Article Sidebar

Issue: 2026: Natural Sciences Issue - Online First
Section: Natural Sciences Issue (Vietnamese)
DOI: 10.52714/dthu.ns.3267.2003
Date Published: 03/05/2026
Views 30
How to Cite
Pham, T. P. L., Nguyen, N. Y. N., Nguyen, T. T. L., Le, N. N., Nguyen, M. T., & Pham, T. M. T. (2026). Optimization of the extraction process of total polyphenols, total flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity from ficus auriculata with the assistance of microwaves. Dong Thap University Journal of Science, Online First. https://doi.org/10.52714/dthu.ns.3267.2003

Metrics

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

Optimization of the extraction process of total polyphenols, total flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity from ficus auriculata with the assistance of microwaves

Thi Phuong Linh Pham1, Ngoc Yen Nhi Nguyen1, Thi Thanh Lam Nguyen1, Ngoc Nhu Le1, Minh Tam Nguyen1, Thi My Tien Pham1,
1 Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, Vietnam

Main Article Content

Abstract

This study aimed to optimize the extraction of total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity (DPPH radical scavenging capacity) from Ficus auriculata fruit using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) combined with response surface methodology (RSM). It investigated three independent variables, including solid-to-solvent ratio (70% ethanol), microwave power, and post-microwave extraction temperature, while microwave irradiation time (60 s) and post-extraction time (30 min) were kept constant. The optimal extraction conditions were determined as a solid-to-solvent ratio of 1:21 g/mL, microwave power of 180 W, and extraction temperature of 55 oC. Under these conditions, TPC reached 2.923 ± 0.126 g GAE/100 g dry weight, TFC reached 0.164 ± 0.003 g QE/100 g dry weight, and antioxidant activity achieved 88.780 ± 0.381%. The experimental values showed less than 5% deviation from the predicted values, confirming the high reliability and adequacy of the developed model. Compared to conventional extraction under the same conditions, MAE enhanced TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activity by approximately 1.27, 1.52, and 1.13 times, respectively. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of MAE in improving the extraction efficiency of bioactive compounds and highlight Ficus auriculata fruit as a promising natural source of polyphenols and flavonoids with potential applications in functional foods and pharmaceutical products as natural antioxidants.

