Separation of Bioactive Compounds from Pfaffia glomerata: Drying, Green Extraction, and Physicochemical Properties

What if the parts of a plant you throw away hold the key to health and sustainability? For Brazilian ginseng, those discarded leaves and stems are a treasure trove of bioactive compounds.

Brazilian ginseng (Pfaffia glomerata) is usually valued for its roots, but its aerial parts—leaves, stems, and inflorescences—are often discarded. This study reveals that these "waste" parts are packed with bioactive compounds, including β-ecdysone saponin, phenolic acids, and antioxidants.

Using an eco-friendly ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method, researchers optimized conditions to pull out maximum total phenolics, antioxidant activity, and saponins. The sweet spot? About 136–139 minutes and 138–562 watts, depending on the plant part. Inflorescences boasted the highest saponin and phenolic levels, while leaves were richest in β-ecdysone (3.90 mg/g).

Notably, p-coumaric acid dominated leaves, and nicotinic acid was most abundant in stems and inflorescences. Leaf extracts even showed antibacterial action against five pathogens, including E. coli and S. aureus, with bactericidal effects against three of them.

This is the first report on green UAE for aerial parts of Brazilian ginseng, offering a sustainable way to use the whole plant and reduce cultivation waste.

Key Points

• Ultrasound-assisted extraction optimizes bioactive recovery from aerial parts.
• Inflorescences show highest saponins, phenolics, and antioxidant activity.
• Leaf extracts kill E. coli, L. monocytogenes, and S. Typhi.