As new green solvents, ionic liquids (ILs) have been generally applied in the extraction and separation of natural product. In this study, microwave assisted extraction based on IL (IL-MAE) was firstly employed to extract total biflavonoids from Selaginella doederleinii. Based on single-factor experiment, microwave power (300–700 W), extract time (30–50 min) and extract temperature (40–60 °C) on total bioflavonoids and antioxidant activities of the extracts were further investigated by a Box-Behnken design of response surface methodology (RSM) selecting total bioflavonoids yields and IC₅₀ of radical scavenging as index. Besides antioxidant activity of the extract was evaluated by a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydarzyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate (ABTS) radical scavenging assay, ferric reducing power assay and chelation of ferrous ions assay, and then anticaner activity was also researched against A549 cell line and 7721 cell line. The results illustrated that three factors and their interactions could be well suited for second-order polynomial models (p < 0.05). Through process parameters, optimization of the extract (460 W, 40 min, and 45 °C) and detection of bioactivity, the yield of total bioflavonoids was 16.83 mg/g and IC₅₀ value was 56.24 μg/mL, respectively, indicating the extract has better anti-oxidation effect and antitumor activity. Furthermore, IL-MAE was the most efficient extracting method compared with MAE and Soxhlet extraction, which could improve extraction efficiency in a shorter time and at a lower temperature. In general, ILs-MAE was first adopted to establish a novel and green extraction process on the yields of total biflavonoids from S. doederleinii. In addition, the extract of containing biflavones showed potent antioxidant and anticancer capacity as a utilized valuable bioactive source for natural medicine.

As a new and green solvent, ionic liquids (ILs) have received more attention during the green extraction and separation process for natural medicines. In this paper, IL-ultrasound-assisted extraction (IL-UAE) of total biflavonoids (TBFs) from Selaginella helvetica was firstly developed, and different ILs were employed and compared. Based on single-factor experiment, solid–liquid ratio (1:10–1:14 g/mL), IL concentration (0.6–1.0 mmol/mL), and extract temperature (40–60 °C) were further explored, according to response surface methodology (RSM), with TBF yields as the index. Moreover, antioxidant activity of TBF extract was analyzed by four methods, i.e., 2,2-di(4-tert-octylphenyl)-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzth-iazoline-6-sulphonate (ABTS) free radical scavenging assay, ferric ion reducing power assay, and chelation of ferrous ions assay. The results indicated that [C₆mim]PF₆ had a high selectivity and efficiency. Moreover, important parameters for the extraction process were investigated and optimized. Through parameter optimization (0.8 mmol/L, 250 W, 40 min, 1:12.7 g/mL, and 47 °C), a yield of 18.69 mg/g biflavonoids was obtained from the extract of S. helvetica. Compared with ethanol-UAE, heat-reflux extraction, Soxhlet extraction, and percolation extraction, IL-UAE could not only obtain higher yield in a shorter time, but also reduce the solvent consumption. In addition, TBF extract showed potential antioxidant activity based on the above four antioxidant methods. In short, IL-UAE was first employed to develop a novel and green extraction method for TBF content, and this experiment provides valuable references for further utilization of S. helvetica.

Selaginella sinensis (Desv.) Spring has been used for many years as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for many years. Recently, ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted great attentions in extraction and separation technology of TCM as a new green solvent. In this paper, microwave assisted extraction-IL (MAE-IL) that extracted amentoflavone (AME) and hinokiflavone (HIN) from Selaginella sinensis was reported for the first time. The contents of two biflavonoids were simultaneously determined by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. After different ionic liquids were compared, it was found [C₆mim]BF₄ had a high selectivity and efficiency. Moreover, the important extraction conditions, including solid-liquid ratio, IL concentration, extraction time, microwave power and radiation temperature, were also investigated and optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) using AME and HIN yields as index. The results showed that the extraction yields of AME and HIN from S. sinensis were 1.96 mg/g and 0.79 mg/g, respectively, under the optimal process parameters (0.55 mmol/L, 300 W, 40 min, 1:11 g/mL and 48 °C). Compared with the conventional extraction methods, MAE-IL could not only achieve higher yield in shorter time, but also could reduce the consumption of solvent. This effective, rapid and green MAE-IL method was suitable for the extraction of AME and HIN.

Dendrobium has long been used in traditional medicine to manage liver disorders. Dendrobine is a major alkaloid compound isolated from Dendrobium that has demonstrated promising hepatoprotective activity in preliminary pharmacological studies, but the molecular mechanisms through which it functions remain insufficiently defined. Here, we elucidated the potential mechanisms by which dendrobine mitigates liver injury using an integrative approach that combines network pharmacology with molecular docking. Putative dendrobine-associated targets relevant to liver injury were first predicted through network pharmacology analyses. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was subsequently constructed to identify central therapeutic targets. Molecular docking was then applied to validate the interactions between dendrobine and key proteins. Ten core targets were ultimately identified (NR1H4, ESR1, KDR, NOS3, GSK3B, IL-2, CASP3, PRKACA, PPARA and PPARG), and dendrobine showed strong predicted affinity for these proteins. These findings indicate that dendrobine may exert hepatoprotective effects by modulating these central molecular targets and associated signaling proteins. Overall, this work provides a systematic framework for delineating the pharmacological actions and potential protein targets of natural bioactive compounds.