Sadanand E Raval, Seema R Saple and Vikas V Vaidya

The phytochemicals undoubtedly play a pivotal role in a medicinal plant’s application as a remedy and human cure. India as a global leader leverages its ancient knowledge-based medicinal systems like Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani. The systems being practiced since eternity encounter challenges in getting the potential of phytochemicals unlocked out of the medicinal plant. The extraction of phytochemicals from the medicinal plant matrix significantly relies on the efficiency of the applied extraction method. The efficient extraction is not only essential as it provides isolation, concentration, and further characterization of phytochemicals but simultaneously it assists the use of them across the various industries. In turn, the efficient extraction process aids in bridging the traditional knowledge to modern applications. Further, we can have a medicinal plant as an effective and sustainable source for its applications.     
In the present article, we have attempted to evaluate and compare the efficiency of extraction techniques like maceration, Soxhlet extraction (hot continuous extraction), and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) with three solvents methanol, ethanol, and dichloromethane applied to facilitate the extraction of bioactive compounds Betulin, Lupeol, Stigmasterol, and β-Sitosterol from Asteracantha longifolia (L.) Nees. The extraction methods and employed solvents significantly affect on extraction of phytochemicals. The efficiency evaluation of the applied method is based on residue yield and the results of extraction of bioactive compounds, which include phytochemicals Betulin, Lupeol, Stigmasterol, and β-Sitosterol. The result showed that maceration with methanol produced the highest residue yield and content of Betulin, while the ethanol-UAE also demonstrated better selectivity for phytochemicals. Soxhlet extraction preserved consistency in bioactive compounds although the residue yield is less. These laboratory findings will privilege in providing insights for optimizing phytochemical extraction for medicinal applications.
 

DOI: 10.22271/phyto.2024.v13.i6d.15191

Pages: 275-279  |  116 Views  42 Downloads