Extraction of bioactive compounds from Catharanthus roseus and Vinca minor

The aim of this study was to extract and identify the major constituents, namely, the indole alkaloids, from two Apocynaceae medicinal plant family species, Catharanthus roseus and Vinca minor when using different solvents (the alcohol mixtures, the imidazolium-based ionic liquids (IL) and the novel cholineand menthol-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs)) in ultrasound-assisted processes. Special analytical protocols were developed for the analyses of the IL and DES extracts by liquid chromatography, as these solvents are generally regarded as interfering additives in liquid separation methods. The developed procedures enabled the study to detect and to compare the abundance of several alkaloids in these plants. The different solvents demonstrated varying extraction yields for the analysed alkaloids. In C. roseus, the concentrations ranged from 60.2-329.9 and 114.8-659.7 mu g g(-1) for catharanthine and vindoline, respectively. In the case of V. minor, the concentrations of vincamine ranged from 6.0-173.9 mu g g(-1). The obtained results have clearly shown the different extraction abilities of the used solvents for the separate classes of compounds. Therefore, there is a flexibility to select an effective solvent system for the specific extractions and separations of these compounds. Superscript/Subscript Available