Ultrasound-assisted extraction of phytochemicals from Cili leaves with a novel CO2-responsive surfactant-aqueous and extraction mechanism

This study developed a green and efficient process for simultaneous extraction and enrichment of phytochemicals from plant waste using a novel CO2- responsive surfactant (CRS) aqueous with ultrasound assistance. This extraction process was optimized. using single-factor experiments combined with Box-Behnken design. The tris (2-hydroxyethyl) ammonium palmitate (THAP) aqueous was selected as extraction solvent. The optimal conditions were ultrasound time of 120 min, R(S/L) of 20 mg/mL and CRS concentration of 54 mmol/L, the extraction yields for target compounds increased 1.1 folds to 5 folds compared with other surfactants. The results showed that THAP could be guaranteed at least 5 cycles with relatively stable extraction yields of target compounds. Moreover, the mechanism study using density functional theory was applied to investigate physicochemical properties of THAP and extraction mechanism. The presented method is a promising, nontoxic, lower-cost, and sustainable alternative to extract and enrich valuable components from plant materials.