Deep eutectic solvent (DES) extraction and aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) purification of black rosehip berry bioactive compounds

Black rosehip ( Rosa pimpinellifolia L.) is a nutrient-rich wild fruit valued for its culinary and medicinal uses, mainly due to the presence of various bioactive compounds, including polyphenols. Traditional solvents utilized in the recovery of these polyphenols are often inefficient and harmful to the environment, necessitating the shift to eco-friendly deep eutectic solvents (DES). Although DES formulations, particularly chloride-based systems, are comparatively well studied, research on organic acid and sugar-based DES remains limited. This study investigates organic acid-based DES (lactic acid, acetic acid, and formic acid) and sugar-based DES (sucrose, sorbitol), as environmentally friendly options for the recovery of polyphenols from black rosehip. Results indicate that LASA (lactic acid and sodium acetate) DES, 1:2 molar ratio), with 10% (w/w) water yielded the highest polyphenols (phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins) and antioxidant recovery. Based on these findings, LASA extraction was optimized at 4.219:1: sodium acetate: LA: SA molar ratio, a 1:45 solid-to-solvent ratio, and 54% (w/w) water content. The optimized LASA extraction significantly increased TPC (54.6%), TFC (1.83%), and antioxidant capacity (109.5%), though TAC decreased (18.3%). Further, purification using aqueous two-phase systems improved the recovery of individual phenolic acids and flavonoids with cyanidin derivatives exhibiting the highest yields. Overall, the study demonstrates that optimised LASA based DES enhances the selective recovery of polyphenols, offering a sustainable for producing high-value nutraceutical ingredients. • Acid–sugar-based DESs were prepared for black rosehip’s polyphenols extraction. • Organic acid-based DES are efficient than sugar-based DES in recovering polyphenols. • Increasing the HBD ratio during optimization enhances TPC, TFC, TAC and antioxidant activity. • Solid to solvent ratio during optimization was insignificant for TAC. • Above 50% water addition did not disrupt the LASA solvent system.