3.1. Optimization of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE) of Bioactive Compounds from Marigold Flower Using RSM
Plant based products including fruits, vegetables and their byproducts that are discarded as waste contain abundant amounts of polyphenols showing antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities. The antioxidant potential of plant based phenolic compounds aid in the reduction of free radicals via hydrogen donation mechanism, to prevent the malfunctioning of life processes in the human body [
24]. As indicated in
Table 2, the highest TPC value in marigold flower extract (MFE) was attained in 12th run sample set at 5 min, 40 ℃ and 100% ethanol concentration, compared to the 16th sample set at 10 min, 30 ℃ and 60% ethanol concentration. Three independent variables including time, temperature, and ethanol concentration showed as linear effect on extraction of TPC from MFE with marked significant (p ≤ 0.05).
Table 3 presents ANOVA results of significant differences in linear, quadratic and their interaction terms as indicated by A, B, C on the response values (Y). The model’s fit values indicated the genuine form of computed response surface plot. However, lack of fit was insignificant in all the three models (
Table 3). The R2 values in the range of 0.60-0.97, revealed that all the three models suited best to the response. The experimental results obtained in TPC following the predicted models were in agreement with the results of Yıkmış [
25].
Table 4 displays the regression coefficients of the predicted second order polynomial models for TPC, TFC, carotenoid content and antioxidant activity by DPPH and FRAP assays using BBD. The second-order polynomial model's equilibrium, suggesting the findings of MFE samples with varied conditions of time, temperature, and ethanol concentration are given as follows:
TPC = -339.07602 – 0.423366 A+ 19.64846 B– 0.740277 C+ 0.003297 A* B- 0.033654 A*C+ 0.001099 B* C+ 0.004670 A2 – 0.224864 B2 + 0.129665 C2
Figure 1A-C demonstrates 3D graphic surface plots for the TPC obtained during RSM optimization of MFE samples using A, B, and C independent variables (
Table 1). In this
Figure 1A, the temperature and time combination yielded lowest TPC values at 30 ℃. The higher increments in TPC values were attained with the increase in UAE processing time and temperature. Therefore, temperature goes up the diffusion coefficient, which accelerates the diffusion rate and TPC values.
Figure 1B TPC results of MFE as a function of temperature, and ethanol content. The experimental results from the 3D graphics demonstrated that rising ethanol content from 60% to 100% (v/v) decrease the TPC values. Furthermore, the effects of ethanol concentration and time on TPC values of MFE samples are revealed in
Figure 1C which indicated that increasing processing time intend to increase extraction efficiency of TPC. UAE process is an efficient technology for the extraction of high-quality intracellular compounds in a short period of time Wen et al. [
26].
The findings from
Table 2 revealed that the minimum TFC values were evaluated at the condition (10 min, 30 ℃ and 60% ethanol), while the maximum TFC value was obtained at a condition of 80% ethanol (v/v), 50 ℃ and 15 min. Temperature, time, and ethanol concentration showed statistically significant linear impacts on TFC values in MFE samples (p≤0.05) (
Table 3). The linear effect of ethanol and temperature and the quadratic effect of temperature had significant effect on TFC values. The equilibrium of the second-order polynomial model, expressing the effect of temperature, time, and ethanol concentration on TFC value using RSM analysis, was characterized as follows according to the following equation:
TFC = -361.50901 + 1.44252 A+ 16.94897 B– 9.66077 C– 0.028197 A* B– 0.046088 A* C+ 0.190649 B* C+ 0.004534 A2 – 0.180147 B2 + 0.319107 C2
TFC's lack of fit test was insignificant (p>0.05), which expressed as the proposed regression equation generated less errors when comparing findings from the experiments and that independent variables had substantial effects on the outcomes. The coefficient of determination (R2 = 84.35), as well as the adjusted coefficient of determination (R2 Adj = 64.22) (
Table 3), showed a high degree of fit and appropriateness in predicting experimental results.
