Ionic Liquid-Assisted Extraction Techniques for Bioactive Compound Recovery
Summary
Ionic liquids have emerged as versatile, designer solvents for the sustainable extraction of bioactive compounds from natural sources. Their negligible vapour pressure, wide liquid range and high solvation capacity allow targeted disruption of plant cell walls, leading to enhanced release of flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids and other valuable metabolites. By pairing ionic liquids with auxiliary techniques such as microwave irradiation, ultrasonication or aqueous two-phase separation, researchers have achieved rapid mass transfer, reduced energy consumption and enhanced selectivity compared with conventional organic solvents. Optimisation strategies, often based on statistical designs, enable fine-tuning of ionic liquid structure, solvent concentration, temperature and processing time. Together, these advances are paving the way for greener workflows in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic manufacturing, with potential for scale-up and integration into circular bioeconomy frameworks.
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In 2022, a study described an aqueous two-phase system formed by ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents for the selective recovery of natural active molecules from plant matrices. By tuning ionic liquid structure and salt concentration, researchers achieved phase separation that enriched polyphenols and alkaloids with extraction efficiencies exceeding 90%, while minimising organic solvent consumption.
A 2020 investigation combined microwave-assisted extraction with ionic liquids for lichen metabolites, replacing toxic solvents. Systematic screening of ionic liquid cation–anion pairs and optimisation of microwave power and time led to rapid cell disruption and high yields of terpenoids and phenolic compounds, as confirmed by high-resolution mass spectrometry.
In 2018, an ultrasound-assisted extraction protocol using imidazolium-based ionic liquids was applied to licorice roots to recover flavonoid glycosides and triterpenoid saponins. Response surface methodology guided the optimisation of ionic liquid concentration, ultrasonic parameters and liquid–solid ratio, resulting in extraction yields up to 1.8-fold higher than conventional methods and markedly reduced processing times.
Ionic Liquid-Assisted Extraction Techniques for Bioactive Compound Recovery publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in ionic liquid-assisted extraction techniques for bioactive compound recovery across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Ionic liquid: A salt liquid at room temperature, comprising organic cations and variable anions, noted for low volatility and tunable solvating ability.
Deep eutectic solvent: A mixture of hydrogen-bond donors and acceptors that forms a eutectic with depressed melting point, offering a biodegradable extraction medium.
Aqueous two-phase system (ATPS): A biphasic separation method using combinations of salts, polymers or ionic liquids in water to partition solutes into two immiscible aqueous layers.
Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE): A technique employing microwave energy to rapidly heat solvent-matrix mixtures, enhancing analyte solubility and mass transfer.
Ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE): A process utilising ultrasonic waves to induce cavitation, disrupt cell walls and improve release of target compounds.
Response surface methodology (RSM): A statistical tool for experimental design and modelling, used to identify optimal conditions by evaluating interactions between multiple variables.
References
- Recovery of natural active molecules using aqueous two-phase systems comprising of ionic liquids/deep eutectic solvents. Green Chemical Engineering (2022).
- Are Ionic Liquids Better Extracting Agents Than Toxic Volatile Organic Solvents? A Combination of Ionic Liquids, Microwave and LC/MS/MS, Applied to the Lichen Stereocaulon glareosum. Frontiers in Chemistry (2020).
- Ionic liquids-ultrasound based efficient extraction of flavonoid glycosides and triterpenoid saponins from licorice. RSC Advances (2018).
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