Brazilian ginseng tapped for new uses

Extract of Pfaffia glomerata, Brazilian ginseng (photo). The research group seeks to utilize the plant as a source of biofuel and bioelectricity.

By Noêmia Lopes

Agência FAPESP – Researchers from the School of Food Engineering at Universidade Estadual de Campinas (FEA/UNICAMP), members of a research group coordinated by Professor Maria Angela de Almeida Meireles, have developed an extract rich in both β-ecdysone, a compound used in phytotherapeutic drugs to treat memory loss, and saponins, substances with surfactant properties, i.e., substances capable of influencing the contact surface between two liquids that do not mix, creating emulsions used to manufacture cosmetics and foodstuff items.

The extract was obtained from the roots of Brazilian ginseng (Pfaffia glomerata). Both the process of obtaining the extract and the application of the extract as a surfactant agent resulted in a patent (register BR1020130128961) with the National Industrial Property Institute.

Currently, according to researcher Diego Tresinari dos Santos, Brazilian ginseng is the base of a commercial product, Ginseng Brasileiro Herbarium 300 mg, containing approximately 1% β-ecdysone in each capsule. During its production, a large quantity of the plant is discarded as residue because only the roots are used. Santos was a FAPESP post-doctoral fellow and is currently in Switzerland for a research internship, also as a FAPESP fellow, to complement his studies.

In the quest to utilize the entire plant, the FEA/UNICAMP researchers saw the opportunity to explore different uses for the commercial product, producing extracts with greater β-ecdysone content and evaluating the parts of the plant that currently do not have any commercial value.

“The production of an extract like the one we’ve developed and the use of the waste parts left in the field when the roots are harvested – which have yet to be explored – could contribute significantly to the economic feasibility of a future biorefinery that takes advantage of ginseng biomass,” affirmed Santos.

Extraction process

Developing a method to obtain the extract began with a study of the extraction of β-ecdysone and saponin from the roots of ginseng. Among the most common methods for the extraction of these compounds is solid-liquid extraction, in which substances in the solid state become liquid for a period of time through ambient pressure.

The main innovation of the FEA/UNICAMP study was the placement of the dry, ground ginseng roots in contact with different solvents (water, ethanol, isopropanol ethyl acetate and CO2) under different pressures (up to 30-times greater than ambient pressure). “I studied processes with pressurized fluids and co-oriented the master’s dissertation of Renata Vardanega [also from FEA/UNICAMP], who investigated processes with solvents in ambient pressure conditions,” said Santos.

While each solvent is passed through the raw material under constant pumping, ultrasound waves are also employed; this process is another of the study’s innovations. To this end, the roots were immersed in an ultrasonic bath. “This resulted in increases in mass transfer and the solubility of the [β-ecdysone and saponin] compounds. Through this method we gained time and efficiency,” said Santos.

In terms of time, for the same quantity of extract and using the same solvent under ambient pressure conditions, we observed a 10% to 15% reduction in the duration of the procedure when ultrasound waves were applied. In terms of efficacy, Santos affirms that “the simple addition of ultrasound waves during the process of conventional extraction enabled a 76.2% higher yield.”

The scientists are currently developing procedures dedicated to purification to increase the concentration of the compound and to remove undesirable substances and are also investigating the encapsulation of the extracts, a measure that affords greater applicability in some types of industrial formulations.

The scientists are also studying the different uses for the refuse after the extracts are removed. According to Santos, “there are cases in which a significant quantity of vegetable material remains in the extraction bed – approximately 40% of the initial quantity. The use of these residues for commercial purposes, therefore, will be opportune.” To date, three alternatives presented promising results: utilization of the refuse as a bioabsorbent of heavy metals, as a source of sugars for bioethanol production and as a fuel for the production of bioelectricity.

Finally, the scientists analyzed the application of the saponin-rich extract as a surfactant for the production of nanoemulsions (nanometric emulsions).

Technical and economic analysis

To analyze the feasibility of the technological options that could result in better use of Brazilian ginseng, the researchers used equipment from the Laboratory of Supercritical Technology: Extraction, Fractionation and Identification of Vegetable Extracts (LASEFI) at FEA/UNICAMP with an eye toward reducing processing time through the development of different productive stages in a continuous manner. 

To analyze the economic feasibility of the processes, the team utilized a commercial simulator and is continuing to conduct simulations with two software programs. “These three tools are being employed to predict production costs through mass and energy scales,” affirmed Santos.

The team was careful to utilize environmentally friendly solvents, such as water, ethanol, isopropanol, and CO2, to prevent the generation of toxic residues in the production matrix or in the final product (raw purified or encapsulated extract).

“Many studies have been conducted in the quest for greater yield and quality in extraction, purification and encapsulation processes. We have explored all facets of these processes: the development of engineering that results in smaller, cleaner technologies with greater energy efficiency,” said Santos.

Publications and next steps

The results were published in seven articles, including Energy Consumption Versus Antioxidant Activity of Pressurized Fluid Extracts from Pfaffia glomerata Roots and Simulation of an Integrated Sustainable Production of Extract from Brazilian Ginseng Roots with a Cogeneration Plant, published in Chemical Engineering Transactions; Novel Method to Produce Emulsions Containing Essential Oils from Saponin-Rich Pressurized Aqueous Plant Extracts, published in the Journal of Colloid Science and Biotechnology; and Pressurized Organic Solvent Extraction with On-line Particle Formation by Supercritical Anti Solvent Processes, published in Food and Public Health.

The conclusions were also published in two book chapters: Integration of Pressurized Fluid‐based Technologies for Natural Product Processing, in Natural Product Extraction (Royal Society of Chemistry), and Effects of Ultrasound Assisted Extraction of Water Soluble Constituents on Brazilian Ginseng Roots, in Recent Advances in Ginseng and Glycosides Research (Nova Science Publishers).

Throughout the study, research partners included LASEFI, coordinated by Professor Maria Angela Meireles, the Lorena Engineering School at Universidade de São Paulo (USP), through a research group coordinated by Professor Sílvio Silveiro da Silva, and the School of Chemical Engineering at UNICAMP, with a group led by Professor Marisa Beppu.

“Currently, studies are underway on energy production based on the discarded parts of Brazilian ginseng. For example, we found that 49.9% of the biomass discarded in fields would be enough to supply all the electricity and heat needed to produce extracts through the methods we developed in LASEFI,” explains Santos.

Researcher Renata Vardanega now has a FAPESP doctoral fellowship to investigate the production of two extracts instead of one, seeking the coproduction of extracts rich in β-ecdysone and in saponin from the roots of Brazilian ginseng. Furthermore, we intend to evaluate the extraction potential of secondary metabolites from the discarded parts; these substances generally are not involved in the vital functions of plants, such as respiration, but have an important role in their physiological development and could be used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food formulations, among other things.