Shock wave-assisted extraction of phenolic acids and flavonoids from Eysenhardtia polystachya heartwood: A novel method and its comparison with conventional methodologies.

Phenolic compounds, obtained from plants are important in the food, biomaterial and pharmaceutical industries; however current extraction methods, such as Soxhlet (solid-liquid) extraction, liquid-liquid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, and ultrasonic extraction (USE), have the disadvantages of large processing times, contamination by solvents, and degradation of analytes. This study demonstrates that shock wave-assisted extraction can be used as a more efficient, eco-friendly and rapid method. Extraction of powdered samples of Eysenhardtia polystachia heartwood, a plant with high concentration of phenolic compounds, exposed to different doses of underwater shock waves, was compared with the conventional methods. Our results revealed that shock wave-assisted extraction (1500 shock waves with a peak positive pressure of approximately 88 MPa) produced 34.54% and 31.95% higher contents than Soxhlet and USE, respectively. Extraction times using shock waves were much shorter than with all other methods tested, proving that it is an attractive method to obtain both phenolic acids and flavonoids without the need for organic solvents. Furthermore, shock waves produced a significantly higher content of total reducing sugars than Soxhlet extraction and less phenolic acids which gives the insight of a more selective extraction of components.

Shock Wave Application Increases the Antineoplastic Effect of Molecular Iodine Supplement in Breast Cancer Xenografts.

We evaluated the effect of oral molecular iodine supplementation and shock wave application under three different conditions on human MDA-MB231 cancer cell xenografts. After tumor volume reached 1 cm3, mice were randomly assigned to groups and treated for 3 weeks. The results revealed that high-dose shock wave treatment (150 shock waves at a pressure of 21.7 MPa, SW150/21.7) generated tissue lesions without decreasing tumor growth, canceled the antineoplastic action of iodine and promoted pro-tumor conditions (increased hypoxia-induced factor [HIF] and vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]). In contrast, moderate (SW35/21.7) and low (SW35/9.9) doses of shock waves had significant antineoplastic effects and, in combination with iodine supplement, attenuated the aggressiveness of these cells by decreasing expression of the markers of stem cells (CD44 and Sox2) and invasion (HIF and VEGF). These results allow us to propose the combination of shock waves and iodine as a possible adjuvant in breast cancer therapy.