Betulinic Acid from Zizyphus Joazeiro Bark Using Focused Microwave-Assisted Extraction and Response Surface Methodology

BACKGROUND: The effect of the extraction time (min) and temperature (°C) on the yield of betulinic acid (BA) from Zizyphus joazeiro barks using focused microwave-assisted extraction was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ethyl acetate was used as extractor solvent because it was shown to provide a betulinic acid-clean extract. A full two-level statistical factorial design was applied to determine the important effects and interactions of these independent variables upon the yield of BA. RESULTS: The conditions that produced the highest yield of BA were at temperature of 70°C and an extraction time of 15 min (3.33 mg per gram of plant). CONCLUSION: The BA has drawn attention due to its use as a raw material in the synthesis of active compounds against the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). SUMMARY: The extraction of betulinic acid (BA) from Zizyphus joazeiro barks using focused microwave was investigated. A full two-level statistical factorial design was applied to determine the effects and interactions of the independent variables (time and temperature) upon the yield of BA. The reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detector was used for quantification. Abbreviation used: BA: Betulinic acid; FMAE: Focused microwave assisted extraction; HPLC: High-performance liquid chromatography; RSD: Relative standard deviations.