Application of natural deep eutectic solvents in the extraction of quercetin from vegetables

Can we extract valuable health compounds from our daily vegetables using green, tailor-made solvents? Recent research proves we can, turning everyday kitchen staples like onions and broccoli into goldmines of wellness.

Quercetin is a celebrated phytochemical famous for its disease-prevention and health-promotion powers. To capture this elusive compound sustainably, scientists turned to nature itself. By preparing choline chloride and betaine-based natural deep eutectic solvents through a straightforward heating method, researchers created a safe, eco-friendly liquid tool.

Armed with these tailor-made solvents, the team set out to extract quercetin from onion and broccoli. They combined an ultrasonic-assisted solid-liquid method with high-performance liquid chromatography to measure their success. By fine-tuning three key factors—temperature, solvent amount, and extraction time—they optimized the entire process.

The results speak for themselves. Under optimal conditions, the extraction recoveries soared impressively, hitting 88.91% to 98.99% for quercetin, 88.45% to 99.01% for isorhamnetin, and 89.56% to 98.74% for kaempferol. This breakthrough highlights how custom-designed deep eutectic solvents can serve as sustainable, safe media for a wide range of biochemical applications.

Key Points

• Tailor-made natural deep eutectic solvents prepared using heating
• Ultrasonic-assisted solid liquid extraction of onion and broccoli
• High extraction recoveries reaching up to nearly 99 percent