Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from <i>Larrea cuneifolia</i> Cav. Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Contribution to the Plant Green Extract Validation of Its Pharmacological Potential
A sustainable alternative to replace the use of toxic and non-biodegradable conventional solvents for the extraction of active principles from plants is natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs). <i>Larrea cuneifolia</i> Cav. (Zygophyllaceae) is a plant widely distributed in semiarid areas...
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2025-03-01
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| author | Agostina Conta Mario Juan Simirgiotis José Martínez Chamás María Inés Isla Iris Catiana Zampini |
| author_facet | Agostina Conta Mario Juan Simirgiotis José Martínez Chamás María Inés Isla Iris Catiana Zampini |
| author_sort | Agostina Conta |
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| description | A sustainable alternative to replace the use of toxic and non-biodegradable conventional solvents for the extraction of active principles from plants is natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs). <i>Larrea cuneifolia</i> Cav. (Zygophyllaceae) is a plant widely distributed in semiarid areas of western Argentina. Several studies validate its popular medicinal use by demonstrating its biological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties, among others. The aim of this work was to compare the bioactive compounds and the in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activity of <i>L. cuneifolia</i> extracts using non-conventional vs. conventional solvents. Aqueous, ethanolic, and four NADES extracts were prepared. The extracts were phytochemically characterized, and extracted compounds were identified by UHPLC-MS/MS. Antioxidant activity was determined by evaluating the hydrogen peroxide and free radical scavenging capacity using ABTS<sup>•+</sup>. The antibacterial activity of the extracts and NADESs was evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative multidrug-resistant strains. The extracts of <i>L. cuneifolia</i> presented a variable content of total phenolic compounds between 4163.4 and 24,371.63 µg GAE/mL. Phenolic acids, flavonoid glycosides, flavanones, flavones, flavonols, alkaloids, lignans (nordihydroguaiaretic acid and its derivatives), and other compounds were tentatively identified in extracts of <i>L. cuneifolia</i> obtained with conventional and non-conventional solvents. A heatmap cluster and a bubble plot were created to compare the diversity and relative abundance of identified compounds, and the extracts were classified into two major groups. All extracts were able to scavenge > 40% of hydrogen peroxide and the ABTS radical cation (ABTS<sup>•+</sup>) (CD<sub>50</sub> = 3.15–5.13 µg GAE/mL). The LAS extract exhibited the highest bacterial growth inhibition (MIC = 75–37.5 µg GAE/mL). In conclusion, the results show that NADESs represent a sustainable alternative for the extraction of compounds with antioxidant and antibacterial activity and could therefore replace traditional solvents in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, or food industries. |
| format | Article |
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| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-bd51b1a4df1e494bb3313f98d3a4deb72025-08-20T03:03:23ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-03-01147101610.3390/plants14071016Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from <i>Larrea cuneifolia</i> Cav. Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Contribution to the Plant Green Extract Validation of Its Pharmacological PotentialAgostina Conta0Mario Juan Simirgiotis1José Martínez Chamás2María Inés Isla3Iris Catiana Zampini4Instituto de Bioprospección y Fisiología Vegetal (INBIOFIV-CONICET-UNT), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Martín 1545, San Miguel de Tucumán 4000, Tucumán, ArgentinaInstituto de Farmacia, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Valdivia 5090000, ChileInstituto de Bioprospección y Fisiología Vegetal (INBIOFIV-CONICET-UNT), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Martín 1545, San Miguel de Tucumán 4000, Tucumán, ArgentinaInstituto de Bioprospección y Fisiología Vegetal (INBIOFIV-CONICET-UNT), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Martín 1545, San Miguel de Tucumán 4000, Tucumán, ArgentinaInstituto de Bioprospección y Fisiología Vegetal (INBIOFIV-CONICET-UNT), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, San Martín 1545, San Miguel de Tucumán 4000, Tucumán, ArgentinaA sustainable alternative to replace the use of toxic and non-biodegradable conventional solvents for the extraction of active principles from plants is natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs). <i>Larrea cuneifolia</i> Cav. (Zygophyllaceae) is a plant widely distributed in semiarid areas of western Argentina. Several studies validate its popular medicinal use by demonstrating its biological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic properties, among others. The aim of this work was to compare the bioactive compounds and the in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activity of <i>L. cuneifolia</i> extracts using non-conventional vs. conventional solvents. Aqueous, ethanolic, and four NADES extracts were prepared. The extracts were phytochemically characterized, and extracted compounds were identified by UHPLC-MS/MS. Antioxidant activity was determined by evaluating the hydrogen peroxide and free radical scavenging capacity using ABTS<sup>•+</sup>. The antibacterial activity of the extracts and NADESs was evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative multidrug-resistant strains. The extracts of <i>L. cuneifolia</i> presented a variable content of total phenolic compounds between 4163.4 and 24,371.63 µg GAE/mL. Phenolic acids, flavonoid glycosides, flavanones, flavones, flavonols, alkaloids, lignans (nordihydroguaiaretic acid and its derivatives), and other compounds were tentatively identified in extracts of <i>L. cuneifolia</i> obtained with conventional and non-conventional solvents. A heatmap cluster and a bubble plot were created to compare the diversity and relative abundance of identified compounds, and the extracts were classified into two major groups. All extracts were able to scavenge > 40% of hydrogen peroxide and the ABTS radical cation (ABTS<sup>•+</sup>) (CD<sub>50</sub> = 3.15–5.13 µg GAE/mL). The LAS extract exhibited the highest bacterial growth inhibition (MIC = 75–37.5 µg GAE/mL). In conclusion, the results show that NADESs represent a sustainable alternative for the extraction of compounds with antioxidant and antibacterial activity and could therefore replace traditional solvents in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, or food industries.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/7/1016green chemistrymedicinal plantssemiarid regionnatural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs)UHPLC-MS/MS |
| spellingShingle | Agostina Conta Mario Juan Simirgiotis José Martínez Chamás María Inés Isla Iris Catiana Zampini Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from <i>Larrea cuneifolia</i> Cav. Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Contribution to the Plant Green Extract Validation of Its Pharmacological Potential Plants green chemistry medicinal plants semiarid region natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) UHPLC-MS/MS |
| title | Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from <i>Larrea cuneifolia</i> Cav. Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Contribution to the Plant Green Extract Validation of Its Pharmacological Potential |
| title_full | Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from <i>Larrea cuneifolia</i> Cav. Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Contribution to the Plant Green Extract Validation of Its Pharmacological Potential |
| title_fullStr | Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from <i>Larrea cuneifolia</i> Cav. Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Contribution to the Plant Green Extract Validation of Its Pharmacological Potential |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from <i>Larrea cuneifolia</i> Cav. Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Contribution to the Plant Green Extract Validation of Its Pharmacological Potential |
| title_short | Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from <i>Larrea cuneifolia</i> Cav. Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents: A Contribution to the Plant Green Extract Validation of Its Pharmacological Potential |
| title_sort | extraction of bioactive compounds from i larrea cuneifolia i cav using natural deep eutectic solvents a contribution to the plant green extract validation of its pharmacological potential |
| topic | green chemistry medicinal plants semiarid region natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) UHPLC-MS/MS |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/7/1016 |
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