Study on Catechin Extraction from Camellia Sinensis Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents

Recently, green solvents have gained interest due to their environmental safety. This study evaluated the potential and efficiency of natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) as a new green solvent for bioactive compounds. NADES is a mixture of a hydrogen bond acceptor and a hydrogen bond donor, forming hydrogen bonds that result in a lower melting point than those of the individual components, developing a eutectic system. camellia sinenis was selected to estimate the efficiency of NADES in the extraction of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), caffeine, and antioxidant activity. As a result, NADES extracted 11.76 mg/g of EGCG, which was higher than the extraction yield using water. NADES composed of choline chloride and xylitol showed 13.11% higher antioxidant activity. This study demonstrated that NADES are suitable green solvents for efficiently and selectively extracting bioactive compounds from natural products.