Quality by Design (QbD) Steered Microwave-Assisted Extraction Optimization of Piperine from Black Pepper Employing Response Surface Methodology

Background: Piperine, an alkaloid obtained from seeds and fruits of plant Piper nigrum L. belonging to family Piperaceae possessing an extensive array of biological and pharmacological activities. Numerous methods of piperine extraction from black pepper have been adopted. Microwave-assisted abstraction is one of them employing various parameters for the extraction of piperine. Objective: The goal of this research was to find the most effective way to extract piperine from black pepper using microwaves by maximizing the effectiveness of the various process parameters. Methods: The extraction of piperine involves the utilization of glacial acetic acid as a solvent in the process. In addition, an experiment using a two-factor and three-level central composite design was employed to achieve the best possible extraction results. The response surface methodology was chosen, and then a central composite design of the experiment was utilized to identify the ideal circumstances for piperine extraction. These optimal conditions were determined by taking into account thses independent variables: microwave power (X1), irradiation time (X2), and solvent level (X3), with yield (Y) serving as the response variable. Piperine was extracted from black pepper, and yield of piperine was examined through the impacts of radiation duration, microwave power and solvent concentration. Results: The present research showed that the amount of piperine produced was significantly affected by both the power of the microwave radiation and the length of time it was exposed to the radiation. To achieve the highest possible yield of 3.5, the parameters microwave power (500), irradiation period (60), and solvent level (40) were found to be the most effective combinations. Conclusions: The current study concludes that black pepper could be a possible source of piperine that can be used in conjunction with microwaves to generate a high-quality yield that possesses desirable quality qualities.