In
Figure 1D, the effects of time and temperature on the amount of TFC of the MFE samples indicated that TFC values of the MFE sample were the minimum at 30 ℃. TFC values increase with increasing extraction time because longer extraction time can increase the mass transfer velocity and then release the bioactive compounds from plant matrix by destroying the plant cells.
Figure 1E, described that TFC values was slowly increased until 100% ethanol concentration (v/v). In
Figure 1F, it showed that the lowest extraction time for TFC value was 10 min then it increased continuously, and the maximum value was at 15 min. Ethanol is a polar solvent that is used to extract bioactive chemicals from plant matter. Factors that affect the extraction efficiency of phenolic compounds also have an impact on the extraction of flavonoid compounds, according to Salehi et al.[
27] . The second-order polynomial model, describing the effect of temperature, time and ethanol content in equilibrium on antioxidant activity by DPPH assay of MFE using RSM analysis, was described as follows:
DPPH = +84.32812 + 3.04102 A+ 19.81250 B+ 2.60156 C– 0.017578 A*B– 0.003125 A*C– 0.051563 B* C– 0.013867 A2 – 0.212500 B2 – 0.034375 C2
Table 2 shows that the lowest antioxidant activity by DPPH assay was found at 60 % ethanol concentration (v/v), 30 °C, and 10 min, while the highest amount was revealed at 40 °C and 80 % ethanol concentration (v/v) for 10 min. According to ANOVA, the quadratic effect of temperature utilized in MFE samples on DPPH values were statistically significant (p≤0.05). Whereas the linear effects of temperature, time and ethanol concentration and the relation between temperature and time, time and ethanol concentration, temperature and ethanol concentration and the quadratic effect of concentration and time applied to MFE samples on antioxidant activity by DPPH assay was statistically insignificant (p>0.05). Because the lack of fit test for DPPH values was insignificant (p>0.05), the model was well fitted. The coefficient of determination (R2 = 73.46) and adjusted coefficient of determination (R2 Adj = 39.34) demonstrated a high degree of fit and appropriateness in predicting experimental results (
Table 3). High R2 values indicated that the quadratic model was very effective at fitting the data, and adjusted R2 (R2 Adj) indicated that the predicted and experimental results of the model were in good agreement.
In addition, the surface plots of three-dimensional responses for the antioxidant activity by DPPH assay of MFE samples are demonstrated in
Figure 1G.
Figure 1G indicates the effect of extraction time and temperature on the antioxidant activity by DPPH assay and antioxidant activity increased with increasing time.
Figure 1H depicts the effect of ethanol concentration as well as temperature on DPPH. The antioxidant activity of DPPH improved when the temperature was raised to 40 °C, but declined when the temperature was raised to 50 °C. When the ethanol concentration was raised by more than 80% (v/v) in
Figure 1I, the antioxidant activity by DPPH assay begins to decline. This research is also in line with Liyana-Pathirana & Shahidi [
28] who discovered that utilizing ethanol concentrations of 60 to 80 % (v/v) resulted in better antioxidant activity than using the same ethanol concentration with a longer extraction period evidenced by antioxidant activity by DPPH assay. It is also approved that the extraction period must be long enough to avoid bioactive components degrading and resulting in reduced antioxidant activity [
29]
The linear impact of temperature on antioxidant activity by FRAP assay in MFE samples were statistically significant (p≤0.05). On the other hand, the quadratic effects and relationship of time, temperature, and ethanol concentration implemented to MFE samples on FRAP values were statistically insignificant (p>0.05) (
Table 3). The equilibrium of the second-order polynomial equation describing the effect of temperature, time, and ethanol concentration on the antioxidant activity of MFE samples as measured by FRAP values was as follows:
FRAP = +24493.26316 – 56.58947 A– 1025.17895 B– 282.90526 C– 1.74474 A* B+ 0.447368 A* C+ 24.60421 B* C+ 0.622763 A2 + 13.68895 B2 – 37.01684 C2
The quadratic model's high R2 values indicated the data that fitted well under experimental conditions, and the modified coefficient of determination revealed the model's adequacy in predicting experimental findings as well as its high degree of fit. The minimum antioxidant activity measured by FRAP value was discovered at 100% ethanol concentration and 30 °C for 10 min, whereas the greatest FRAP value was obtained at 50 °C and 60% ethanol concentration for 10 min. Surface plots of three-dimensional responses for the effects of temperature and time, temperature and ethanol concentration, and ethanol concentration and time were shown in
Figure 1. The results from
Figure 1J demonstrated that antioxidant activity didn’t show any significance changes when the temperature rises from 30 ℃ to 40 ℃. However, when the temperature rises over 40 ℃, the antioxidant activity by FRAP assay increased.
