Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidants for Cosmetic Applications Using Polyol-Based Technology

Summary

This protocol details the utilization of a polyol-based microwave-assisted extraction method for extracting phenolic compounds and natural antioxidants, representing a practical and environmentally sustainable approach to the development of ready-to-use extracts.

Abstract

The utilization of polyols as green solvents for extracting bioactive compounds from plant materials has gained attention due to their safety and inert behavior with plant bioactive chemicals. This study explores the sustainable extraction of phenolic compounds and natural antioxidants from coffee silverskin using the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) method with polyol-based solvents: glycerin, propylene glycol (PG), butylene glycol (BG), methylpropanediol (MPD), isopentyldiol (IPD), pentylene glycol, 1,2-hexanediol, and hexylene glycol (HG). A comparative analysis was conducted on conventional and non-conventional solvent extractions, focusing on their impact on the bioactive compounds of MAE, encompassing parameters such as total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activities like the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay (DPPH), the 2,2′-azino-bis(-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical scavenging assay (ABTS), and the ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP). The highest values were observed for TPC with aqueous-1,2-hexanediol extraction (52.0 ± 3.0 mg GAE/g sample), TFC with aqueous-1,2-hexanediol extraction (20.0 ± 1.7 mg QE/g sample), DPPH with aqueous-HG extraction (13.6 ± 0.3 mg TE/g sample), ABTS with aqueous-pentylene glycol extraction (8.2 ± 0.1 mg TE/g sample), and FRAP with aqueous-HG extraction (21.1 ± 1.3 mg Fe (II) E/g sample). This research aims to advance eco-friendly extraction technology through natural plant components, promoting sustainability by minimizing hazardous chemical use while reducing time and energy consumption, with potential applications in cosmetics.

Introduction

Nowadays, there is a global trend towards environmental awareness in the beauty industry, leading manufacturers to focus on green technology for extracting plant components using sustainable alternatives¹. Typically, traditional solvents such as ethanol, methanol, and hexane are used to extract plant phenolic components and natural antioxidants². Nevertheless, the presence of solvent residues within plant extracts poses a potential risk to human health, inducing skin and eye irritation³, particularly concerning their intended application in cosmetics. Consequently, it is challenging to eliminate s....

Protocol

The details of the reagents and the equipment used in this study are listed in the Table of Materials.

1. Experimental preparation

1. Plant sample preparation
   1. Collect fresh coffee silverskin (Coffea arabica) and dry it at 60 °C in a tray dryer for 72 h¹¹.
   2. Grind the dried coffee silverskin (CS) into a fine powder using a grinder and store it at room temperature for further analysis

Discussion

Various factors play a crucial role in the successful implementation of MAE, such as the phytochemical content of plant components, extraction duration, temperature, microwave power, solid-liquid ratio, and solvent concentration¹³. Plants typically exhibit varying profiles of phytochemicals; hence, the selection of natural plants rich in antioxidants and phenolic compounds is essential²³. Furthermore, distinct bioactive constituents display a variety of polarities depending.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
1,2-Hexanediol	Chanjao Longevity Co., Ltd.
2,2 -Azino-bis 3 ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid diammonium salt (ABTS)	Sigma	A1888
2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)	Sigma	D9132
2,4,6-Tri(2-pyridyl)-s-triazine (TPTZ)	Sigma	93285
2-Digital balance	Ohaus		Pioneer
4-Digital balance	Denver	SI-234
6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8 tetramethylchroman -2-carboxylic acid (Trolox)	Sigma	238813
96-well plate	SPL Life Science
Absolute ethanol	RCI Labscan	64175
Acetic acid	RCI Labscan	64197
Aluminum chloride	Loba Chemie	898
Automatic pipette	Labnet		Biopett
Butylene glycol	Chanjao Longevity Co., Ltd.
Ethos X advanced microwave extraction	Milestone Srl, Sorisole, Italy
Ferrous sulfate	Ajex Finechem	3850
Folin-Ciocalteu's reagent	Loba Chemie	3870
Freezer SF	Sanyo	C697(GYN)
Gallic acid	Sigma	398225
Grinder	Ou Hardware Products Co.,Ltd
Hexylene glycol	Chanjao Longevity Co., Ltd.
Hydrochloric acid (37%)	RCI Labscan	AR1107
Iron (III) chloride	Loba Chemie	3820
Isopentyldiol	Chanjao Longevity Co., Ltd.
Methanol	RCI Labscan	67561
Methylpropanediol	Chanjao Longevity Co., Ltd.
Pentylene glycol	Chanjao Longevity Co., Ltd.
Potassium persulfate	Loba Chemie	5420
Propylene glycol	Chanjao Longevity Co., Ltd.
Quercetin	Sigma	Q4951
Refrigerated centrifuge	Hettich
Sodium acetate	Loba Chemie	5758
Sodium carbonate	Loba Chemie	5810
Sodium hydroxide	RCI Labscan	AR1325
Sodium nitrite	Loba Chemie	5954
SPECTROstar Nano microplate reader	BMG- LABTECH
SPSS software	IBM SPSS Statistics 20
Tray dryer	France Etuves	XUE343