Affiliation:
1. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442000, China
2. Hubei Key Laboratory of
Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Shiyan, 442000, China
3. Hubei Provincial Technology and Research Center
for Comprehensive Development of Medicinal Herbs, Shiyan, 442000, China
Abstract
Background:
Scutellariae Radix, one of the most widely used herbs in Traditional Chinese
Medicine, exhibits various biological activities due to its chemical components, which stand out
for a number of flavonoids. In this study, Ultrasound-assisted aqueous two-phase extraction (UAATPE)
was employed for the first time to obtain a high extraction rate and high purity of flavonoids
from Scutellariae Radix.
Methods:
The Box-Behnken response surface method (RSM) was utilized to optimize the extraction
conditions with the application of the new aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) composed of ethanol
and ammonium sulfate. The major influence factors, including ethanol concentration, ammonium
sulfate concentration, liquid-to-solid ratio, sonication time, and extraction temperature, were investigated
by the single-factor experiment. The compositional characterization of flavonoids was characterized
with HPLC-UV. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was applied to research the surface
morphology of raw material. Furthermore, the bioactivities of the extract obtained by UA-ATPE
were studied in vitro.
Results:
The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: the ethanol content was 26.12% (w/w),
the ammonium sulfate content was 20.02% (w/w), the liquid-to-solid ratio was 40 mL/g, the sonication
time was 5 min with the ultrasonic power of 250 W, and the operating process was performed
at room temperature. Compared with the traditional extraction methods, UA-ATPE exhibited higher
extraction efficiency and better extraction selectivity. The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging tests
showed that enriched products possessed strong antioxidant activity.
Conclusion:
The study confirmed that the developed method of UA-ATPE could be used as an efficient,
eco-friendly, and low-consumption method for the extraction and purification of flavonoids
from Scutellariae Radix.
Funder
Science and Technology Project of Hubei Province
College Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program of Hubei University of Medicine
Young and Middle-aged Scientific and Technological Innovation Team of universities in Hubei Province
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.