Highly Effective Extraction of Gigantol from Dendrobium officinale Using the Ultrasonic-assisted Dry Grinding

Background Dendrobium officinale is a valuable medicinal food plant in China, and its component gigantol has various biological activities. However, due to the low extraction rate of gigantol, its application in the functional food industry is limited. This research aimed to explore an effective gigantol extraction method. Results Ultrasonic-assisted dry grinding extraction of gigantol from D. officinale almost reached completion after 15 min. The extraction rate of gigantol reached 65%, which was higher than that of the conventional heating refluxing method of extraction. Most cells were broken, and particle size was approximately 410 nm when D. officinale was ground for 15 min. Conclusion The results indicated that ultrasonic-assisted dry grinding is a highly effective gigantol extraction method that is valuable for the efficient use and low-cost extraction of gigantol from the medicinal food plant D. officinale. Furthermore, this method will be beneficial for the future application of gigantol in the functional food industry.