Optimized low-voltage electric field extraction enhances the recovery and bioactivity of cyclotides from Viola ignobilis


Hashempour H., Esmaeilpour Z., Bagheroghli H., Barani Pour S., Sardroodi J. J., Ebadi M., ...Daha Fazla

Microchemical Journal, cilt.227, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 227
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.microc.2026.118575
  • Dergi Adı: Microchemical Journal
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Index Islamicus, Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO)
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Cancer cells, Cyclotide extraction, Electric field extraction, Molecular dynamic simulations, Vigno peptides, Viola ignobilis
  • Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Cyclotides are ultra-stable plant peptides with strong therapeutic potential, but their low natural abundance and inefficient extraction limit pharmaceutical development. In this study, we introduce, for the first time, a low-voltage electric field (LV-EF) method for extracting bioactive Möbius cyclotides from Viola ignobilis. The key variables tested were voltage (20, 40, 60 V) and electrode gap (1.0–2.5 cm). Optimal conditions (20 V, 1.5 cm; field strength 13.33 V/cm) significantly improved cyclotide yield compared to conventional maceration and ultrasound-assisted extraction. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the electric field strengthens hydrogen-bonding between cyclotide Vigno 5 and the acetonitrile/water/formic acid solvent system, providing a mechanistic basis for enhanced extractability. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed greater cellular disruption under LV-EF. The optimized extract showed potent and selective cytotoxicity against PC-3 prostate cancer cells (IC₅₀ = 47.61 μg mL−1) via apoptosis, with minimal toxicity to normal L929 cells (IC₅₀ ≥ 300 μg mL−1). Practical implications include a scalable, low-cost, and green extraction platform for peptide-based therapeutics. Future work should focus on continuous-flow LV-EF systems and isolation of individual cyclotides for structure-activity studies. This establishes LV-EF as a superior technology for producing high-quality bioactive cyclotide extracts.