Abstract

With Dioscorea zingiberensis as row materials, and with the yield of diosgenin as assessment criteria, the effect on extraction yield of dioscin of frequency of ultrasonic, the period of ultrasonic and solid-liquid ratio (D. zingiberensis : alcohol) was studied via orthogonal test. A new and unique method to accomplish this was by utilizing the technology of ultrasonic assisted ethanol extraction. The optimal processing parameters of this method were confirmed. The method was compared with solvent extraction process for the effect on extraction yield of dioscin. It was shown that the technology of ultrasonic assisted ethanol extraction which can significantly increase the extraction yield and extraction efficiency of dioscin. The ultrasonic did not destroy D. zingiberensis cell structure, but decreased the boundary layer thickness between D. zingiberensis (solid phase) and alcohol (medium), and accelerated cells inside and outside the material exchange. International rectifier (IR) further demonstrated that ultrasonic merely increased extraction yield of dioscin instead of destroying the cell structure.

Key words: D. zingiberensis, ultrasonic waves, extraction, diosgenin.