Green Approach Extraction of Perezone from the Roots of <i>Acourtia platyphilla</i> (A. Grey): A Comparison of Four Activating Modes and Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

• Main Authors: René Escobedo-González, Andrea Vázquez Vázquez Cabañas, Armando Martínez González, Pablo Mendoza Sánchez, Zenaida Saavedra-Leos, Julián Cruz-Olivares, Juan Nava Serrano, Joel Martínez, René Miranda Ruvalcaba
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-08-01
• Series: Molecules
• Subjects: green approach; perezone-sesquiterpene quinone; comparative extraction; microwaves; infrared; ultrasound; supercritical carbon dioxide
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/17/3035

Perezone, a sesquiterpene quinone, is a very important molecule due to its pharmacological activities in addition to the fact that it is considered to be the first secondary metabolite isolated in the new world (America&#8722;Mexico, 1852). This study aims to offer a green comparative study about the extraction of the target molecule from the roots of the vegetable specimen <i>Acourtia platyphilla</i> (A. Grey). The study was performed comparing five different modes of extraction: supercritical CO₂, electromagnetic infrared and microwave irradiations, mechanical-wave ultrasound versus typical mantle heating procedure. An exhaustive comparative-discussion of the obtained results is provided. It is worth noting that the corresponding quantifications were established using ¹H NMR, correlating appropriately the integrals of the vinylic proton H-6 of perezone with the aromatic singlet of <i>p</i>-dinitrobenzene employed as an internal reference. It is also important to highlight that the four presented procedures are novel modes to extract perezone. Finally, a complementary study about the solubility of the target sesquiterpene quinone related to the use of supercritical CO₂ is also reported.