Carminic acid is a natural pigment typically found in several insect taxa, including specific insects such as “grana cochinilla fina” in Mexico (Dactylopius coccus Costa). Commercially, it is also referred to as carmine, which is a more concentrated solution presenting as at least 50% carminic acid. To date, this dye has been used in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries. Unfortunately, one of the main limitations has to do with establishing the appropriate extraction and purification protocol. Currently, there is growing interest in developing eco-friendly and efficient pigment extraction processes for various applications. In this study, we compare the ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction versus with a conventional method to obtain carminic acid from cochineal. To do this, we considered three factors that influence the extraction process as independent variables: solvent volume, temperature and irradiation time. The optimization was carried out using the response surface methodology, employing a three-factor and three-level Box–Behnken experimental design. Carminic acid contents were quantified by UV–Vis spectroscopy, and extracts were evaluated by infrared spectroscopy to verify the integrity of the carminic acid molecule. The yield obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction was 49.2 ± 3.25, with an efficiency of 31.3 mg/min, while microwave-assisted extraction showed a yield of 40.89 ± 2.96, with an efficiency of 27.3 mg/min. Both methods exceeded the extract yield (31.9 ± 3.4%) and efficiency (10.6 mg/min) obtained with the conventional method, demostrating that ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction are viable alternatives for obtaining carminic acid, with the potential to be scaled up to an industrial level.

Currently, there is an increasing interest to develop eco-friendly and efficient pigment extraction processes for diverse applications. In this study, we report the comparison between the assisted extraction performed by ultrasonication and microwave with a conventional method to obtain cochineal pigments from Dactylopius coccus Costa. Our independent variables were solvent amount, temperature and irradiation time, and the corresponding optimization was performed by three factors and three levels with a Box-Behnken design. The pigment contents were quanti-fied through UV-vis spectroscopy, and the pigment mixture of extracts was assessed by infrared spectroscopy. It is highlighted that after optimization, the extraction assisted by ultrasound gave a yield of 47% with an efficiency of 31.3 mg/min, whereas the yield obtained from the extraction assisted by microwave was 41% with 27.3 mg/min efficiency, both higher that the efficiency ob-tained with a conventional method (3.5 mg/ml).

Sphaeralcea angustifolia is a plant with confirmed anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and gastroprotective effects. These properties can be attributed to scopoletin, tomentin, sphaeralcic acid, iso-sphaeralcic acid and 8-methyl-iso-sphaeralcic acid compounds isolated from cells in suspension and hairy root cultures. Genetic transformation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes can be used in S. angustifolia cell cultures to increase the production of active secondary metabolites and stimulate the production of other compounds. We observed that non-transformed cells in a suspension of S. angustifolia had a higher growth index after two and three weeks of culture (9.29 and 11.84, respectively) compared with cells in suspension transformed with A. rhizogenes. Both cultures produced sphaeralcic acid, and boosted production was detected in the transformed cells (0.19 and 0.16 mg/g, respectively). In addition, transformed and non-transformed cells produced a new compound identified as sphaeralgin (dicumarine); a higher yield of sphaeralgin was detected in the transformed cells (2.21 mg/g dry biomass). The anti-inflammatory effects of sphaeralgin in edema models induced with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and ʎ-carrageenan inhibited edema formation in a dose-dependent manner, with a mean effective dose (ED₅₀) of 0.25 mg/ear and 64.56 mg/kg, respectively. During the late phase of the formaline test, sphaeralgin had an antinociceptive effect, with an ED₅₀ of 1.35 mg/kg. Statistically, a 1 mg/kg dose of sphaeralgin (49%) had a similar effect to that of 10 mg/kg indomethacin (52%).

Sphaeralcea angustifolia (Cav.) G. Don, es una planta medicinal con estudios que validan su uso potencial como antiinflamatorio, antiartrítico, gastroprotector y nociceptivo. Esta especie está en peligro en su habitad natural en México. La obtención de plantas vía organogeneis indirecta es una alternativa para su conservación y materia prima de alta calidad para la producción de un fitomedicamento. Los cultivos se establecieron con explantes de hoja en medio MS (Murashige y Skoog) y concentraciones de 0,5-2,0 mg/L de ácido naftalenacético (ANA) con cinetina (0,1 mg/L); y cinetina de 1,0-5,0 mg/L con ácido 3 indolacético (0,1 mg/L). Los brotes (≈65 %) se obtuvieron en callos con 1,0 y 2,0 mg/L de ANA con 0,1 mg/L de cinetina. Los callos mostraron eventos morfogénicos de células meristemáticas y vasculares. Los brotes en MS al 50% sin fitorreguladores, estimularon el alargamiento y enraizamiento con éxito hidropónicamente en solución de Hoagland aclimatándose con éxito. En las plantas se identificaron escopoletina (14,41 ± 3,0 µg/g, planta seca (PS)), y ácido sphaerálcico (8,54 ± 2,0 µg/g, PS), estas concentraciones fueron dos y tres veces mayores que los determinados en planta silvestre: escopoletina (6,70 µg/g, PS) y ácido sphaerálcico (3,0 µg/g, PS).