KINETICS OF ULTRASOUND ASSISTED EXTRACTION OF WEDELOLACTONE FROM Eclipta alba

Ultrasound assisted extraction of wedelolactone, a major coumestan present in Eclipta alba, is investigated in the present work. Various process parameters such as type of solvent, power, solvent to solid ratio and extraction temperature, which affect the extraction yield, are optimized. In the ultrasound-assisted extraction with final optimized conditions, i.e., methanol as solvent, 170 W power, 60:1 solvent to solid ratio, 50 degrees C temperature and 60% duty cycle, amaximum extraction yieldof 0.62 mg/g is obtained in 45 minutes. The kinetic model (Peleg's model) has been used for the prediction of the yield of wedelolactone in the extract at a given time for all experimental conditions. The values of predicted yields show good agreement with the experimental data for all parameters, i.e., power, solvent to solid ratio and temperature. The extraction of wedelolactone from Eclipta alba is also carried out by conventional extraction methods, i.e., Soxhlet and batch extraction. Ultrasound-assisted extraction gives higher extraction yield in less time as compared to batch extraction (0.41 mg/g in 90 min) and Soxhlet extraction(0.7 mg/g in 360 min). The ultrasound-assisted extraction of wedelolactone from Eclipta alba is an effective way of extraction with the advantages of lower time and higher extraction.