Examining the Performance of Two Extraction Solvent Systems on Phenolic Constituents from U.S. Southeastern Blackberries

Abstract

Two common extraction solvent systems, namely acidified aqueous methanol and acidified aqueous acetone, were used to extract blackberry phenolics, and the antioxidant properties of the recovered extracts were compared. The crude extracts were fractionated into low- and high-molecular-weight phenolics by Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. The hydrophilic-oxygen radical absorbance capacity (H-ORACFL), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and the cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) assays were employed as indices to assess antioxidant capacity of the extracts and their respective fractions. The methanolic solvent system displayed a greater efficiency at extracting anthocyanin and flavonol constituents from the blackberries, while the acetonic solvent system was better at extracting flavan-3-ols and tannins. Anthocyanins were the dominant phenolic class found in the blackberries with 138.7 ± 9.8 mg C3G eq./100 g f.w. when using methanol as the extractant and 114.6 ± 3.4 mg C3G eq./100 g f.w. when using acetone. In terms of overall antioxidant capacity of blackberry phenolics, the acetonic solvent system was superior. Though present only as a small percentage of the total phenolics in each crude extract, the flavan-3-ols (42.37 ± 2.44 and 51.44 ± 3.15 mg/100 g f.w. in MLF and ALF, respectively) and ellagitannins (5.15 ± 0.78 and 9.31 ± 0.63 mg/100 g f.w. in MHF and AHF, respectively) appear to account for the differences in the observed antioxidant activity between the two solvent systems.

Advanced interactional characterization of the inhibitory effect of anthocyanin extract from Hibiscus sabdariffa L. on apple polyphenol oxidase

“…Prior to the HPLC analysis, an extraction solvent with acetone, ultrapure water, and acetic acid (70:29.50:0.50 v/v/v) was made (Liao et al, 2021). Then, equal volumes of the optimized hibiscus extract and extraction solvent were mixed, being afterward subjected to the chromatographic separation at 30 • C and 0.65 mL/min.…”

Anthocyanin: a review of plant sources, extraction, stability, content determination and modifications

“…In addition, Liao et al . (2021) used an acidified methanol aqueous solution and acidified acetone aqueous solution to extract phenolic compounds from the blackberry. It was found that the methanol solvent system was more efficient in extracting anthocyanins from the blackberry.…”