Extraction with organic solvents is a traditional method to isolate bioactive compounds, which is energy-wasting and time-consuming. Therefore, enzyme and ultrasound treatments were combined to assist the extraction of oligomeric procyanidins from litchi pericarp (LPOPC), as an innovative approach to replace conventional extraction methods. Under optimum conditions (enzyme concentration 0.12 mg/mL, ultrasonic power 300 W, ultrasonic time 80 min, and liquid/solid ratio 10 mL/g), the yield of LPOPC could be improved up to 13.5%. HPLC analysis indicated that the oligomeric procyanidins (OPC) content of LPOPC from proposed extraction was up to 89.6%, mainly including (-)-epicatechin, procyanidin A1, A2, and A-type procyanidin trimer. Moreover, LPOPC powder was added in baked food to inhibit the lipid peroxidation. It was found that 0.2% (w/w) of LPOPC could maintain the quality of cookies in the first 7 days, by decreasing the peroxide values. The procyanidin dimers and trimers in LPOPC played more important roles as antioxidants compared to monomers during storage. The results also showed that the combined extraction process can be considered as a useful and efficient method for the extraction of functional components from other plant sources.
Keywords: HPLC; RSM (Response Surface Methodology); baked food; litchi pericarp; oligomeric procyanidins.