Application of ultrasound waves for extraction of total phenols and flavonoids from Echinacea Purpurea (L.)

The purple coneflower scientifically called Echinacea Purpurea (L.) Moench is perennial herb that belongs to the asterial family [1]. Due to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the aerial part (such as flowers), the E. Purpurea was used to cure frostbite and viral infections. In general, the antioxidant property refers to constituent phenolic and flavonoid compounds in this plant [2]. In this study, a central composite design (CCD) was used to evaluate the significant extraction variables to achieving the higher recovery yield of total phenolic and flavonoid content from aerial part of E. Purpurea. Ultrasound-assisted extraction technique was employed as driving force for extraction process. The total phenolic content and total flavonoid content, respectively, were accounted by using Foline-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric method. Effective variables such as plant mass, volume of solvent, sonication time and ultrasound temperature were investigated. The significant variables were optimized by using a CCD combined with desirability function (DF). At optimum conditions values of variables are set as 4 g of plant powder, 17 mL of extraction solvent, 22 min for sonication and 37 °C for ultrasonic bath. Results indicated that there were significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) among populations for total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Total phenolic content varied from 36.57 to 31.39 (mg gallic acid/100 g dry wt), and total flavonoid content ranged from 58.32 to 307.44 (mg quercetin/100 g dry matters).

Keywords:

coneflower , ultrasound-assisted , phenolic , flavonoid , CCD combined