanol volume fraction of 80% (v/v), liquid-to-material ratio of 10:1 (mL/g), ultrasonic time of 40 min, ultrasonic temperature of 51°C, and ultrasonic power of 300 W. When subjected to these conditions, the average asarinin and sesamin content were found to be 13.40 mg/g and 2.39 mg/g, respectively, with a relative error of 1.04% and 3.46%, which was consistent with the theoretical value. This study can offer a theoretical reference for the extraction of asarinin and sesamin in Asarum.

Impact of extraction methods on bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of Thai jasmine rice leaf extracts

SummaryStudies have recently highlighted potential health benefits of young rice leaves; however, optimization of extraction process was often overlooked. The present study aimed to assess impacts of extraction methods, namely, maceration and decoction, on total phenolics content and antioxidant activities based on FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS assays of extracts from Thai cultivar of Jasmine rice leaves. The study examined influences of ethanol concentration (0–100% (v/v) for maceration), boiling time (10–30 min for decoction) and solvent‐to‐solid ratio (20–40 mL g−1 for both maceration and decoction). Results showed that under its optimal condition (50% (v/v) ethanol concentration and solvent‐to‐solid ratio of 30 mL g−1), maceration yielded significantly higher total phenolic content, 12.54 ± 0.94 mg GAE/g DW. Furthermore, mechanisms of single electron transfer responsible for antioxidant activities were explored, identifying flavonoids as potential chemical markers in rice leaf extracts. Flavonoid derivatives, specifically isoorientin (3.33 ± 0.10 mg/g DW) and isovitexin (0.98 ± 0.03 mg/g DW), were subsequently quantified. This research contributed to improved understanding of relations between bioactive compounds and their antioxidant activities. The findings also underscore potential of Thai Jasmine rice leaves as natural additives in future functional foods production.

Optimization of Bear Oil Extraction Process and Hair Growth Activity.

According to ancient Chinese books, bear grease has the effects of strengthening muscles and bones, which is beneficial for weakness, but there is relatively little research on it. Thus, the extraction of it is beneficial for compensating for research in this area. In this study, a uniform experimental design method was used to optimize the extraction process of bear grease by enzymatic hydrolysis extraction, and the extraction rate can reach 81.89% under optimized extraction conditions. Furthermore, the components of bear grease obtained by this study were analyzed by GC-MS, and the results showed that ursolic oil was rich in unsaturated fatty acids (67.51%), which was higher than that of the traditional method (66.92%). The composition of bear grease extracted by the enzymatic method was also better than that extracted by the traditional method. In addition, bear grease obtained in this study had the obvious activity of promoting hair growth. The length, weight, and number of hair follicles in the depilation area of mice in the high-dose group were significantly different from those in the blank group (p < 0.01). This study optimized the extraction process of bear grease and conducted a preliminary analysis of its fatty acid composition, which is expected to provide some reference for the development of the medicinal value of bear grease.

Optimization of Microwave Assisted Aqueous Two‐Phase Extraction of Polysaccharides from Malus hupehensis and Evaluation Its Antioxidant Activity

AbstractThe two models of microwave assisted aqueous two‐phase extraction (MATPE) of polysaccharides from Malus hupehensis are established by response surface methodology (RSM) and back propagation neural network (BP‐NN), compared their prediction ability, and comparatively optimized extraction process by using RSM and BP‐NN coupled genetic algorithm (GA), and the antioxidant activity of M. hupehensis polysaccharides (MHPs) is evaluated by the scavenging ability of free radicals. The results show that the predictive ability of BP‐NN is significantly better than that of RSM. The optimal extraction parameters to achieve the highest MHPs yield (4.71 ± 0.04)% by MATPE are obtained through BP‐NN coupled GA method under the microwave power of 337 W, mass fraction of ammonium sulfate of 23%, ethanol concentration of 29%, and liquid‐to‐solid ratio of 22 mL g−1. The IC50 values of 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radicals (OH) scavenging capacities for MHPs achieve 5.13 and 3.29 mg mL−1, respectively. The findings provide important references for the development and utilization of M. hupehensis.

