Selective alkaloid extraction from functional foods via tailored deep eutectic solvent-alkaline electrolyzed water systems

Nelumbinis Plumula, a dual-use medicinal and edible plant, has been processed into a functional drinks and exhibits pharmaceutical potential via bioactive compounds. Here, a new solvent system composed of alkaline electrolyzed water (AEW) and deep eutectic solvents (DES) (AEWDES) has been developed. Screening 30 solvents revealed AEWDESs (L-proline-1-methylurea) (LP-JJN) outperformed ultrasound assisted DESs and traditional solvents in extraction efficiency. We propose a novel hybrid framework integrating Crested porcupine optimizer-Backpropagation neural networks-Sparrow search algorithm (CPO-BP-SSA) for alkaloids extraction optimization. The yield enhancement primarily stems from AEWDES-mediated cell wall disruption increasing compound accessibility and augmented intermolecular interactions (hydrogen bonding, Van Der Waals force) between target alkaloids and DES components. Green metrics validated the method's sustainability. AEWDES extraction method is universal and can serve as a reference for the extraction of various alkaloids. Future research should prioritize the recovery of alkaloids compounds through advanced extraction and desorption techniques.