Several plant species synthesize biologically active secondary metabolites. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are a large group of biotoxins produced by thousands of plant species to protect against the attack of insects and herbivores, but they are highly toxic for humans and animals. In this study, extracts from the aerial part of Senecio brasiliensis were obtained using different technologies: ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), pressurized liquid extraction (PLE), and microwave hydrodiffusion and gravity (MHG). The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of these technologies for the extraction of chemical compounds found in this plant, focusing on two pyrrolizidine alkaloids: integerrimine and senecionine. Influential parameters on yield and chemical composition were also evaluated: for UAE and MHG, temperature and pressure; for PLE, temperature, and percentage of ethanol. All the extraction techniques were efficient for the extraction of integerrimine and senecionine. The UAE and PLE stood out for the higher yields and number of compounds. The PLE presented a maximum yield of 18.63% for the matrix leaf and the UAE a maximum yield of 11.82% for the same matrix. These two techniques also stood out in terms of the number of compounds, once 36 different compounds were found via PLE and 17 via UAE.
Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-02845-1.
Keywords: Alkaloids rich extracts; Genus senecio; Innovative extraction methodologies; Phytochemicals.
© King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology 2021.