Ultrasonic-assisted extraction of 10-deacetylbaccatin III from Taxus baccata L.: optimization using response surface methodology

The ultrasonic-assisted extraction of 10-deacetylbaccatin III from needles of Taxus baccata L. was evaluated using ethanol and methanol as solvents. The effects of temperature, extraction time and particle size were determined by response surface methodology. In the case of ethanol, the optimum values of temperature, extraction time and needle particle size were determined as 44.8 °C, 40.1 min and 113 μm, whereby 102 mg/kg yield could be obtained. For methanol, the respective values were 43.7 °C, 43 min and 114.6 μm, which yielded 112 mg/kg. The results showed that at the optimum operating conditions, it was possible to obtain a reasonable yield using this extraction process. Liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was employed to investigate the fragments of the taxanes from T. baccata.