Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) have been gradually applied to green extraction of active ingredients. In this study, microwave-assisted NADESs were applied to the extraction of flavonoid compounds from perilla leaves. Through comparative experiments, NADES-3 (choline chloride and malic acid at a molar ratio of 1:1) was found to have the highest extraction efficiency of total flavonoids, including apigenin 7-O-caffeoylglucoside, scutellarein 7-O-diglucuronide, luteolin 7-O-diglucuronide, and scutellarein 7-O-glucuronide by HPLC-MS. The following optimal extraction parameters were obtained based on response surface design: water content in NADES of 23%, extraction power of 410 W, extraction time of 31 min, and solid-liquid ratio of 75 mg/mL, leading to the extraction yield of total flavonoids of 72.54 mg/g. Additionally, the strong antimicrobial and antiallergic activity, inhibition of nitrosation, and antioxidant activity of total flavonoids by using NADESs were confirmed. This new extraction method provides a reference for the further exploration of NADES systems and may be widely used for the green extraction of natural active ingredients.
Keywords: Perillae folium; antimicrobial activity; chemical compositions; microwave-assisted extraction; natural deep eutectic solvents; response surface methodology.