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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDUltrasonics sonochemistry

Ultrasound-assisted deep eutectic solvents extraction of bioactive natural products: a sustainable alternative to conventional extraction techniques.

  • Sasadhar Majhi1
  • Christian Cravotto2
  • Sivakumar Manickam3
  • Giancarlo Cravotto4
4 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Chemistry, Trivenidevi Bhalotia College, Raniganj, Kazi Nazrul University, West Bengal 713347, India. Electronic address: [email protected].
  2. 2URD Agro-Biotechnologies Industrielles (ABI), CEBB, AgroParisTech, 51110 Pomacle, France.
  3. 3Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan BE1410, Brunei Darussalam.
  4. 4Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Via P. Giuria 9, 10125 Turin, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
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Abstract

Natural products derived from medicinal plants, including purified compounds and standardized extracts, remain important sources of drug leads due to their exceptional structural and chemical diversity. However, their efficient recovery is often limited by complex plant matrices, low target concentrations, and the thermal sensitivity of many bioactive constituents. Consequently, extraction strategies must achieve high recovery while preserving compound stability and biological functionality. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) has emerged as a promising green technology that enhances cell disruption and mass transfer through acoustic cavitation, thereby reducing extraction time, energy demand, and solvent consumption compared with conventional methods. In parallel, deep eutectic solvents (DES) and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) have attracted considerable attention as alternatives to traditional organic solvents because of their low volatility, compositional tunability, and high solubilization capacity. Their combination with ultrasound offers a synergistic platform in which cavitation accelerates matrix disintegration and molecular transport, while DES/NADES provide adaptable extraction environments for chemically diverse compounds. This review critically evaluates the use of DES/NADES for the recovery of alkaloids, anthocyanins, carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, terpenoids, and xanthones using UAE. It places particular emphasis on solvent design, extraction mechanisms, operating variables, biological activity, and reported extraction performance. This review also examines current limitations in viscosity, solvent recovery, toxicity assessment, standardization, scale-up, and regulatory acceptance. Future progress will depend on integrating solvent engineering, mechanistic modelling, process intensification, and sustainability assessment to enable industrial application in pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and nutraceutical production.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{majhi2026ultrasoundassisted,
  title = {{Ultrasound-assisted deep eutectic solvents extraction of bioactive natural products: a sustainable alternative to conventional extraction techniques.}},
  author = {Sasadhar Majhi and Christian Cravotto and Sivakumar Manickam and Giancarlo Cravotto},
  journal = {Ultrasonics sonochemistry},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1016/j.ultsonch.2026.108096},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42858558},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Ultrasound-assisted deep eutectic solvents extraction of bioactive natural products: a sustainable alternative to conventional extraction techniques.
AU  - Sasadhar Majhi
AU  - Christian Cravotto
AU  - Sivakumar Manickam
AU  - Giancarlo Cravotto
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/05
JO  - Ultrasonics sonochemistry
DO  - 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2026.108096
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42858558
AB  - Natural products derived from medicinal plants, including purified compounds and standardized extracts, remain important sources of drug leads due to their exceptional structural and chemical diversity. However, their efficient recovery is often limited by complex plant matrices, low target concentrations, and the thermal sensitivity of many bioactive constituents. Consequently, extraction strategies must achieve high recovery while preserving compound stability and biological functionality. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) has emerged as a promising green technology that enhances cell disruption and mass transfer through acoustic cavitation, thereby reducing extraction time, energy demand, and solvent consumption compared with conventional methods. In parallel, deep eutectic solvents (DES) and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) have attracted considerable attention as alternatives to traditional organic solvents because of their low volatility, compositional tunability, and high solubilization capacity. Their combination with ultrasound offers a synergistic platform in which cavitation accelerates matrix disintegration and molecular transport, while DES/NADES provide adaptable extraction environments for chemically diverse compounds. This review critically evaluates the use of DES/NADES for the recovery of alkaloids, anthocyanins, carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, terpenoids, and xanthones using UAE. It places particular emphasis on solvent design, extraction mechanisms, operating variables, biological activity, and reported extraction performance. This review also examines current limitations in viscosity, solvent recovery, toxicity assessment, standardization, scale-up, and regulatory acceptance. Future progress will depend on integrating solvent engineering, mechanistic modelling, process intensification, and sustainability assessment to enable industrial application in pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and nutraceutical production.
SN  - 1350-4177
SN  - 1873-2828
ER  -