One-pot NADES-UAE extraction and in situ hydrolysis of Pueraria candollei isoflavones using crude enzyme extract from Luffa cylindrica

What if a humble loofah sponge could unlock the hidden power of a medicinal plant? Scientists just used an enzyme from loofah fruit to double the active compounds in Pueraria candollei extracts.

Forget harsh chemicals—green chemistry is getting a natural upgrade. Researchers turned to Pueraria candollei, a plant rich in phytoestrogens, but its isoflavones come mostly as glycosides, which the body absorbs poorly. The solution? A crude enzyme from Luffa cylindrica fruits, which acts like a molecular scissors, snipping off sugar groups to release more bioavailable aglycones like daidzein and genistein.

This enzyme is impressively versatile. It showed a strong appetite for daidzin (with a Km of just 0.013 mM), preferred genistin, and even tackled other glycosides like oroxin B and cucurbitacin B. To make the process sustainable, the team combined this biocatalyst with natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) in a one-pot ultrasound-assisted extraction system—a green, efficient approach that saves time and solvents.

The results were striking: HPLC analysis revealed up to a twofold increase in aglycone levels after hydrolysis. When tested on MCF-7 and RAW 264.7 cells, the hydrolyzed extracts showed significantly stronger estrogenic and anti-inflammatory effects than non-hydrolyzed ones, in both ethanolic and NADES preparations. This eco-friendly strategy could boost bioavailability and bioactivity for large-scale nutraceutical production.

Key Points

• Crude loofah enzyme boosts aglycone levels twofold
• NADES-UAE one-pot system enables green extraction
• Hydrolyzed extracts show stronger estrogenic and anti-inflammatory activity