Highly selective separation of acteoside from Cistanche tubulosa using an ionic liquid based aqueous two-phase system

To achieve simple and efficient separation of acteoside (ACT), extraction ACT from crude extracts of Cistanche tubulosa via ionic liquid (IL) based aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) is investigated. The ILATPS comprising [C4mim]BF4 and (NH4)2SO4 exhibits excellent extraction performance, extracting almost all ACT in the [C4mim]BF4-rich phase. The high polarity of [C4mim]BF4 having multi-hydrogen bond receptors is conducive for extracting ACT in the IL-rich phase, and (NH4)2SO4 not only provides a weak acidic microenvironment for increasing ACT stability in the IL-rich phase but also reduces the solubility of ACT in the salt-rich phase via the salting-out effect. In addition, molecular simulation results show that ACT is extracted in the [C4mim]BF4-rich phase via multi-interactions, including hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, and it-it stacking. This study is expected to provide a valuable reference for the separation of bioactive constituents from natural products. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, efficient separation of acteoside from crude extracts of Cistanche tubulosa was achieved using an ionic liquid-based aqueous two-phase system. The combination of [C4mim]BF4 and (NH4)2SO4 showed excellent extraction performance for acteoside, providing valuable insights for future applications.