The Rhamnus alaternus plant is a rich source of excellent bioactive compounds including polyphenols and flavonoids, which are particularly relevant as nutraceutics for their antioxidant activities. Yet, the improvement of the extraction yield of total polyphenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) from this plant has never been inspected in depth.



For the first time, three choline chloride-based NaDESs (choline chloride-glycerol (ChCl-Gly), choline chloride-ethylene glycol (ChCl-EG), and choline chloride-urea (ChCl-Ur)) were investigated for the extraction of bioactive compounds from various parts of the R. alaternus plant, including leaves, pods, and roots. The resulting NaDESs extracts exhibited noteworthy biological activity, with the choline chloride-glycerol (ChCl-Gly) extract emerging as the most effective one.



To further characterize the leaves, roots, and pods extracts obtained using ChCl-Gly, HPLC-MS/MS analysis was conducted, and a molecular network was utilized to confirm the presence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids as the primary antioxidant components. The biochemical analysis of these extracts strongly indicates that ChCl-Gly is an exceptionally efficient solvent for the extraction of secondary metabolites from the leaves, pods, and roots of R. alaternus.



This study underscores the high potential of ChCl-Gly for the green and sustainable extraction of biologically active compounds, which could have significant applications for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.