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CC BY 4.0 · Chinese medicine and natural products 2025; 05(03): e193-e198
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1811948
Original Article

Study on Optimization of Ultrasonic Extraction Process for Benzoic Acid as a Harmful Component in Paeonia lactiflora Pall

Authors

  • Shangyue Chen

    1   Department of Pharmacy, Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital, Beijing, China

  • Guiming Guo

    2   Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

  • Gang Chen

    1   Department of Pharmacy, Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital, Beijing, China

  • Yanxin Zhai

    1   Department of Pharmacy, Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital, Beijing, China

  • Jingliang Xie

    1   Department of Pharmacy, Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital, Beijing, China

  • Xu Zhao

    1   Department of Pharmacy, Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital, Beijing, China

  • Mingxue Cai

    1   Department of Pharmacy, Beijing Xiaotangshan Hospital, Beijing, China

  • Xuegang Zhou

    3   School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Daqing, Heilongjiang, China

Funding This study was supported by the Heilongjiang Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Project (ZHY18-153).
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Abstract

Objective

To optimize the ultrasonic extraction process for benzoic acid as a harmful substance in Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (P. lactiflora Pall.).

Methods

Methanol and ethanol solutions at different concentration gradients (25, 50, 75%) were prepared to investigate the effects of extraction solvents on the extraction efficiency of benzoic acid. The influences of ultrasonic frequency (35, 50 Hz), ultrasonic power (40, 60, 80, 100 W), ultrasonic time (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 minutes), and ultrasonic temperature (20, 30, 40, 50°C) on the extraction efficiency were examined. Orthogonal experiments were conducted to analyze the effects of temperature, time, and ultrasonic power on the extraction efficiency and to screen the optimal ultrasonic extraction process.

Results

Various influencing factors had certain effects on the extraction efficiency of benzoic acid from P. lactiflora Pall. Single-factor analysis revealed that 25% methanol, ultrasonic frequency of 50 Hz, ultrasonic power of 40 W, ultrasonic time of 10 minutes, and ultrasonic temperature of 30°C yielded the highest extraction efficiency for benzoic acid. The order of influence of different factors on the extraction efficiency was temperature > time > power. The optimal conditions obtained from orthogonal experiments were: extraction solvent of 25% methanol, ultrasonic frequency of 50 Hz, ultrasonic time of 20 minutes, ultrasonic power of 40 W, and ultrasonic temperature of 30°C.

Conclusion

Under the conditions of 25% methanol as the extraction solvent, ultrasonic frequency of 50 Hz, ultrasonic time of 20 minutes, ultrasonic power of 40 W, and ultrasonic temperature of 30°C, the extraction efficiency of benzoic acid from P. lactiflora Pall. was the highest. This method offers advantages such as simple operation, small sample size requirement, and low solvent consumption, providing a reliable analytical approach for quality control and safety evaluation of P. lactiflora Pall.

Keywords

Paeonia lactiflora Pall. - benzoic acid - ultrasonic extraction - process optimization

CRediT Authorship Contribution Statement

Shangyue Chen: Conceptualization, and project administration. Guiming Guo and Gang Chen: Formal analysis. Yanxin Zhai: Data curation, and writing -original draft. Jingliang Xie, Xu Zhao, and Mingxue Cai: Investigation. Xuegang Zhou: Resources, and writing -original draft.




Publication History

Received: 02 March 2025

Accepted: 14 June 2025

Article published online:
30 September 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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