Molecules (Oct 2022)

Methods for Rapid Screening of Biologically Active Compounds Present in Plant-Based Extracts

  • Katarzyna Godlewska,
  • Paweł Pacyga,
  • Antoni Szumny,
  • Anna Szymczycha-Madeja,
  • Maja Wełna,
  • Izabela Michalak

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27207094
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 27, no. 20
p. 7094

Abstract

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In recent years, there has been an increased interest in products of natural origin. The extraction procedure of bioactive compounds from plant matrices is a crucial step in the development of useful new bioproducts for everyday life. The utilisation of analyses enabling the rapid identification of the presence of a given group of compounds can be helpful in the early stages of the development of new products in order to save time and reduce costs. Within this article, we have presented a comparison of different, accessible methods for the identification of various bioactive compounds, e.g., saponins, carboxylic acids, oils and fats, proteins and amino acids, steroids, and alkaloids in plant-based extracts. Additionally, the multielemental composition of extracts was also examined. The applied methods allowed for confirmation of the presence of biologically active compounds in bio-products obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction. At a later stage, these procedures should be supplemented by advanced analytical techniques in order to determine the plant chemicals’ content qualitatively and quantitatively.

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