Applied Chemical Engineering

Extraction of bioactive phenolic compounds from yerba mate leaves using ultrasound: HPLC profiling and statistical analysis of variables

Rulla Sabah

Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, 10011, Iraq

Nisreen Kais Abood

Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, 10011, Iraq

Mustafa Hammadi

Department of Chemistry, College of Education for Pure Sciences, University of Diyala, Baqubah, 32001, Iraq

DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/ace.v9i1.5893

Keywords: HPLC; yerba mate; green extraction; experimental design; bioactive compounds

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Abstract

Extraction is critical step in extracting bioactive phytochemicals from plant sources and separating them. In this study, a Box-Benken (BBD) design was used, with 15 experiments conducted to optimize the ultrasonic extraction process. Three independent variables (ethanol concentration, temperature, and time) were examined to assess their effect on total extract yield (TYE) as the main response. The optimization aimed to maximize the extraction of active compounds from the resilient matrix of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) leaves. Then, used high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine levels of gallic acid, caffeine, quercetin, tannic acid, chlorogenic acid, and other compounds from yerba Mate leaf extract.  This method was used to find out how temperature (25–60°C), ultrasonic time (20–40 min), and ethanol content (40–80%) affected the characteristics of yerba mate leaf extracts. The results indicated that the ideal temperature was 50°C, the optimal ultrasonic duration was 30 minutes, and the best extraction ratio was Ethanol/Water (v/v) 50:50, which produced the largest concentration of biologically active compounds without thermal degradation into alternative substances. Importantly, The Analytical Greenness, AGREE, metric was also used to measure the environmental impact, achieving a high score of 0.85. This demonstrates that the created process is not only accurate but also environmentally friendly and long-lasting, as it requires minimal energy and reagents.

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