Physico-chemical characterization of spineless safflower petals and HPLC-based process optimization for extracting quercetin-3-O-rutinoside

Department of Pharmacy, BITS-Pilani Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad-500 078, Telangana, India

E-mail : sajeli@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in

Palem Regional Agricultural Research Station, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State

Agricultural University, Mahaboob Nagar District, Telangana, India

International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Hyderabad,

Telangana, India

Agricultural Research Station, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University,

Tandur, Telangana, India

Manuscript received online 18 June 2014, accepted 03 July 2014

The study was aimed to assure the safety of consumption of spineless safflower petals as decoction through physico-chemical characterization and to add value to it by optimizing an eco-friendly extraction process validated by HPLC for quercetin-3-O-rutinoside. Results of determination of tannins, swelling index, hemolytic activity, arsenic, heavy metals (Hg, Pb, Cr, Cd), etc., complied with standard acceptable limits. Different extraction techniques of modern and conventional usage substantiated by reverse phase-HPLC assay were endeavored to evaluate the extraction capacity. Techniques like Soxhlet extraction, heat reflux and maceration with stirring yielded 88.72 ± 5.27 ppm, 74.32 ± 0.67 ppm and 34.30 ± 4.06 ppm of quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, respectively. The ultrasonic assisted extraction yielded 40.64 ± 0.11 ppm under optimum irradiation time. Comparative analysis of yield of quercetin-3-O-rutinoside expounded the higher efficiency of microwave assisted extraction (MAE) method (104.18 ± 4.05 ppm). The high yielding MAE process was improved by modifying various physical and chemical phenomena. A rapid, reproducible, thermally safe, and cost effective MAE process adoptable for maximum recovery of quercetin-3-O-rutinoside from safflower petals was optimized.