Research Progress on Solanesol Extraction from Tobacco Wastes

Solanesol has antibacterial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antiulcer biological activities, and is a key intermediate in the synthesis of coenzyme Q10, vitamin K2, and the anticancer synergist N-solanesyl-N,N'-bis(3,4-dimethoxy-benzyl)ethylenediamine (SDB) and other ubiquinone drugs. Due to its unique chemical structure, the chemical synthesis of solanesol is difficult, so solanesol is currently mainly isolated from solanaceous plants. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) has the highest content of solanesol compared to other solanaceous plants. Currently, the research on the extraction of solanesol from tobacco focuses on its extraction and purification. This article reviews the extraction methods, saponification, separation and purification methods of solanesol, as well as the research progress on tobacco solanesol, in China and abroad in recent years. Studies show that the organic solvent extraction method is time-consuming and has a low extraction rate. Modern technology- assisted extraction methods, such as ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, and supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) extraction not only can improve the extraction rate but also can effectively shorten the extraction time. The separation and purification of solanesol from the extracting solution are critical steps to meet the purity requirements of synthetic drugs, and are also key in limiting the large-scale industrial production of high-purity solanesol. Molecular Imprinting Technology (MIT) has the advantages of small investment, simple operation and ease of large scale production compared to chromatographic methods. Solanesol separated by MIT can meet the requirements for synthesizing coenzyme Q10. Nowadays, the synthesis of molecularly-imprinted solanesol polymers with better adsorption efficiency is one of the important directions in the future research of solanesol purification.