Ionic liquid based ultrasonic assisted extraction of flavonoids from Artemisia vulgaris and in vitro evaluation of anticancer activity

• Main Authors: Lim, Jin Ru, Chua, Lee Suan, Mustaffa, Azizul Azri, Dawood, Dawood Ali Salim
• Format: Article
• Published: Elsevier B.V. 2024
• Subjects: Q Science (General)
• Online Access: http://eprints.utm.my/108889/; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2024.124789

This study was focused on an effective technique of flavonoids extraction from Artemesia vulgaris using ionic liquids (ILs) as green solvents. The findings showed that the hydrophilic IL, [Bmim][Br] coupled with ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) was able to extract flavonoids better than hydrophobic IL, [Bmim][PF6]. Single-factor experiments reported that the optimum extraction time, 30 min and solid-to-liquid ratio, 1:10 could obtain high extraction yield (9.3 %) and flavonoid content (5.30 mg/g). With the assistance of ultrasonic energy, [Bmim][Br] was successfully to lysis cells and leach out flavonoids as explained by the morphological observation of SEM and functional groups in FTIR spectrum. UHPLC-MS/MS detected few intense flavonoids such as rutin, kaempferol-3-rutinoside, and quercetin-3-glucopyranoside in the extract. The monitoring of Kamlet-Taft parameters such as polarity, acidity and basicity explained the formation of hydrogen bonding between IL, cellulose and flavonoids. The extraction of flavonoids in [Bmim][Br] based UAE followed Peleg's kinetic model satisfactorily (R2 > 0.95). [Bmim][Br] could be reused up to 5 cycles before lost its extractability. The recovered flavonoids extract exhibited high anticancer activity against HeLa cells (IC50 = 347.37 µg/mL) without any significant cytotoxic effect on normal cervical cells at the concentration up to 300 µg/L. Therefore, this technique was likely to be an efficient extraction of plant flavonoids.