COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EXTRACTION METHODS FOR RECOVERY OF SECONDARY METABOLITES FROM ESPINHEIRA-SANTA (Maytenus ilicifolia) USING HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Maytenus ilicifolia, a plant species native to Brazil, has a long history of use in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. It has high pharmacological potential owing to the presence of secondary metabolites, such as phenolic compounds, which have been identified in leaf extracts by multiple studies. However, no study has yet investigated different methods for the extraction and identification of secondary metabolites from young plants. This study aimed to compare the efficiency of different extraction methods for spectral detection of secondary metabolites in young and adult specimens of M. ilicifolia using high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. In the laboratory, M. ilicifolia seeds were sown in a germination tray and incubated in a germination chamber. After germination, seedlings were separated from the cotyledons and stored in an ultrafreezer. Leaf samples were collected from adult plants maintained under field conditions and immediately stored in an ultrafreezer. All samples were freeze-dried and subjected to different extraction methods (maceration, infusion, and ultrasonication) using ultrapure water or absolute ethanol as solvents. Extracts were then analyzed by HPLC/MS. Chromatographic analysis revealed that the aqueous extracts obtained by ultrasonication of seedlings and leaves and the aqueous extract obtained by infusion of cotyledons contained a greater number of compounds. Water extraction proved to be more efficient for all tested samples, precluding the need for organic solvents. In agreement with previous reports on leaf extracts, some compounds were only identified in M. ilicifolia seedlings. This finding underscores the importance of studying plants during all developmental stages to determine the metabolic fingerprint of the species and thus ensure adequate extraction of molecules of interest.
Source: Aracê.
DOI: 10.56238/arev7n8-150
Institution: Universidade Estadual de Maringá
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4413454955