Recovery of uranium from phosphate ore of Iran mine: Part II- solvent extraction of uranium from wet-process phosphoric acid

The current study in laboratory scale was aimed at developing an optimal two-stage extraction process for production of yellow cake from the phosphoric acid solution that was extracted from the Sheikh Habil phosphate rocks in central Iran. To attain an optimized extraction process, different mixtures of D2EHPA + TOPO + TBP were examined. A total extraction cycle including extraction, stripping and yellow cake precipitation was run to realistically evaluate the performances of the selected mixtures-conditions. As for optimization of the operational conditions, we exploited central composite design (CCD) method, that is a branch of the surface response methodology (RSM), and analyzed the results with standard statistical methods. The O/A (organic to aqueous ratio) = 2, 11 min extraction time, 5 wt% TOPO concentration, 10–15 wt% TBP concentration, 20 wt% D2EHPA concentration, 800 mv oxidation-reduction potential, and 25 °C temperature were obtained as optimum extraction parameters. The O/A = 15, 11 min stripping time, 50 wt% phosphoric acid concentration, 250 mv oxidation-reduction potential, and 40 °C temperature were obtained as optimum stripping parameters. Finally on the last uranium extraction from the H3PO4 strippant on the optimum conditions, the concentration of uranium was more than 4500 ppm with extraction efficiency near to 90 %. Scrubbing of organic phase was done by 2 wt% of sulfuric acid solution at 40 °C and precipitation of ammonium uranyl carbonate (AUC, (NH4)4UO2(CO3)3) was done with 2 M ammonium carbonate solution at an O/A ratio of 1/2 with efficiency more than 95 % in the uranium precipitation process.

The optimization of extraction process on Quzhou Fructus Aurantii flavonoids with natural deep eutectic solvents: A comparative study between orthogonal analysis and genetic neural network

Quzhou Fructus Aurantii (QFA) is the dried immature fruit of the Rutaceae plant Citrus changshanhuyou Y. B. Chang (CSHY). In this study, six flavonoids including narirutin, naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, nobiletin, tangeretin were obtained by the ultrasonic-assisted extraction. Subsequently, nine types of natural deep eutectic solvents (NaDESs) were systematically screened and evaluated by the extraction yields determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Based on the single factor experiment, the influences of critical parameters on the extraction rate were investigated. Finally, the extraction process was optimized by orthogonal analysis and genetic neural network (GNN), respectively. Besides, the yields and antioxidant capacities of the extracts derived from the two different optimized processes were measured and compared. Taken together, the results indicated that betaine-lactic acid used as an extractant showed significant advantages among the tested NaDESs. Compared with the optimization results of orthogonal experiments, better extraction yields and antioxidant abilities were produced by GNN. The optimal factors provided by GNN were as follows: ultrasonic power 100 %, ultrasonic temperature 76 °C, ultrasonic time 69 min, water content 36%, liquid-solid ratio 15:1 (mL: g), particle size 70 mesh. The optimum extraction process was simple, feasible, stable and efficient.

Optimization of deep eutectic-like solvent-based ultrasound-assisted extraction of polysaccharides from Leonurus residues

Effects of the different types of deep eutectic-like solvents (DESs), molar ratio, water content, extraction temperature, extraction time, and ratio of liquid to solid were studied relative to the yield of Leonurus residue crude polysaccharide (LRCP). Extraction amounts of LRCP were determined. The extraction process parameters were optimized by response surface methodology, and an optimal extraction process was achieved. The results showed that DESs comprising choline chloride and ethylene glycol (CCEG) were suitable for the extraction. The optimum extraction process was as follows: water content, 27%; extraction temperature, 62 °C; and extraction time, 48 min. With the abovementioned parameters, the predicted extraction yield of LRCP was 14.1%. It was found that with these optimal extraction conditions, a 52.9% higher extraction yield could be achieved compared with hot water extraction. Therefore, a type of DES was found to be an excellent extraction solvent alternative for the extraction of polysaccharides and has a practical value.

