ULTRASOUND EXTRACTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS OBTAINED FROM DIFFERENT ORGANS OF DATURA INNOXIA

A single plant can hide a pharmacy—or a poison cabinet. Datura innoxia, a notorious nightshade, has now been coaxed by ultrasound to reveal its chemical secrets.

In the quest for green chemistry, researchers are turning to sound waves. A recent study used ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) to pull bioactive compounds from the leaves, flowers, seeds, stems, and roots of Datura innoxia. The solvents of choice: ethanol and 1-butanol, each with a different polarity to fish out distinct molecules.

The team then characterized the extracts using a suite of advanced tools—FTIR, fluorescence spectrophotometry, UV-VIS, and GC-FID. They focused on alkaloids, especially scopolamine, a compound with known pharmacological effects. Results showed that 1-butanol, being less polar, was more efficient at extracting lipophilic compounds.

The extracts were rich in secondary metabolites: terpenes, alkaloids, phenolics, and also alkanes, esters, ketones, alcohols, and polysaccharides like lignin and cellulose. This chemical diversity highlights the plant's potential as a source of active principles for pharmacology and cosmetics.

The study concludes that UAE is a viable green technique for sustainable biorefining of Datura innoxia dry biomass, turning a toxic weed into a treasure trove of valuable compounds.

Key Points

• Ultrasound-assisted extraction with ethanol and 1-butanol
• 1-butanol best for lipophilic compounds
• Rich in alkaloids, terpenes, phenolics, and polysaccharides