Abstract
© 2025This study developed the first deep eutectic solvents (DESs) system specifically for extracting total flavonoids from Artemisiae Scopariae Herba (ASHTF), with documented hepatoprotective potential. We optimized the extraction process of DES and comprehensively evaluated its advantages over ethanol extracts (TOS extract) through both in vitro and in vivo experiments. In vitro, chemical characterization was performed using UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS, followed by antioxidant activity assessment. In CCl4-induced liver injury mice, the hepatoprotective effects of two extracts were compared, and the mechanism by which DES extract ameliorates liver injury was clarified through a combination of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and fecal metabolomics analysis. When choline chloride/1,2-propanediol were used as extraction solvent, the extraction efficiency of ASHTF demonstrated a 27 % increase compared to ethanol. Twenty-six flavonoids were identified in the DES extract—five more than in the TOS extract—with stronger antioxidant activity. In vivo, the DES extract demonstrated superior efficacy compared to TOS in mitigating hepatic damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Mechanistically, DES extract modulated the composition of gut microbiota and reversed the changes of fifty-four fecal metabolites in mice with liver injury, particularly regulating pyrimidine metabolism, β-alanine metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. DES extraction outperforms TOS in extraction efficiency, composition, antioxidant activity, and hepatoprotective efficacy. Overall, DES not only augmented the extraction efficiency of ASHTF and effectively preserved its biological activity but also reduced solvent waste to lower costs and mitigated TOS's environmental pollution risks. This provides a theoretical foundation for the extraction of natural products using DES and holds practical significance.
NETL
NSTL
Elsevier