Study on the extraction process of Atalantia buxifolia (Poir.) Oliv. extract and its formulation with honey

Abstract

Atalantia buxifolia (Poir.) Oliv. is a potential source of natural polyphenols with antioxidant activity. In this study, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was applied to extract polyphenols from plant samples, and the extraction conditions were optimized using Box–Behnken response surface methodology after preliminary single-factor experiments. The optimum conditions were 52°C, 80% ethanol, and 60 min of ultrasonication. Under these conditions, the extract exhibited an IC50 value of 211.715 μg GAE/mL in the ABTS+ radical scavenging assay. The optimized extract was incorporated into honey to develop a functional product. Sensory evaluation showed that the formulation containing lemon flavor with an extract-to-honey ratio of 0.4:100 (v/v) achieved the highest consumer acceptance. The product complied with the quality requirements (follow the Vietnamese Pharmacopoeia V) for at least 30 days under both room-temperature and refrigerated storage conditions. These results demonstrate the potential application of A. buxifolia extract as a natural antioxidant ingredient in honey-based functional products.