Silymarin extraction from milk thistle using hot water

Authors: Duan, Lijun¹; Carrier, Danielle²; Clausen, Edgar³

Source: Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Volume 114, Numbers 1-3, March 2004 , pp. 559-568(10)

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Abstract:

Hot water is attracting attention as an extraction solvent in the recovery of compounds from plant material as the search for milder and “greener” solvents intensifies. The use of hot water as an extraction solvent for milk thistle at temperatures above 100°C was explored. The maximum extraction yield of each of the silymarin compounds and taxifolin did not increase with temperature, most likely because significant compound degradation occurred. However, the time required for the yields of the compounds to reach their maxima was reduced from 200 to 55 min when the extraction temperature was increased from 100 to 140°C. Severe degradation of unprotected (plant matrix not present) silymarin compounds was observed and first-order degradation kinetics were obtained at 140°C.

Keywords: Milk thistle; extraction; silymarin; hot water; silybinin; taxifolin; silychristin

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1385/ABAB:114:1-3:559

Affiliations: 1: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Arkansas, 3202 Bell Engineering Center, 72701, Fayetteville, AR, 2: Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of Arkansas, 203 Engineering Hall, 72701, Fayetteville, AR, 3: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Arkansas, 3202 Bell Engineering Center, 72701, Fayetteville, AR, Email: eclause@engr.uark.edu

Publication date: 2004-03-01