Microwave hydrodiffusion and gravity and pressurized-liquid extraction for obtaining bioactive compounds from Solanum viarum

Abstract

Brazilian biodiversity is considered a source of bioactive substances, and one of the species found is Solanum viarum Dunal, which is mainly composed of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. The purpose of this study was to evaluate two non-conventional extraction techniques — microwave hydrodiffusion and gravity (MHG) and pressurized-liquid extraction (PLE) — in obtaining bioactive compounds from S. viarum. Different parameters were assessed that directly influenced the yield and chemical composition of extracts. For PLE, the percentage of ethanol and temperature were evaluated on yield and composition. For MHG, temperature and pressure were evaluated on the same responses. PLE presented the highest extract yield (26.11 wt.%) and bioactive compounds concentration, while the highest extract yield of MHG was 1.68 wt.%. Both techniques indicated efficiency in extracting integerrimine, senecionine, and quinic acid. Knowing the compounds present in plants, using different extractive methods, enables the development of research that addresses their possible potential in the future.

Keywords

• active substances; pyrrolizidine alkaloids; plant secondary metabolites; vegetable extracts.