A Sustainable Approach to Valuable Polyphenol and Iridoid Antioxidants from Medicinal Plant By-Products
Filippo Marchetti,
Irene Gugel,
Stefania Costa,
Anna Baldisserotto,
Alberto Foletto,
Ilenia Gugel,
Erika Baldini,
Stefano Manfredini,
Silvia Vertuani
Affiliations
Filippo Marchetti
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Medicines and Health Products, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17–19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Irene Gugel
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Medicines and Health Products, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17–19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Stefania Costa
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Medicines and Health Products, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17–19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Anna Baldisserotto
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Medicines and Health Products, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17–19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Alberto Foletto
Pharmacy A. Foletto, Via Nuova 4, 38067 Ledro, Italy
Ilenia Gugel
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Medicines and Health Products, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17–19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Erika Baldini
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Medicines and Health Products, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17–19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Stefano Manfredini
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Medicines and Health Products, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17–19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Silvia Vertuani
Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Section of Medicines and Health Products, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17–19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
Supply chain waste gives rise to significant challenges in terms of disposal, making upcycling a promising and sustainable alternative for the recovery of bioactive compounds from by-products. Lignocellulosic by-products like STF231, which are derived from the medicinal plant extract industry, offer valuable compounds such as polyphenols and iridoids that can be recovered through upcycling. In an unprecedented study, we explored and compared conventional hydroethanolic extraction, ultrasound hydroethanolic extraction, and natural deep eutectic solvents–ultrasound extraction methods on STF231 to obtain extracts with antioxidant activity. The extraction profile of total polyphenols (TPCs) was measured using the Folin–Ciocalteu test and the antioxidant capacity of the extracts was tested with FRAP and DPPH assays. HPLC-UV was employed to quantify the phenolic and iridoid markers in the extracts. Additionally, the sustainability profile of the process was assessed using the green analytical procedure index (GAPI), AGREEprep, and analytical GREEnness metric approach (AGREE) frameworks. Our findings indicate that a choline chloride and lactic acid mixture at a 1:5 ratio, under optimal extraction conditions, resulted in extracts with higher TPC and similar antioxidant activity compared with conventional hydroethanolic extracts. The innovative aspect of this study lies in the potential application of sustainable upcycling protocols to a previously unexamined matrix, resulting in extracts with potential health applications.
