Enhancing phenolic and flavonoid recovery from Vietnamese balm using green solvent-based ultrasonic-enzymatic-assisted extraction

What if the secret to unlocking nature's pharmacy lies in a simple, green solvent? Scientists have found a way to boost the extraction of health-boosting compounds from Vietnamese balm using a mixture that's as eco-friendly as it is effective.

Vietnamese balm, a fragrant herb from the mint family, has long been prized in traditional medicine. Now, researchers have developed a greener, more efficient way to unlock its phenolic and flavonoid treasures. By combining natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) with ultrasonic and enzymatic assistance, they've turned a simple extraction into a high-tech process.

The team tested various NADES formulations and found that a lactic acid-choline chloride mix worked best. Through careful optimization, they determined the ideal conditions: a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:59 g/mL, 12% water content, and a brief 6.88 minutes of ultrasonic treatment at 43°C. This yielded a total phenolic content of 36.41 mg GAE/g and flavonoid content of 18.74 mg QE/g—impressive numbers for a green method.

To understand the mechanism, they applied a second-order kinetic model and used scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction to observe structural changes in the plant matrix. The results confirm that this NADES-based approach is not only effective but also environmentally friendly, offering a sustainable path for extracting bioactive compounds from plants.

Key Points

• NADES-based UAE-EAE boosts phenolic and flavonoid recovery from Vietnamese balm.
• Lactic acid-choline chloride NADES yielded highest extraction efficiency.
• Optimized conditions achieved 36.41 mg GAE/g phenolics and 18.74 mg QE/g flavonoids.