Applications and Prospects of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction in Chinese Herbal Medicine

Abstract

Ultrasound-assisted extraction method has become more attractive due to its several advantages such as low energy consumption, less extraction time, less active compound damage and high extraction yields as compared with conventional extraction methods. Ultrasound-assisted extraction has been successfully used in the extraction of various medicinal compounds including alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenolic compounds and polysaccharides from plants in laboratory investigations. The mechanisms, regulatory factors, advantages and disadvantages of ultrasoundassisted extraction method are discussed in this paper. It is expected that ultrasound-assisted extraction method will become popular in Chinese herbal medicine industries in the near future.