Evaluation of Ultrasonic-Assisted Aqueous Two-Phase Extraction of Rutin from the Leaves of Moringa oleifera Lam. Through Response Surface Methodology.

Rutin, a natural flavonol glycoside prevalent in various fruits and vegetables, is known to possess diverse pharmacological properties. Its extraction from plant materials has been explored through various methods, yielding different outcomes. In the present investigation, UA-ATPE was employed to extract rutin from the leaves of Moringa oleifera, utilizing a 25% saturated salt/ethanol solution to create an aqueous two-phase system. Different salts, such as MgSO4, (NH4)2SO4, and NaCl, were used, and the optimization focused on ultrasonic time and ultrasonic temperature. A CCD approach was implemented to determine the optimal experimental conditions. The various ATPE systems resulted in distinct RSMs, displaying a linear fit for MgSO4/ethanol and (NH4)2SO4/ethanol systems, and a quadratic fit for the NaCl/ethanol system. The optimal rutin extraction conditions were identified as 25 °C and 22.5 min for the (NH4)2SO4/ethanol and NaCl/ethanol systems. Based on MRM using UHPLC-qTOF-MS, rutin concentrations at these conditions were determined to be 170.30 μg/L and 240 μg/L for the (NH4)2SO4/ethanol and NaCl/ethanol systems, respectively. The NaCl/ethanol system thus exhibited the best performance in rutin extraction. The study also highlighted the significant impact of temperature on rutin extraction and concluded that low temperatures favour the extraction of rutin from the leaves of M. oleifera.