Extraction of Active Compounds from Armoracia rusticana Using Maceration and Ultrasound Assisted Extraction

Current research in the food field is primarily focused on obtaining biologically active compounds to replace chemical food additive from food products. In this study, the active compounds from horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) were extracted by maceration and ultrasonic assisted extraction using two solvents, ethanol and methanol. For this extraction the compounds phenolic, antioxidant activity and vitamin C concentration were determined. The results showed that maceration is a slow method resulting in a low yield of the total polyphenols, unlike ultrasound assisted extraction. The results for antioxidant activity show that in the case of maceration, the solvent does not influence the extraction process and the maceration efficiency is between 35% and 50%. In the case of ultrasonic assisted extraction both the solvent and the ultrasound time influence the oxidative activity of the extracts. Extracts obtained by maceration and ultrasonication contain concentration between 10.7 and 24.4 mg vitamin C / 100 g. It can be stated that the ultrasound assisted extraction method could successfully replace the conventional extraction obtaining the highest content of polyphenolic compounds over a period of 30 minutes.