Previous Article in Journal
Variations in Quantitative Composition of Phenolic Compounds in Flowers, Leaves, and Fruits of Mespilus germanica L. During Harvesting Period
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Separations
Volume 12
Issue 10
10.3390/separations12100269
separations-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Ultrasound-Assisted Deep Eutectic Solvent Extraction of Flavonoids from Cercis chinensis Seeds: Optimization, Kinetics and Antioxidant Activity

by
Penghua Shu
1,2,3,*,†,
Shuxian Fan
1,†,
Simin Liu
1,†,
Yu Meng
1,3,
Na Wang
1,
Shoujie Guo
4,
Hao Yin
1,
Di Hu
1,
Xinfeng Fan
1,
Si Chen
1,
Jiaqi He
1,
Tingting Guo
1,
Wenhao Zou
1,
Lin Zhang
5,
Xialan Wei
1,2 and
Jihong Huang
1,2,*
1
Food and Pharmacy College, Xuchang University, Xuchang 461000, China
2
Collaborative Innovation Center of Functional Food by Green Manufacturing, Xuchang 461000, China
3
School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
4
College of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Xuchang University, Xuchang 461000, China
5
Yanling Zhonglin Garden Engineering Co., Ltd., Xuchang 461000, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work and share first authorship.
Separations 2025, 12(10), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/separations12100269
Submission received: 5 September 2025 / Revised: 29 September 2025 / Accepted: 30 September 2025 / Published: 2 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Extraction, Purification and Functional Substances of Natural Products and Plants)
Versions Notes

Abstract

This study establishes an efficient and eco-friendly ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method for total flavonoids present in Cercis chinensis seeds using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES). Among nine NADES formulations screened, choline chloride–levulinic acid (ChCl–Lev, 1:2) demonstrated optimal performance, yielding 112.1 mg/g total flavonoids. Through Response Surface Methodology (RSM), the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) parameters were explored. Under the optimized conditions (water content of 30%, time of 28 min, temperature of 60 °C, and solvent-to-solid ratio of 1:25 g/mL), the total flavonoid yield reached 128.5 mg/g, representing a 195% improvement compared to conventional ethanol extraction. The recyclability of NADES was successfully achieved via AB-8 macroporous resin, retaining 80.89% efficiency after three cycles. Extraction kinetics, modeled using Fick’s second law, confirmed that the rate constant (k) increased with temperature, highlighting temperature-dependent diffusivity as a key driver of efficiency. The extracted flavonoids exhibited potent antioxidant activity, with IC50 values of 0.86 mg/mL (ABTS•+) and 0.69 mg/mL (PTIO•). This work presents a sustainable NADES-UAE platform for flavonoid recovery and offers comprehensive mechanistic and practical insights for green extraction of plant bioactives.
Keywords: Cercis chinensis seeds; total flavonoids; deep eutectic solvents; extraction kinetics; antioxidant activity Cercis chinensis seeds; total flavonoids; deep eutectic solvents; extraction kinetics; antioxidant activity

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Shu, P.; Fan, S.; Liu, S.; Meng, Y.; Wang, N.; Guo, S.; Yin, H.; Hu, D.; Fan, X.; Chen, S.; et al. Ultrasound-Assisted Deep Eutectic Solvent Extraction of Flavonoids from Cercis chinensis Seeds: Optimization, Kinetics and Antioxidant Activity. Separations 2025, 12, 269. https://doi.org/10.3390/separations12100269

AMA Style

Shu P, Fan S, Liu S, Meng Y, Wang N, Guo S, Yin H, Hu D, Fan X, Chen S, et al. Ultrasound-Assisted Deep Eutectic Solvent Extraction of Flavonoids from Cercis chinensis Seeds: Optimization, Kinetics and Antioxidant Activity. Separations. 2025; 12(10):269. https://doi.org/10.3390/separations12100269

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shu, Penghua, Shuxian Fan, Simin Liu, Yu Meng, Na Wang, Shoujie Guo, Hao Yin, Di Hu, Xinfeng Fan, Si Chen, and et al. 2025. "Ultrasound-Assisted Deep Eutectic Solvent Extraction of Flavonoids from Cercis chinensis Seeds: Optimization, Kinetics and Antioxidant Activity" Separations 12, no. 10: 269. https://doi.org/10.3390/separations12100269

APA Style

Shu, P., Fan, S., Liu, S., Meng, Y., Wang, N., Guo, S., Yin, H., Hu, D., Fan, X., Chen, S., He, J., Guo, T., Zou, W., Zhang, L., Wei, X., & Huang, J. (2025). Ultrasound-Assisted Deep Eutectic Solvent Extraction of Flavonoids from Cercis chinensis Seeds: Optimization, Kinetics and Antioxidant Activity. Separations, 12(10), 269. https://doi.org/10.3390/separations12100269

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop