Microwave-assisted deep eutectic solvent extraction of five lignans from Schisandra chinensis

Green extraction of the active lignans from Schisandra chinensis has received considerable attention due to their promising applications in the biomedical field. In this study, microwave-assisted deep eutectic solvent method was used to simultaneously extract five lignans: Schizandrol A, Schizandrol B, Schisantherin A, Schisandrin A and Schizandrin B. The extraction parameters were optimized according to the calculated comprehensive score obtained from the analytic hierarchy process combined with the entropy weight method. The optimal extraction conditions were that the molar ratio of choline chloride and glycolic acid is 4:1, water content is 30% (V/V), solid-liquid ratio is 1:20 (W-g:V-mL), extraction time is 20 min, and extraction temperature is 70 degrees C, under which the extraction rate of the five lignans were 10.89, 8.616, 4.019, 4.893, and 5.318 mg/g. These results confirmed that our extraction method is efficient and feasible for green extraction of lignans from S. chinensis.