Deep Eutectic Solvents for Efficient and Selective Extraction of α-Glucosidase Inhibitors from Waste Seeds of Refined Betel Nuts
Jin Liu,
Li Ma,
Senwen Deng,
Xinzhi Chen,
Qi Li,
Aiqing Xu,
Ting Tong,
Shuhua Tan,
Mingkang Wang,
Jiangtao Cai,
Haihua Wang
Affiliations
Jin Liu
Hunan Key Laboratory of Economic Crops Genetic Improvement and Integrated Utilization, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan Academy of Binglang Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, China
Li Ma
National Engineering Research Center of Oiltea Camellia, Research Institute of Oiltea Camellia, Hunan Academy of Forestry, Shao Shan South Road, No. 658, Changsha 410004, China
Senwen Deng
Hunan Key Laboratory of Economic Crops Genetic Improvement and Integrated Utilization, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan Academy of Binglang Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, China
Xinzhi Chen
Hunan Key Laboratory of Economic Crops Genetic Improvement and Integrated Utilization, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan Academy of Binglang Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, China
Qi Li
Hunan Lerkam Biology Corp., Ltd. No. 12, Rongxin Road, Ecological Industrial Park, Chenguan Town, Yueyang 414009, China
Aiqing Xu
Hunan Key Laboratory of Economic Crops Genetic Improvement and Integrated Utilization, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan Academy of Binglang Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, China
Ting Tong
Hunan Key Laboratory of Economic Crops Genetic Improvement and Integrated Utilization, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan Academy of Binglang Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, China
Shuhua Tan
Hunan Key Laboratory of Economic Crops Genetic Improvement and Integrated Utilization, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan Academy of Binglang Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, China
Mingkang Wang
Hunan Vocational Institute of Safety Technology, Wang Jiali North Road, No. 66, Changsha 410151, China
Jiangtao Cai
Hunan Key Laboratory of Economic Crops Genetic Improvement and Integrated Utilization, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan Academy of Binglang Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, China
Haihua Wang
Hunan Key Laboratory of Economic Crops Genetic Improvement and Integrated Utilization, School of Life and Health Sciences, Hunan Academy of Binglang Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Xiangtan 411201, China
During the production process of refined betel nuts in China, a large amount of processing by-product, betel nut waste seeds, is generated. Betel nut waste seeds are rich in bioactive elements, but they have not been effectively utilized yet. In this study, an ultrasonic-assisted deep eutectic solvent method (DES) was used to selectively extract α-glucosidase inhibitors from waste seeds. Compared with traditional extraction solvents such as water and ethanol, the extraction efficiency of specific DESs is higher, and the content of alkaloids in the extracts is lower. However, it should be noted that some pure DESs exhibit inhibitory activity towards α-glucosidase. DESs, based on choline chloride/urea, were selected due to the high extraction efficiency of α-glucosidase inhibitors and their low alkaloid content as well as low inhibitory activity. The optimal extraction conditions were determined using single-factor experiments as follows: 30% (v/v) water content, a choline chloride/urea ratio of 5:3, a solid–liquid ratio of 1:10, extraction temperature of 40 °C, and a duration of 30 min. Through recovery experiments, it was found that the DES can be reused four times under these conditions, maintaining an inhibition rate comparable to alcohol extraction methods. The IC50 value of the extract was measured at 0.0066 mg/mL, superior to acarbose. In summary, this research has successfully developed an efficient and selective method for extracting α-glucosidase inhibitors from betel nut waste seeds, thereby presenting a promising avenue for future applications.
