Phenol profiling and nutraceutical potential of Lycium spp. Leaf extracts obtained with ultrasound and microwave assisted techniques

In recent years, agricultural and industrial residues have attracted a lot of interest in the recovery of phytochemicals used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. In this paper, a study on the recovery of phenol compounds from Lycium spp. leaves is presented. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) have been used with alcoholic and hydroalcoholic solvents. Methanolic UAE was the most successful technique for extracting phenols from Lycium leaves, and we used on leaves from L. barbarum and L. chinense cultivated in Italy. The extracts were then characterized as regards to the antioxidant properties by in vitro assays and the phenol profil…