Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Antioxidants from Melastoma malabathricum Linn.: Modeling and Optimization Using Box-Behnken Design

This study presents modeling and optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of Melastoma malabathricum with the objective of evaluating its phytochemical properties. This one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) procedure was conducted to screen for optimization variables whose domains included extraction temperature (X-ET), ultrasonic time (X-UT), solvent concentration (X-SC), and sample-to-liquid ratio (X-SLR). Response surface methodology (RSM) coupled with Box-Behnken design (BBD) was applied to establish optimum conditions for maximum antioxidant extraction. Modeling and optimization conditions of UAE at 37 kHz, X-ET 32 degrees C for X-UT 16 min and dissolved in an X-SC 70% ethanol concentration at a X-SLR 1:10 ratio yielded scavenging effects on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) at 96% +/- 1.48 and recorded values of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) at 803.456 +/- 32.48 mg GAE (gallic acid equivalents)/g, and 102.972 +/- 2.51 mg QE (quercetin equivalents)/g, respectively. The presence of high flavonoid compounds was verified using TWIMS-QTOFMS. Chromatic evaluation of phytochemicals using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed the presence of 14 phytocompounds widely documented to play significant roles in human health. This study provides a comparative evaluation with other studies and may be used for validation of the species' potential for its much-acclaimed medicinal and cosmeceutical uses.