Ionic liquids (ILs) are new green solvents, which are widely used in lignocellulosic and microalgal biorefineries. However, high-temperature operating conditions limit their application in the extraction of heat-labile algal products, such as bioactive astaxanthin. In this study, we report the technical feasibility of room-temperature astaxanthin extraction from Haematococcus lacustris cysts with a thick and complex cell wall structure, by combining ultrathin α-quartz nanoplates (NPLs) with ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ([Emim])-based ILs. When four different [Emim]-based ILs with thiocyanate (SCN), diethylphosphate (DEP), HSO4, and Cl anions were applied to 90-day-old H. lacustris cysts at room temperature (~28 °C), the astaxanthin extraction efficiency was as low as 9.6-14.2%. Under sonication, α-quartz NPLs disrupted the cyst cell wall for a short duration (5 min). The astaxanthin extraction efficacies of a subsequent IL treatment improved significantly to 49.8% for [Emim] SCN, 60.0% for [Emim] DEP, 80.7% for [Emim] HSO4, and 74.3% for [Emim] Cl ions, which were 4.4, 6.1, 8.4, and 5.2 times higher than the extraction efficacy of only ILs, respectively. This finding suggests that α-quartz NPLs can serve as powerful cell-wall-disrupting agents for the room-temperature IL-mediated extraction of astaxanthin from robust algal cyst cells.
Green grass jelly (Cyclea barbata Miers.) is known for its benefit to human health especially in supporting body’s immune system and wellness. This research aimed to determine immunomodulatory and antioxidant activity of green grass jelly leaf extracts in vitro. Old leaves were collected as sample then dried and ground to powder. The extraction was done with sohxletation using three different solvents, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and ethanol. The immunomodulatory activity was evaluated by treating the crude extracts at concentrations of 50, 100, and 500 mg/mL on macrophages of rat in vitro. Macrophage cells separated form peritoneal fluid used RPMI medium. Phagocytosis activity and phagocytosis capacity of macrophages were performed in vitro using latex beads that suspended in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The antioxidant activity was measured by spectrophotometry technique with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) solution. All treatments were done three replicates. Detection of the bioactive groups of the extracts was done by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). The results showed that ethyl acetate extract has the highest phagocytosis activity followed by chloroform extract and ethanol extract, respectively. Optimum concentration was reached at 100 mg/mL of ethyl acetate extract. The ethyl acetate extract was also the highest antioxidant activity index 7.7 followed by both extracts of chloroform and ethanol similar index value of 6.25 and 6.3, respectively. The ethyl acetate extract has a high immunomodulatory activity and antioxidant activity which contained phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, and terpenoids.
Improving the production rate of high-value nutraceutical compounds, such as astaxanthin and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), is important for the commercialization of Haematococcus pluvialis biorefineries. Here, the effects of a phytohormone, strigolactone analog rac-GR24, on cell growth and astaxanthin and fatty acid biosynthesis in H. pluvialis were investigated. Four concentrations (2, 4, 6, and 8 µM) of rac-GR24 were initially added during 30 days of photoautotrophic cultivation. The addition of rac-GR24 improved cell number density and chlorophyll concentration in H. pluvialis cultures compared to the control; the optimal concentration was 8 µM. Despite a slightly reduced astaxanthin content of 30-d-old cyst cells, the astaxanthin production (26.1 ± 1.7 mg/L) improved by 21% compared to the rac-GR24-free control (21.6 ± 1.5 mg/L), owing to improved biomass production. Notably, at the highest dosage of 8 µM rac-GR24, the total fatty acid content of the treated H. pluvialis cells (899.8 pg/cell) was higher than that of the untreated cells (762.5 pg/cell), resulting in a significant increase in the total fatty acid production (361.6 ± 48.0 mg/L; 61% improvement over the control). The ratio of PUFAs, such as linoleic (C18:2) and linolenic (C18:3) acids, among total fatty acids was high (41.5–44.6% w/w) regardless of the rac-GR24 dose.
Green grass jelly (Cyclea barbata Miers.) is known for its benefit to human health especially in supporting body’s immune system and wellness. This research aimed to determine immunomodulatory and antioxidant activity of green grass jelly leaf extracts in vitro. Old leaves were collected as sample then dried and ground to powder. The extraction was done with sohxletation using three different solvents, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and ethanol. The immunomodulatory activity was evaluated by treating the crude extracts at concentrations of 50, 100, and 500 mg/mL on macrophages of rat in vitro. The treated macrophage was then challenged for their phagocytic activity to latex beads. The antioxidant activity was done using 1,1-diphenil-2-picrilhydrazil (DPPH) with spectrophotometry technique. All treatments were done with three replicates. Detection of the bioactive groups of the extracts was done by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC). The results showed that ethyl acetate extract has the highest phagocytic activity followed with chloroform extract and ethanol extract, respectively. Optimum concentration was reached at 100 mg/mL of ethyl acetat extract. The ethyl acetate extract was also the extract with the highest antioxidant activity index 7.7 followed by both extracts of chloroform and ethanol with similar index value of 6.25 and 6.3, respectively. The ethyl acetate extract contained phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, and terpenoids.
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