Extraction of Artemisinin with Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin Aqueous Solution for Fabrication of Drinkable Extract

Abstract A process for extraction of artemisinin (Ars) from Artemisia annua L. based on aqueous solution of cyclodextrin derivative under ultrasonic irradiation was proposed. Among the test additives, the system containing edible hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) was shown to be efficient for this extraction. The optimal extraction conditions were predicted by artificial neural network, under which the extraction amount of Ars could reach 8.66 mg per gram of the leaves, much higher than the value in water (1.70 mg/g). Kinetics study indicated that HPBCD enhanced the equilibrium amount of Ars in water, and ultrasonic irradiation accelerated extraction rate and reduced the activation energy. Mechanism study showed that the formation of Ars-HPBCD complex during extraction enhanced the water solubility of Ars and facilitated the extraction, and the configuration of Ars-HPBCD complex was modeled by molecular docking, which was further verified by characterizations. This work provides a convenient way to fabricate the traditional tea-based medicament of natural drugs to make production of this famous antimalarial medicine cheaper.