engleski

Bioactive compounds in mastic tree and thyme: successive extraction with various extraction methods

Mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) are traditional medicinal plants characterized with a wide spectrum of bioactive molecules, thus presenting a valuable source for various applications. For the extraction of natural antioxidants miscellaneous extraction methods are being used, among which accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) represents an advanced extraction technique. However, due to the diverse chemical structure, extraction of target compounds depends on the used solvent type. Hence, this study involved the three-step extraction of polyphenols and pigments from mastic and thyme dry leaves using ASE (60 °C/3×5 min) and agitation-assisted extraction (AAE) (60 °C/30 min) with solvents arranged by their polarity: hexane was used for the first fraction, followed by acetone (80%) and finally ethanol (96%). Obtained fractions were analyzed for total content of polyphenols (TP), hydroxycinnamic acids (THCA), flavonols (TFL), chlorophylls (TCHL) and carotenoids (TCAR). Statistical analysis of obtained results showed significant (p≤0.05) differences in fractions' composition among plants and applied extraction methods. Acetone fraction was the most abundant with all analyzed compounds accompanied with the greater ASE efficiency, especially in polyphenols’ isolation. In hexane and ethanol fractions, longer AAE time resulted with greater performance in extraction of polyphenols, while higher pigments yields were achieved with ASE. Although mastic tree dominated in TP content, extracts of both plants showed their abundance of bioactives, proving their potential for further implementation in various food products. Further optimization of ASE conditions could contribute to even better extraction efficiency.

Pistacia lentiscus L. ; Thymus vulgaris L. ; polyphenols ; pigments ; ASE

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