Murrayae exotica is a traditional Chinese medicine widely grown in southeast China. A Box–Behnken design of response surface methodology was employed to further optimise ultrasonic-assisted extraction conditions for M. exotica leaves total flavonoids (MELTF). The results showed that the optimised extraction conditions were an ultrasonic power of 240 W, an ultrasonic temperature of 60 °C, a solvent concentration of 76%, an ultrasonic time of 55 min and a liquid–solid ratio of 22 mL · g−1. Under these conditions, 8.59 ± 0.34 mg · g−1 was achieved as the mean experimental value of extraction yield, which amounts to 2.56 times that of ethanol leaching extraction. As compared to MELTF, MELTF after purification (MELPTF) had a higher purity of 9.96%, which was nearly nine times higher than that of MELTF (1.26%). As compared to MELTF, MELPTF had higher α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory activities as well as DPPH· and ABTS·+ scavenging activities with IC50 values of 0.021, 0.094, 0.245 and 0.113 mg · mL−1, which are 1.33, 2.12, 3.17 and 1.78 times higher than those of MELTF (0.028, 0.199, 0.777 and 0.201 mg · mL−1). The study thus demonstrates the eligibility of MELPTF to be considered as a multifunctional bioactive ingredient having potential applications in anti-hyperglycaemic pharmaceutical formulation and as an antioxidant in functional foods.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.