Extracts of medicinal plants with natural deep eutectic solvents: enhanced antimicrobial activity and low genotoxicity

Abstract

Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) are a new alternative to toxic organic solvents. Their constituents are primary metabolites, non-toxic, biocompatible and sustainable. In this study four selected NADES were applied for the extraction of two medicinal plants: Sideritis scardica, and Plantago major as an alternative to water-alcohol mixtures, and the antimicrobial and genotoxic potential of the extracts were studied. The extraction efficiency was evaluated by measuring the extracted total phenolics, and total flavonoids. Best extraction results for total phenolics for the studied plants were obtained with choline chloride-glucose 5:2 plus 30% water; but surprisingly these extracts were inactive against all tested microorganisms. Extracts with citric acid-1,2-propanediol 1:4 and choline chloride-glycerol 1:2 showed good activity against S. pyogenes, E. coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans. Low genotoxicity and cytotoxicity were observed for all four NADES and the extracts with antimicrobial activity. Our results confirm the potential of NADESs for extraction of bioactive constituents of medicinal plants and further suggest that NADES can improve the effects of bioactive extracts. Further studies are needed to clarify the influence of the studied NADES on the bioactivity of dissolved substances, and the possibility to use such extracts in the pharmaceutical and food industry.

Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NADES): Phytochemical Extraction Performance Enhancer for Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Product Development

“…The author reported that the obtained phenolic content was better extracted with choline chlorideglucose (5:2) with 30% water than other tested types of NADES and 70% ethanol. However, it results show that this NADES extract was inactive against all tested microorganisms [55]. A similar finding was reported by Jurić et al, 2021.…”

“…In plant extraction, organic-acid-based NADES often produces good yields of hydrophilic compounds, including phenolic groups [53,55]. This is of interest because it is related to an increase in the biological activity of the plant extracts tested.…”

Can Propolis Be a Useful Adjuvant in Brain and Neurological Disorders and Injuries? A Systematic Scoping Review of the Latest Experimental Evidence

“…Concerns with regard to chemical toxicity, contamination, religious and cultural reasons often arise due to the use of organic solvents for extraction purposes. Another promising area of research is the use of safer and greener chemical alternatives such as natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES), glycerol, and propylene glycol [ 85 , 86 , 87 ]. Moreover, the majority of the studies used propolis from a single species of bees; the European honey bee ( Apis mellifera ).…”

The effect of cranberry supplementation on Helicobacter pylori eradication in H. pylori positive subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

“…Despite all the endeavors, the current therapy presents many limitations which have led to the failure of H. pylori eradication (2) . To overcome these limitations, modification of therapeutic strategies (5) and novel effective therapies have been proposed, including phytomedicine (17) .So far, many compounds found in dietary and medicinal plants, herbs, and fruit extracts have been shown to possess antimicrobial activities (18) . Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), belonging to the Ericaceae family, is fruit widely consumed in many countries (19) .…”

“…To overcome these limitations, modification of therapeutic strategies (5) and novel effective therapies have been proposed, including phytomedicine (17) . So far, many compounds found in dietary and medicinal plants, herbs and fruit extracts have been shown to possess antimicrobial activities (18) .…”