Optimization of Saponin Extract from Red Sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza) Roots Using Response Surface Methods and Its Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities

Le, Hoang Chau; Le, Hai Dang; Tran, Thi Dung; Nguyen, Loan Thi Thanh; Nguyen, Hang T. T.

doi:10.3390/pr13072225

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Optimization of Saponin Extract from Red Sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza) Roots Using Response Surface Methods and Its Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities

by

Hoang Chau Le

^1,†,

Hai Dang Le

^1,†,

Thi Dung Tran

¹,

Loan Thi Thanh Nguyen

² and

Hang T. T. Nguyen

^1,*

¹

Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam

²

Department of Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Institute of Environmentally Friendly Agriculture, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Processes 2025, 13(7), 2225; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13072225

Submission received: 7 June 2025 / Revised: 5 July 2025 / Accepted: 10 July 2025 / Published: 11 July 2025

(This article belongs to the Section Separation Processes)

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Abstract

Red sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge) is a perennial herb containing various bioactive compounds that promote human health. In this study, single-factor experiments were first conducted, followed by the optimization of extraction conditions to maximize the saponin content from red sage root extracts. In the single-factor experiments, the highest saponin content (47.5 ± 0.88 mg/g) was obtained using 80% ethanol, a solvent-to-material ratio of 40:1 (mL/g), an extraction period of 3 h, and an extraction temperature of 60 °C. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was performed to optimize the extraction parameters with a material-to-solvent ratio of 41.31:1 (mL/g), an extraction temperature of 58.08 °C, and an extraction time of 3.16 h. Under these optimized conditions, the experimental saponin content reached 47.71 ± 0.15 mg/g. Additionally, crude extract of red sage exhibited antioxidant activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals with an IC₅₀ value of 16.24 µg/mL. This extract also demonstrated anticancer against 61.79 ± 3.57% HepG2 cancer cells at a concentration of 100 µg/mL.

Keywords: saponin; RSM; Salvia miltiorrhiza; antioxidant; anticancer; HepG2

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MDPI and ACS Style

Le, H.C.; Le, H.D.; Tran, T.D.; Nguyen, L.T.T.; Nguyen, H.T.T. Optimization of Saponin Extract from Red Sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza) Roots Using Response Surface Methods and Its Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities. Processes 2025, 13, 2225. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13072225

AMA Style

Le HC, Le HD, Tran TD, Nguyen LTT, Nguyen HTT. Optimization of Saponin Extract from Red Sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza) Roots Using Response Surface Methods and Its Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities. Processes. 2025; 13(7):2225. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13072225

Chicago/Turabian Style

Le, Hoang Chau, Hai Dang Le, Thi Dung Tran, Loan Thi Thanh Nguyen, and Hang T. T. Nguyen. 2025. "Optimization of Saponin Extract from Red Sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza) Roots Using Response Surface Methods and Its Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities" Processes 13, no. 7: 2225. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13072225

APA Style

Le, H. C., Le, H. D., Tran, T. D., Nguyen, L. T. T., & Nguyen, H. T. T. (2025). Optimization of Saponin Extract from Red Sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza) Roots Using Response Surface Methods and Its Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities. Processes, 13(7), 2225. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13072225

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Optimization of Saponin Extract from Red Sage (Salvia miltiorrhiza) Roots Using Response Surface Methods and Its Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities

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