Ultrasound‐assisted aqueous two‐phase extraction of phenylethanoid glycosides from Cistanche deserticola Y. C. Ma stems

An efficient ultrasound‐assisted aqueous two‐phase extraction and enrichment process for phenylethanoid glycosides from Cistanche deserticola Y. C. Ma stems was developed in this work. An ethanol/ammonium sulfate system was chosen for the aqueous two‐phase system due to its fine partitioning and recycling behaviors. Single‐factor experiments and response surface methodology were used to optimize the process parameters of the ultrasound‐assisted aqueous two‐phase extraction. The optimal conditions were as follows: a salt concentration of 23.5%, an ethanol concentration of 20%, an extraction time of 37 min, an extraction temperature of 30°C, a liquid/solid ratio of 30:1 w/w, and an ultrasound power of 300 W. Under the above conditions, the extraction yields of echinacoside and acteoside (the main components of phenylethanoid glycosides) reached 5.35 and 6.22 mg/g dry material weight, respectively. The contents of echinacoside and acteoside in the extracts reached 27.56 and 30.23 mg/g, respectively, which were 2.46‐ and 2.58‐fold higher than the amounts obtained in ultrasound‐assisted extraction. In conclusion, ultrasound‐assisted aqueous two‐phase extraction was an efficient, ecofriendly, and economical method, and it may be a promising technique for extracting and enriching bioactive components from plants.