Keywords

Antioxidant, Ficus auriculata, Optimization, Total polyphenol, Total flavonoid

Article Details

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

References

Ahmad, Z., Rauf, A., Orhan, I. E., Mubarak, M. S., Akram, Z., Islam, M. R., Imran, M., Edis, Z., Kondapavuluri, B. K., Thangavelu, L., & Thiruvengadam, M. (2025). Antioxidant Potential of Polyphenolic Compounds, Sources, Extraction, Purification and Characterization Techniques: A Focused Review. In Food Science and Nutrition (Vol. 13, Number 12). John Wiley and Sons Inc. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.71259
Ambreen, S., Tariq, M., Masoud, M. S., Ali, I., Qasim, M., Mushtaq, A., Ahmed, M., & Asghar, R. (2021). Anticoagulant potential and total phenolic content of six species of the genus Ficus from Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 18(6), 1245–1251. https://doi.org/10.4314/TJPR.V18I6.14
Baharuddin, N. A. F., Nordin, M. F. M., Morad, N. A., Aris, N. I. A., & Yunus, M. A. C. (2018). Total phenolic, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of Clinacanthus nutans leaves by water-based ultrasonic assisted extraction. Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences, 22(4), 659–666. https://doi.org/10.17576/mjas-2018-2204-12
Bai, X. L., Yue, T. L., Yuan, Y. H., & Zhang, H. W. (2010). Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of polyphenols from apple pomace using response surface methodology and HPLC analysis. Journal of Separation Science, 33(23–24), 3751–3758. https://doi.org/10.1002/jssc.201000430
Baliyan, S., Mukherjee, R., Priyadarshini, A., Vibhuti, A., Gupta, A., Pandey, R. P., & Chang, C. M. (2022). Determination of Antioxidants by DPPH Radical Scavenging Activity and Quantitative Phytochemical Analysis of Ficus religiosa. Molecules, 27(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27041326
Bhatt, S. C., Kumar, V., Naik, B., Gupta, A. K., Saris, P. E. J., Kumar, V., Rajput, V., & Rustagi, S. (2024). Ficus auriculata Lour., an underutilized nonconventional alternative fruit to Ficus carica with nutraceutical potential. In Discover Sustainability (Vol. 5, Number 1). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00480-3
Casazza, A. A., Aliakbarian, B., & Perego, P. (2011). Recovery of phenolic compounds from grape seeds: Effect of extraction time and solid-liquid ratio. Natural Product Research, 25(18), 1751–1761. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2010.524889
Castro-Vargas, H. I., Baumann, W., Ferreira, S. R. S., & Parada-Alfonso, F. (2019). Valorization of papaya (Carica papaya L.) agroindustrial waste through the recovery of phenolic antioxidants by supercritical fluid extraction. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 56(6), 3055–3066. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-019-03795-6
Cui, H., Lu, T., Wang, M., Zou, X., Zhang, Y., Yang, X., Dong, Y., & Zhou, H. (2019). Flavonoids from morus alba L. Leaves: Optimization of extraction by response surface methodology and comprehensive evaluation of their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and inhibition of α-amylase activities through analytical hierarchy process. Molecules, 24(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24132398
Đại Nghiệp, N., Liêu, N., My, T., Hoàng, N., & Ly, T. (2024). Khảo sát điều kiện trích ly polyphenol và khả năng kháng oxy hóa của cao chiết từ hoa hòe (Styphnolobium japonicum).
Ganesapillai, M., Venugopal, A., & Simha, P. (2017). Preliminary isolation, recovery and characterization of polyphenols from waste Tamarindus indica L. Materials Today: Proceedings, 4(9), 10658–10661. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2017.06.438
Gebicki, J. M., & Nauser, T. (2021). Fast antioxidant reaction of polyphenols and their metabolites. In Antioxidants (Vol. 10, Number 8). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10081297
Huang, W., Yang, L., Lv, Q.-Z., Long, J.-T., Gong, Z.-F., Nong, K.-Y., Liang, X.-M., & Qin, T. (2021). Current State of Knowledge on the Antioxidant Effects and Mechanisms of Action of Polyphenolic Compounds Classification of Polyphenolic Compounds and an Overview of Their Biological Functions. In Natural Product Communications (Vol. 16, Number 7).
Islam, M. R., Kamal, M. M., Kabir, M. R., Hasan, M. M., Haque, A. R., & Hasan, S. M. K. (2023). Phenolic compounds and antioxidants activity of banana peel extracts: Testing and optimization of enzyme-assisted conditions. Measurement: Food, 10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meafoo.2023.100085
Laina, K. T., Drosou, C., Stergiopoulos, C., Eleni, P. M., & Krokida, M. (2024). Optimization of Combined Ultrasound and Microwave-Assisted Extraction for Enhanced Bioactive Compounds Recovery from Four Medicinal Plants: Oregano, Rosemary, Hypericum, and Chamomile. Molecules, 29(23). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29235773
López-Salazar, H., Camacho-Díaz, B. H., Arenas Ocampo, M. L., & Jiménez-Aparicio, A. R. (2023). Microwave-assisted extraction of functional compounds from plants: A review. Bioresources. BioResources, 18(3), 6614–6638.
Phan, P. M., Nguyen, T. D., Nguyen, P. H., Vo, V. T. T., Vu, A. T., & Anh, V. T. (2021). Optimization of extraction conditions of flavonoids from Houttuynia cordata Thumb leaves. www.jad.hcmuaf.edu.vn
Rudrapal, M., Maji, S., Prajapati, S. K., Kesharwani, P., Deb, P. K., Khan, J., Ismail, R. M., Kankate, R. S., Sahoo, R. K., Khairnar, S. J., & Bendale, A. R. (2022). Protective Effects of Diets Rich in Polyphenols in Cigarette Smoke (CS)‐Induced Oxidative Damages and Associated Health Implications. In Antioxidants (Vol. 11, Number 7). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11071217
Rumpf, J., Burger, R., & Schulze, M. (2023). Statistical evaluation of DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and Folin-Ciocalteu assays to assess the antioxidant capacity of lignins. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 233, 123470. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJBIOMAC.2023.123470
Shahinuzzaman, M., Akhtar, P., Amin, N., Ahmed, Y., Anuar, F. H., Misran, H., & Akhtaruzzaman, M. (2021). New insights of phenolic compounds from optimized fruit extract of Ficus auriculata. Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-91913-w
Tay, P. Y., Tan, C. P., Abas, F., Yim, H. S., & Ho, C. W. (2014). Assessment of extraction parameters on antioxidant capacity, polyphenol content, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and iriflophenone 3-C-β-glucoside of agarwood (Aquilaria crassna) young leaves. Molecules, 19(8), 12304–12319. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules190812304
V. González-de-Peredo, A., Vázquez-Espinosa, M., Espada-Bellido, E., Ferreiro-González, M., F. Barbero, G., Palma, M., & Carrera, C. (2022). Optimization of a Microwave Assisted Extraction Method for Maximum Flavonols and Antioxidant Activity of Onion Extracts. Antioxidants, 11(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11122393
Võ, T. T., Nguyễn, T. K. T., Võ, T. T., Tạ, N. T., Lê, B. T., & Phan, T. O. (2023a). Khảo sát một số yếu tố ảnh hưởng đến khả năng trích ly hợp chất polyphenol và flavonoid từ lá dâu tằm (Moruss Alba L.). Dong Thap University Journal of Science, 12(8), 88–94. https://doi.org/10.52714/dthu.12.8.2023.1156
Võ, T. T., Nguyễn, T. K. T., Võ, T. T., Tạ, N. T., Lê, B. T., & Phan, T. O. (2023b). Khảo sát một số yếu tố ảnh hưởng đến khả năng trích ly hợp chất polyphenol và flavonoid từ lá dâu tằm (Moruss Alba L.). Dong Thap University Journal of Science, 12(8), 88–94. https://doi.org/10.52714/dthu.12.8.2023.1156
Xiao, W., Han, L., & Shi, B. (2008). Microwave-assisted extraction of flavonoids from Radix Astragali. Separation and Purification Technology, 62(3), 614–618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2008.03.025
Zhang, M., Ma, W., Wang, C., Yang, X., Lou, Y., Xia, X., & Xu, H. (2021). Optimization of enzyme-assisted extraction and purification of flavonoids from Pinus koraiensis nut-coated film and antioxidant activity evaluation. Molecules, 26(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26071950