Samani Bahram Hosseinzadeh, Sharifi Ali, Jamshidi-Kia Fatemeh, Ghaterehsamani Shirin, Taki Kimia
Department of Mechanical Engineering of Biosystems, Shahrekord University, Shahr-e Kord, Iran.
Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrekord University, Iran, Shahrekord, Iran.
Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 22;15(1):9994. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-94781-w.
Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) root extract has been used as a natural medicine and sweetener for a long time in many parts of the world. As a result, there has been a considerable emphasis on developing efficient and environmentally friendly methods for extracting bioactive components from Liquorice root. This work aims to examine extracting extract from Liquorice root using a combined ultrasonic-cold plasma reactor to elevate the extraction efficiency. Different parameters, including extraction time, ultrasonic power, and the argon-to-air ratio, were investigated using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Box-Behnken design to raise extract quality. The total phenol and flavonoid content and antioxidant activity were calculated to evaluate this approach, and Glycyrrhizic acid content was quantified by HPLC (High-performance liquid chromatography). Results showed that combining ultrasonic-cold plasma extraction greatly raised the yield of extract and bioactive components compared to conventional maceration and single-method methods. Particularly, The content of total phenol 10.23, 15.96, and 13.29%, total flavonoid content 21.47, 22.19, and 42.41%, and Glycyrrhizic acid 10.84%, 12.38%, and 15.89% increased by ultrasonic, cold plasma, and combined ultrasonic-cold plasma technique, respectively, compared to the maceration technique. Optimization of different extraction techniques showed that the best extract quality came from a mix of ultrasonic power, plasma composition, and extraction time. This study demonstrates that the combined ultrasonic-cold plasma technique is effective and efficient, and this technology has the potential for a new extraction method to present a more sustainable and effective substitute for premium Liquorice extracts for medicinal and commercial uses.
甘草（Glycyrrhiza glabra L.）根提取物在世界许多地区长期以来一直被用作天然药物和甜味剂。因此，人们相当重视开发高效且环保的从甘草根中提取生物活性成分的方法。这项工作旨在研究使用超声 - 冷等离子体反应器从甘草根中提取提取物，以提高提取效率。使用响应面法（RSM）和Box - Behnken设计研究了不同参数，包括提取时间、超声功率和氩气与空气的比例，以提高提取物质量。计算总酚和黄酮含量以及抗氧化活性来评估该方法，并通过高效液相色谱法（HPLC）对甘草酸含量进行定量。结果表明，与传统浸渍法和单一方法相比，超声 - 冷等离子体联合提取大大提高了提取物和生物活性成分的产量。特别是，与浸渍法相比，超声、冷等离子体和超声 - 冷等离子体联合技术的总酚含量分别提高了10.23%、15.96%和13.29%，总黄酮含量分别提高了21.47%、22.19%和42.41%，甘草酸含量分别提高了10.84%、12.38%和15.89%。不同提取技术的优化表明，最佳提取物质量来自超声功率、等离子体组成和提取时间的组合。这项研究表明，超声 - 冷等离子体联合技术是有效且高效的，并且该技术有可能成为一种新的提取方法，为药用和商业用途的优质甘草提取物提供更可持续和有效的替代品。
