Extraction Techniques for Bioactive Carbohydrates in Ionic Liquids

Advanced extraction of bioactive carbohydrates utilises ionic liquids (ILs) as designer solvents to overcome limitations of conventional media. ILs combine negligible vapour pressure with highly tunable polarity and hydrogen‐bonding capacity, enabling efficient disruption of intra- and inter-molecular interactions in polysaccharides and oligosaccharides. Approaches include solid–liquid extraction, where biomass is directly dissolved in ILs to liberate inositols, α-galactooligosaccharides and β-glucans, and assisted methods such as microwave- and ultrasound-enhanced extraction, which markedly reduce processing times and energy consumption. Solid-phase extraction with IL-modified sorbents offers selective preconcentration of target carbohydrates from complex matrices, while thermogravimetric studies of IL-impregnated biomass inform on structural deconstruction of cellulose and hemicellulose. Strategic choice of IL cation–anion pairs tailors solvent–solute interactions, facilitating selective dissolution or fractionation of low-molecular-weight sugars and high-molecular-weight polysaccharides. These developments support sustainable biomass valorisation, yielding high-purity extracts for nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and functional‐food applications.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Research from all publishers

Recent investigations have demonstrated the potential of ILs to extract and purify diverse bioactive carbohydrates. A comprehensive review of sustainable biomass valorisation highlighted the role of ILs in dissolving cellulose, chitin, starch and hemicelluloses, comparing their performance with deep eutectic solvents and integrating microwave- and ultrasound-assisted modalities to enhance extraction efficiency. In another study, mesoporous polymers modified with imidazolium-based ILs were applied in solid-phase extraction to separate marine polysaccharides such as laminarin and fucoidan, achieving high selectivity through optimised sorbent composition and elution conditions. A targeted application employed 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride to isolate and purify β-1,3-glucan from baker’s yeast, producing a high-purity product via simple precipitation and filtration steps. Collectively, these works attest to the versatility of IL-based systems for selective extraction and scalable production of valuable carbohydrate biomolecules.

Extraction Techniques for Bioactive Carbohydrates in Ionic Liquids publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in extraction techniques for bioactive carbohydrates in ionic liquids across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Ionic liquid: A salt with a melting point below 100 °C, composed of large organic cations and diverse anions, offering tunable solvent properties and negligible volatility.

Solid–liquid extraction (SLE): A process in which a solid matrix is mixed with a solvent to dissolve target compounds for subsequent separation.

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE): An enhanced technique that uses microwave energy to heat solvent–matrix systems rapidly, improving mass transfer and reducing extraction time.

Solid-phase extraction (SPE): A separation method where sorbent materials, often modified with ionic liquids, selectively adsorb analytes from a solution for concentration and purification.

Polysaccharide: A long-chain carbohydrate composed of repeated monosaccharide units, such as cellulose, hemicellulose or β-glucan, with diverse bioactive functions.

References

1. Use of Ionic Liquids and Deep Eutectic Solvents in Polysaccharides Dissolution and Extraction Processes towards Sustainable Biomass Valorization. Molecules (2020).
2. Solid Phase Extraction and Separation of Polysaccharides from Marine Plant by Ionic Liquid-Modified Polymers. Asian Journal of Chemistry (2015).
3. Termogravimetric Characterization of Biomass Impregnated with Biodegradable Ionic Liquids. Floresta e Ambiente (2019).
4. New method for preparing purity β-D-glucans (beta-Glucan) from baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). Science and Technology Development Journal (2020).