Cavitation-driven extraction: how ultrasound-induced acoustic cavitation maximizes bioactive compound recovery from S. costus roots
Madikha Mushtaq, Quraazah Akeemu Amin, Towseef Ahmad Wani, Syed Zameer Hussain, Tashooq Ahmad Bhat, Shahnaz Parveen, Anis Ahmad Chaudhary, Mohamed A. M. Ali, Tahiya Qadri, Irtiqa Amin
Abstract
Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch., an endangered Indo-Himalayan medicinal plant, is highly valued for its roots enriched with polyphenols and sesquiterpenes of therapeutic relevance. In this study, ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) was evaluated as a sustainable and efficient alternative to conventional techniques for recovering bioactive metabolites from S. costus roots. Process optimization was carried out using response surface methodology (Box-Behnken design) with aqueous ethanol (50:50, v/v) as the extraction medium. The cavitation-driven process significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved recovery efficiency, yielding 29.98 ± 0.23 % extract compared to Soxhlet (26.53 %) and maceration (24.67 %). UAE extracts exhibited elevated levels of phenolics (66.27 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (73.33 ± 1.23 mg QE/100 g), alongside superior antioxidant capacity (52.29 ± 2.20 % DPPH inhibition; 197.56 ± 1.10 µmol TEAC/g FRAP). Mechanistic insights suggest that acoustic cavitation enhances mass transfer and disrupts cellular structures, thereby facilitating the release of both polar and non-polar phytoconstituents more effectively than thermal approaches. HPLC profiling further confirmed selective enrichment of key phenolics, including gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and naringenin. Collectively, these findings establish UAE as a scalable, eco-friendly, and high-performance extraction strategy, underscoring its potential for producing S. costus extracts with significant nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.