Extraction and characterization of aronia melanocarpa fruit phenolic components with ultrasound supported method

In this thesis study, the optimization of phenolic compound extraction from aronia fruit using ultrasound-assisted method based on the response surface methodology was aimed, as well as the determination and comparison of certain bioactive properties of aronia phenolic extracts obtained through both conventional and ultrasound-assisted extraction methods. In the first stage of the study, the effects of solvent concentration (40–90% ethanol), sonicator power (50–200 Watt), duty cycle (10:6–10:10 s:s), and extraction time (5–20 minutes) on the total phenolic content were investigated using a Box-Behnken experimental design to optimize the ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions. Following the optimization, the optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions were determined as 50% ethanol concentration, 94 Watt sonicator power, 10:6 s/s duty cycle, and 13 minutes of extraction time. In the subsequent stage of the study, aronia phenolic extract was also produced using a conventional extraction method (50% ethanol concentration, 13-minute extraction time, and 50°C extraction temperature). In the final stage of the research, pH, total acidity, extraction yield, total phenolic content, total anthocyanin content, total flavonoid content, antioxidant capacity, and phenolic composition of the extracts obtained via both methods were analyzed. The extracts exhibited similar pH and total acidity values; however, the ultrasound-assisted extract demonstrated superior characteristics in terms of total phenolic content, total anthocyanin content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacity. Chlorogenic acid, quercetin 3-β-D-glucoside, rutin, rosmarinic acid, quercetin dihydrate, succinic acid, and genistic acid were identified as the most abundant phenolic compounds present in the extracts.