The use of a microwave-assisted extraction(MAE) method for the extraction of phlorotannins from Saccharina japonica Aresch(S.japonica) has been evaluated with particular emphasis on the influential parameters,including the ethanol concentration,solid/liquid ratio,extraction time,extraction temperature,and microwave power.The MAE procedure was optimized using single-factor design and orthogonal array design(OAD).The content of total phlorotannins in S.japonica was determined using a Folin-Ciocalteu(FC) assay.A maximum total phlorotannin content of 0.644 mg of phloroglucinol equivalent per gram of dry weight plant(mg PGE/g DW) was obtained using the optimized model,which included an ethanol concentration of 55%,solid/liquid ratio of 1:8,extraction time of 25 min,irradiation power of 400 W,and temperature of 60°C.Under similar conditions,the application of a conventional extraction method led to a lower phlorotannin yield of 0.585 mg PGE/g WD.These results demonstrated that the MAE approach provided better results for the extraction of phlorotannins from S.japonica and was a promising technique for the extraction of phenolic compounds from S.japonica and other materials.In addition,screening tests for the inhibitory activity showed that the phlorotannin-containing extracts significantly inhibited the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells(HepG2) by inducing their apoptosis.The morphological changes that occurred during cell apoptosis were characterized using Hoechst33258 staining.
