Open Access

ARTICLE

Bioactive Compounds Recovery from Larrea tridentata by Green Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction

Muyideen Olaitan Bamidele¹, José Sandoval-Cortés¹, María Liliana Flores-López², Olga Berenice Álvarez Pérez¹, Monica Lizeth Chavez González¹, Cristóbal Noe Aguilar^1,*

1 Bioprocesses and Bioproducts Research Group, Food Research Department, School of Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Saltillo, 25070, Mexico
2 Centro de Investigacion e Innovacion Científica y Tecnológica, Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila, Saltillo, 25070, México

* Corresponding Author: Cristóbal Noe Aguilar. Email:

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2024, 93(11), 3091-3107. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2024.058422

Received 12 September 2024; Accepted 30 October 2024; Issue published 30 November 2024

Abstract

Postharvest losses remain a significant challenge, particularly in developing countries that have inadequate infrastructure. Medicinal plants offer an eco-friendly and sustainable solution for managing diseases and pests in agricultural systems. These plants are rich in bioactive compounds, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolics, and essential oils, many of which have proven antimicrobial, antifungal, insecticidal, and antioxidant properties. These characteristics make medicinal plants viable candidates for postharvest disease and pest control. Among these, Larrea tridentata (creosote bush) is particularly notable for its bioactive compounds with strong antifungal properties. Their potential applications include agriculture, food preservation, and medicine. This study aimed to evaluate how different solvent mixtures affect the efficiency of ultrasound-assisted extraction, total polyphenol content, antioxidant capacity, and antifungal activity of L. tridentata leaves and stems. The findings revealed that the 60% ethanol ultrasound-assisted extract of L. tridentata leaves (ULL 60%) contained the highest concentration of bioactive compounds, including hydrolysable tannins (690.2 mg GAE/100 g) and condensed tannins (329.9 mg CE/100 g). All extracts demonstrated notable antioxidant activity in ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP assays, with ethanol-based extracts showing greater antioxidant potential than their aqueous counterparts. In terms of antifungal efficacy, 100% ethanol leaf extract exhibited the strongest inhibition against Fusarium oxysporum (60.03%), whereas 50% ethanol extract effectively inhibited Alternaria alternata (53.61%). Six major polyphenolic compounds were identified using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC-ESI-MS). These include quercetin, luteolin, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethanol, elenolic acid, nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), and kaempferide. These compounds are known to have antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant properties. These findings underscore the potent fungistatic properties of L. tridentata leaf extracts against key phytopathogenic fungi, highlighting their potential as bioactive agents in the formulation of eco-friendly biopesticides.

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