Polyphenol Extraction and Antioxidant Activity in Teff Grain via Pressurized Liquids
摘要
Teff is a cereal rich in bioactive compounds. These phytochemicals can be recovered through different techniques. In this context, pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) stands out for its advantages of using green solvents, providing high extraction yields and automation. In this study, the physicochemical composition of brown Teff grains was evaluated and phenolic extracts were obtained using PLE and Soxhlet (SE). The antioxidant activity was determined by in vitro assays. A full factorial design was employed to investigate the influence of temperature and solvent on mass yield. Total phenolic content (TPC) was determined by Folin–Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH, ABTS and ORAC assays. The extract composition was analyzed by HPLC–UV and FTIR-ATR. Optimal conditions for PLE were 60 °C and 69.86 v/v% ethanol, resulting in a mass yield of 3.09 tw%. This value was close to the mass yield (3.39 tw%) obtained by SE using similar ethanol concentration at the boiling point. The selectivity for compounds with antioxidant activity was increased in PLE. These findings highlight PLE as an efficient method for extracting phenolics from Teff. Ferulic and p-coumaric acid were identified as the main phenolic acids (PA), and FTIR spectral data confirmed the presence of these compounds in the free and soluble fraction. The ORAC method showed a strong positive correlation with TPC, which was attributed to its high sensitivity to the PA present in the extracts.
Graphical abstract