A ZnCl2-based pH-responsive low-melting mixture solvent for extracting psoralen from Ficus carica L. leaves: Insights from experimental and mechanism investigation
Mengfei Tian , Mengying Zhang , Kuiwang Chen , Jie Liu , Jiahui Gong , Wenxue Sun , Chunying Li , Chunjian Zhao
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Ficus carica L. is one of the most ancient fruit crops which is being cultivated in sub-tropical regions worldwide. Ficus carica L. leaves, which are considered agricultural by-products, are frequently discarded, leading to the wastage of biological resources. However, Ficus carica L. leaves are valuable source of psoralen (PSO) that displays multiple bioactive properties beneficial for the treatment of osteoporosis, viruses, bacteria, and inflammation. Therefore, enhancing the efficient isolation of PSO from Ficus carica L. leaves using sustainable solvents has been a focus. In this study, a switchable ZnCl2-based pH-responsive low-melting mixture solvent (LoMMS-ZnCl2) for sustainable extraction of PSO from Ficus carica L. leaves was developed. The LoMMS-ZnCl2 system, consisting of ZnCl2, DL-menthol, and octanoic acid (OA), demonstrates exceptional performance with an extraction yield of 30.68 mg·g−1 for PSO. After removing ZnCl2 from the LoMMS-ZnCl2 system using reverse extraction, the polarity of LoMMS was changed rapidly by pH stimulus, resulting in in-situ separation and enrichment of PSO. The extraction mechanism was further investigated by DFT simulation and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, revealing that hydrogen bonding, halogen bonding, coordination bonding, and Van der Waals forces are the primary intermolecular interactions between LoMMS-ZnCl2 and PSO. This strategy highlights the potential of LoMMS-ZnCl2 for efficient and sustainable extraction of PSO from Ficus carica L. leaves. Furthermore, it also offers a valuable reference for utilizing LoMMS-ZnCl2 in the extraction of natural bioactive compounds from various plant materials.
期刊介绍:
ChERD aims to be the principal international journal for publication of high quality, original papers in chemical engineering.
Papers showing how research results can be used in chemical engineering design, and accounts of experimental or theoretical research work bringing new perspectives to established principles, highlighting unsolved problems or indicating directions for future research, are particularly welcome. Contributions that deal with new developments in plant or processes and that can be given quantitative expression are encouraged. The journal is especially interested in papers that extend the boundaries of traditional chemical engineering.