Abstract

Phytolacca americana L. fruits represent a promising invasive plant matrix for obtaining antioxidant-rich extracts and natural pigments, but extraction efficiency depends strongly on processing conditions. This study reports a comparative assessment and optimization of four extraction methods: maceration (ME), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), bead-beating extraction (BBE), and turbo-extraction (TE), for the recovery of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total condensed tannins (TTC), betalains, and antioxidant activity assessed by FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS assays from P. americana fruits. A 23 full factorial design was applied for each method, evaluating the effects of solvent/solid ratio, extraction time, and method-specific parameters. The results of optimization using response surface methodology showed that no single extraction condition maximized all responses simultaneously. Phenolic-related responses and FRAP/ABTS activity were generally favored by a longer extraction time, higher solvent/solid ratio, and accelerated mechanical or acoustic input. In contrast, betalain recovery was consistently improved at a lower solvent/solid ratio, indicating a different optimization pattern for pigment-rich extracts. UAE provided a favorable balance between TFC yield and reproducibility, while TE and BBE were effective for TPC and TTC-related profiles. Overall, the study demonstrates that optimal extraction conditions for P. americana fruits vary according to the target application, such as maximizing pigment recovery, enhancing phenolic content, or improving antioxidant activity.

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