Optimization of Microwave-Assisted Extraction Process of Total Flavonoids from Salicornia bigelovii Torr. and Its Hepatoprotective Effect on Alcoholic Liver Injury Mice.

The objective of this study was to determine the optimal extraction conditions for total flavonoids from S. bigelovii using microwave-assisted extraction and to analyze the protective effect of total flavonoids from S. bigelovii on alcoholic liver injury in mice. The optimization of the process conditions for the microwave-assisted extraction of total flavonoids from S. bigelovii was performed using response surface methodology, and an alcohol-induced acute liver injury model in mice was used to investigate the effects of different doses of total flavonoids (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, and 400 mg/kg) on the levels and activities of serum alanine aminotransferase kits (ALT), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase kits (AST), superoxide dismutase kits (SOD), glutathione peroxidase kits (GSH-Px), and malondialdehyde (MDA). We performed hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining analysis on pathological sections of mouse liver tissue, and qRT-PCR technology was used to detect the expression levels of the inflammatory factors IL-1 β, IL-6, and TNF-α. The results revealed that the optimal extraction process conditions for total flavonoids in S. bigelovii were a material-to-liquid ratio of 1:30 (g/mL), an ethanol concentration of 60%, an extraction temperature of 50 °C, an ultrasound power of 250 W, and a yield of 5.71 ± 0.28 mg/g. Previous studies have demonstrated that the flavonoids of S. bigelovii can significantly inhibit the levels of ALT and AST in the serum (p < 0.001), reduce MDA levels (p < 0.001), increase the activity of the antioxidant enzymes SOD and GSH-Px (p < 0.001), and inhibit the IL-1 β, IL-6, and TNF-α gene expression levels (p < 0.001) of inflammatory factors. The total flavonoids of S. bigelovii exert a protective effect against alcoholic liver injury by reducing the levels of inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipid peroxidation caused by alcohol. The results of this study lay the foundation for the high-value utilization of S. bigelovii and provide new resources for the development of liver-protective drugs.

Effects of alkaline and ultrasonication on duckweed (Wolffia arrhiza) protein extracts’ physicochemical and techno-functional properties

Wolffia is a protein-rich aquatic plant with the potential to help address food sustainability issues; however, a more efficient extraction process must be sought due to limited yield with conventional methods. This study aimed to investigate the effects of duckweed forms (fresh and dried), duckweed-to-aqueous solution ratio (DSR), as well as alkaline and ultrasonication extractions on yields, physicochemical and techno-functional properties of duckweed protein extracts (DPE). Three extraction methods were used: alkaline extraction (AE), ultrasound-assisted alkaline extraction (UAAE), and ultrasound-assisted water extraction (UAWE). The study showed fresh duckweed resulted in a 2.5-fold higher yield and protein recovery than oven-dried duckweed. UAE significantly enhanced extraction yield and protein recovery. The optimal extraction process was a DSR of 1:6 using UAAE at pH 8.5, resulting in a 16% yield and 34% protein recovery. Furthermore, the study found that UAE facilitated the extraction of non-polar/hydrophobic amino acids while AE proved to be efficient in extracting sulfur-containing amino acids. This study, for the first time, revealed the role of UAE and AE in promoting the extraction of different profiles of amino acids. The DPE produced using UAAE contained 65% protein, meeting the WHO/FAO/UNU recommended protein intake for preschool-aged children. Furthermore, the DPE exhibited excellent emulsifying properties and oil-holding capacity comparable to commercial soy protein isolates. Overall, UAAE was identified as a promising approach for producing techno-functional and nutritious protein ingredients from Wolffia. The resulting DPE proved to show great potential for functional plant-based food and feed applications.