Figure 1K demonstrated that increasing ethanol concentration caused a decline of antioxidant activity by FRAP values. Additionally,
Figure 1L indicates the effect between ethanol concentration and time showed that the minimum value of antioxidant activity was calculated at 10 min with 100% ethanol concentration (v/v).
According to the analysis, the linear effects of time and the quadratic effects of ethanol concentration and time applied to MFE samples on carotenoid were statistically significant (p≤0.05) (
Table 3). The remaining quadratic and the interaction between temperature, time and ethanol concentration utilized to MFE samples on carotenoid content were not statistically significant (p>0.05) (
Table 3). The equilibrium of the second-order polynomial model, describing the effect of temperature, time, and ethanol concentration on total carotenoid content (TCC) of MFE using RSM analysis, was described as follows:
TCC = -1115.00719 + 61.66381 A– 16.48538 B– 125.44919 C+ 0.149270 A* B+ 0.360736 A* C+ 0.753262 B* C– 0.450316 A2 – 0.054940 B2 + 2.85963 C2
The lowest TCC was discovered at 100% ethanol concentration and 30 °C for 10 min, while the greatest TCC value was recorded for 5 min at 30 °C and 80% ethanol concentration. Surface plots of three-dimensional responses for the effects of temperature and time, temperature and ethanol concentration, and ethanol concentration and time were shown in
Figure 1. The effect of extraction time and temperature on TCC is seen in
Figure 1M, where the TCC value increased as the extraction period increased. Because long extraction periods produce more cell wall breaking due to ultrasound. The duration of the extraction process is crucial in the extraction of carotenoids because prolonging the processing time of the solvent with the solids may promote the diffusion of the compounds and resulting in carotenoids being more easily discharged from the matrix into the extraction medium. Similar to that, ethanol concentration is crucial to getting the most carotenoids back.
Figure 1N demonstrated that increasing ethanol concentration up to 80% result in increased carotenoid content and then decrease when increased ethanol concentration to 100%. This is possibly because ultrasound waves spread more widely in aqueous solutions, using a solvent with water can lead to more radicals' production because of the ultrasound-induced dissociation of water. The extraction efficiency of the target chemicals may reduce because the oxidative reaction and the extraction reaction can coexist [
30]. In
Figure 1O, it showed that the lowest extraction time for TCC value was 10 min then it gradually increased until 15 min.
The second-order polynomial equation and 3D plot results clearly demonstrated that the quadratic regression equation was possible to demonstrate 3D response surface plots and estimate TPC, TFC, antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP), and carotenoid concentration in MFE samples (
Figure 1A-O). Visually, the curvature of response surfaces can be noticed, which reflects the degree of effect of independent variables in the study value. Temperature (B), time (C), and ethanol concentration (A) found a substantial effect on the biological properties and antioxidant activity of the MFE. Different shapes reflect various interactions between the factors being studied. If the contour plot was elliptical, the interactions between the corresponding variables were very important; nevertheless, a circular contour plot suggested that there were no significant interactions between variables [
31]. From RSM results, the optimum condition of ultrasound-assisted extraction for all antioxidants (total phenolic compound, total flavonoid content, total carotenoid content) and antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP assay) was 68% (v/v) ethanol concentration, 40 ℃ temperature and 15 min extraction time from optimized data of RSM. Based on the optimum results of antioxidant constituents, antimicrobial activity by disc diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration [
32] on Gram positive bacteria (
Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli) were further investigated.