Quercetin extraction from small onion skin (Allium cepa L. var. aggregatum Don.) and its antioxidant activity

In the present study, the maximum yield of quercetin was optimized for the ethanol extraction of small onions (Allium cepa L. var. aggregatum Don.), and the antioxidant activity was investigated in vitro. The extraction of quercetin from the small onion skin was carried out through ethanol solvent extraction with different ratios of ethanol and water. Ethanol: water ratio produced the highest quercetin from the onion skin. RP-HPLC analysis of the extracted material showed 2, 122 mg/g of quercetin and 0.34 mg/g of isorhamnetin. A total of 301.03 mg GAE/g dry weight and 156 mg/g quercetin equivalents were found in the onion skin extract. DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging potentials of the tested extract (90:10 v/v) were dose-dependent, with IC50 values of 62.27 mu g/mL and 53.65 mu g/mL, respectively. Therefore, the present study reports that small onion skin extract rich in quercetin may serve as a promising antioxidant and anticancer agent.

Automated summary

In this study, ethanol extraction was used to optimize the maximum yield of quercetin from small onions, and its antioxidant activity was investigated. The highest quercetin yield was obtained with an ethanol: water ratio. RP-HPLC analysis revealed the presence of 2,122 mg/g of quercetin and 0.34 mg/g of isorhamnetin in the extracted material. The onion skin extract had a total phenolic content of 301.03 mg GAE/g dry weight and 156 mg/g of quercetin equivalents. DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging potentials of the extract were dose-dependent, with IC50 values of 62.27 mu g/mL and 53.65 mu g/mL, respectively. Therefore, the study suggests that small onion skin extract rich in quercetin may have potential as an antioxidant and anticancer agent.