Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) leaves consist of dietetically important diterpene steviol glycosides (SGs): stevioside (ST) and rebaudioside-A (Reb-A). ST and Reb-A are key sweetening compounds exhibiting a sweetening potential of 100 to 300 times more intense than that of table sucrose. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of SGs was optimized by effective process optimization techniques, such as response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) modeling coupled with genetic algorithm (GA) as a function of ethanol concentration (X1: 0–100%), sonication time (X2: 10–54 min), and leaf–solvent ratio (X3: 0.148–0.313 g·mL−1). The maximum target responses were obtained at optimum UAE conditions of 75% (X1), 43 min (X2), and 0.28 g·mL−1 (X3). ANN-GA as a potential alternative indicated superiority to RSM. UAE as a green technology proved superior to conventional maceration extraction (CME) with reduced resource consumption. Moreover, UAE resulted in a higher total extract yield (TEY) and SGs including Reb-A and ST yields as compared to those that were obtained by CME with a marked reduction in resource consumption and CO2 emission. The findings of the present study evidenced the significance of UAE as an ecofriendly extraction method for extracting SGs, and UAE scale-up could be employed for effectiveness on an industrial scale. These findings evidenced that the UAE is a high-efficiency extraction method with an improved statistical approach.
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.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.