Optimization of the Cold Water Extraction Method for High-Value Bioactive Compounds from Chamomile ( Matricaria chamomilla L.) Flower Heads Through Chemometrics

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2024-10, Vol.29 (20), p.4925
• Main Authors: Foschi, Martina, Marsili, Lorenzo, Luciani, Ilaria, Gornati, Giulia, Scappaticci, Claudia, Ruggieri, Fabrizio, D'Archivio, Angelo Antonio, Biancolillo, Alessandra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH); Antioxidants; Antioxidants - chemistry; Antioxidants - isolation & purification; Biological activity; chamomile; Chamomile - chemistry; Chromatography; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - methods; Cold; Cold Temperature; cold water extraction; design of experiment (DOE); Flowers - chemistry; Functional foods; Herbal medicine; High performance liquid chromatography; high-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detector (HPLC-DAD); Mass spectrometry; Matricaria - chemistry; Methods; Oils & fats; Phytochemicals - analysis; Phytochemicals - chemistry; Phytochemicals - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Polyphenols - analysis; Polyphenols - chemistry; Polyphenols - isolation & purification; Scientific imaging; Toxicity; ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis); Variables; Variance analysis; VOCs; Volatile organic compounds; Water - chemistry
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules29204925

This study focused on optimizing a cold water extraction method to obtain bioactive compounds from chamomile ( L.), addressing increasing consumer demand for natural products and nutraceuticals. A full-factorial design was employed to evaluate the effects of temperature, time, and chamomile amount on the polyphenolic profile of extracts. The samples were characterized by HPLC-DAD and UV-Vis coupled with chemometrics; the analysis showed that extraction time negatively affected extract quality, as did the interaction between time and temperature. In addition, a significant positive quadratic effect for temperature and a positive coefficient for chamomile amount was found. ASCA was used to assess the UV-Vis profile, offering an alternative untargeted method for understanding the variable effects. The optimal extraction conditions (25 °C, 32 min, and 2.5 g of chamomile) produced samples high in hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids and flavanol derivatives. Using A face-centered design, this study also monitored antioxidant activity via a DPPH scavenging assay, confirming that the optimal conditions yielded samples within the range of maximum antioxidant activity in the studied experimental domain.