Enhancing phenolic compounds recovery from Arnica montana L. flowers through optimized green extraction protocols

• Published in: Journal of applied research on medicinal and aromatic plants 2024-12, Vol.43, p.100600, Article 100600
• Main Authors: Garcia-Oliveira, Paula, Chamorro, Franklin, Simal-Gandara, Jesus, Prieto, Miguel A., Cassani, Lucía
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bioactive compounds; Chemometric analysis; Efficiency; Microwave-assisted extraction; Optimization; Pressurized-liquid extraction
• ISSN: 2214-7861; 2214-7861
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jarmap.2024.100600

The present study aimed to optimize the extraction conditions (time, temperature, and ethanol concentration) of pressurized-liquid and microwave-assisted extraction (PLE and MAE, respectively) to maximize the recovery of phenolic compounds from Arnica montana flowers. To this aim, response surface methodology (RSM) with an experimental design was applied. The studied variable responses were extraction yield and total phenolic content (TPC), expressed as mg/g of sample dry weight (dw) and mg/g of extract. For PLE, the models showed a good adjusted R2 coefficient (0.75–0.92) and no significant lack of fit. MAE models also showed good adjustment, except for TPC expressed per g of dw, where the model showed a significant lack of fit and was not suitable for optimization. The optimal PLE conditions that maximized all response variables were 11 min, 125 °C and 76 % ethanol in water. For MAE, the optimal conditions were 25 min, 115 °C, and 76 % ethanol. Comparing the predicted values, PLE significantly surpassed MAE in terms of TPC, obtaining 389 compared to 246 mg of total phenolics/g of extract for MAE. Validation experiments confirmed the suitability of the predictive models. In the case of PLE, employing extraction cycles under optimal conditions improved phenolic compound extraction, with three extraction cycles leading to a 104 % increase in TPC. Overall, the optimized PLE protocol was considered an efficient methodology for obtaining rich-phenolic extracts, contributing to the expansion of current industrial applications of A. montana. [Display omitted] •Dicaffeoylquinic acid was the main bioactive compound in AM extracts.•RSM optimized PLE and MAE conditions for maximum phenolic recovery from AM flowers.•PLE showed superior robustness and fit compared to MAE for phenolic extraction.•PLE outperformed MAE in TPC, achieving 389 mg/g of extract vs. 246 mg/g for MAE.•Sequential PLE cycles enhanced phenolic recovery, suggesting three cycles as optimal.