Asian Journal of Biomaterial Research 2016; 2(3): 84-87

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Review Article
Application of HydrotropicAgents in Herbal Extraction:AReview
1

Sweta Garg , Ashish Garg , Vishal Singh , Ajay Shukla

Departmet of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Guru Ramdas Khalsa Institute of Science & Technology Pharmacy, Jabalpur, India
Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Guru Ramdas Khalsa Institute of Science & Technology Pharmacy, Jabalpur, India
3
Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur Rajasthan, India
2

Received: 11 April 2016

Revised: 28 May 2016

Accepted: 30 May 2016

Abstract
Objective: A hydrotrope is an organic substance that increases the solubility of surfactants and water insoluble phytoconstituents such as esters, acids, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, hydrocarbons, and fats in an aqueous solution. These
are amphiphilic substances composed of both a hydrophilic and hydrophobic functional groups. The hydrophobic part
of the molecule is benzene substituted polar segment while hydrophilic part; polar segment is an anionic sulfonate
group accompanied by a counter ion (i.e., ammonium, calcium, potassium or sodium). Hydrotropes, such as sodium
alkyl benzene sulfonates and sodium butyl monoglycol sulfate, were used for the selective extraction of water insoluble
phytoconstituents by cell permeabilization. Here disruption of the cellulosic cell wall and disorganization of the
phospholipid bilayers by the hydrotrope molecules, then dissolution of the cellular contents, appear to be the
mechanism of extraction process. Conclusion: It is concluded that the enhancement of solubility of substances like
surfactants and water insoluble phyto-constituents can be readily achieved by addition of hydrotrope.
Keywords: Hydrotrope, hydrophilic, hydrophobic, solubility

Introduction
Extraction of herbal constituents from the plant material is the

formulation, and drug formulation (Horvath-Szab et al.,

2001; Nathan et al., 2009). Hydrotrope is an organic

first step in the phytochemical process. Extraction of

phytoconstituents is based on the solubility as well as the surface
permeability of the solvent. Some phytoconstituents are not

substance that increases the solubility of surfactants and

other substances in an aqueous medium (Gour et al., 2016).
These are short chain amphiphilic substances consist of both

extracted in the normal extraction process due to solubility

factor. As a result 100% extraction is not achieved. To oppose
this problem various techniques have been used time and again.
Super critical fluid extraction is one such process which helps to
solve many of the problems, but it has certain disadvantages as
automation, feasibility and cost factor. A novel comes near to
overcome all these problems are the use of Hydrotropes.
Throughout the past decades application of hydrotropes became
more vital in the fields of dissimilar pharmaceutical processes,
such as phytochemical extraction, distillation, micro- emulsion

a hydrophilic (head) and hydrophobic (tail) functional

groups. The hydrophobic or water insoluble (non-polar) part
of the molecule is benzene substituted while hydrophilic or
water soluble part (polar) is an anionic sulfonate group
accompanied by ammonium, calcium, potassium or sodium
as a counter ion (Heldt et al., 2000).
These hydrotropes are not surfactants but are used for
making solubilize complex or insoluble compound in water.
They play various roles such as to make stabilize solutions,
modify viscosity and cloud-point, limit low temperature
phase separation and reduce foam (Varade and Bahadur,
2004). The fact of hydrotropy i.e. increase in the solubility
of sparingly soluble compounds in aqueous solution was
first reported by Neuberg (Neuberg, 1916). Hydrotropes,
like sodium alkyl benzene sulfonates and sodium butyl
monoglycol sulfate, were used for the careful extraction of
water insoluble or non polar phyto-constituents by cell

*Address for Corresponding Author:

Mr. Ajay shukla
Department of Pharmaceutical Science,
Mohanlal Sukhadia University,
Udaipur Rajasthan, India
E-Mail: ashukla1007@gmail.com

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Asian Journal of Biomaterial Research 2016; 2(3): 84-87

permeabilization. Some additional hydrotropes are sodium

benzene sulfonate, sodium toluene sulfonate, sodium xylene
sulfonate (SXS), sodium cumene sulfonate, sodium cymene
sulfonate. The self aggregation of the hydrotropes has been
measured to be a pre-requisite for a number of application in
different fields such as drug solubilization (Desai and Parikh.
2009), chemical reactions (Lee et al., 2003), separation of
organic compounds (Khadilkar et al., 1995), herbal extraction of
curcuminoids from turmeric (Dandekar and Gaikar, 2003),
extraction of embelin from Embelica ribes (Dandekar and
Gaikar, 2003), Piperine from Piper nigrum (Raman and Gaikar,
2002), and Boswellic acids from Boswellia serrata resins
(Raman and Gaikar, 2003), Diosgenin from Dioscorea
Rhizomes (Mishra and Gaikar, 2004).
Hydrotrope as a true solubilizer

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1. Continuous hot temperature extraction (Soxhlet

Extraction): As a result, the solvent extraction processes
usually gives complex extract. This has to be followed by
purified by multi step techniques like as chromatography or
crystallization. Separately from the poor extract quality,
difficulties in handling large volumes of inflammable
volatile organic solvents and residual solvent traces
remaining in the final product limit the use of organic
solvents for extraction (Trease and Evanse, 2005).
2. High-pressure steam management and supercritical fluid
extraction can also enhance extraction rates by using an
osmotic shock and carbon dioxide respectively; however,
these techniques can be used only for high-value and lessvolume materials due to concern of high cost (Lachman et
al., 1987).

surfactant mainly used as solubilizer or solubilizing agents. A

solvent insoluble substance is solubilized in the surfactant
micelle. Factors which increase in any the diameter of the
micelle or its aggregation number generally enhance
solubilization. Examples of commonly used solubilizers such as
fatty soaps, polyethoxylated nonionics and quaternary
ammonium surfactants. Solubilization significantly increases
once the CMC has been reached. Hydrotropes are effective only
at high concentrations.
Mode ofAction
The plant cell wall is consisting of phospholipid bilayer. The
hydrotrope substance destroys the phospholipid bilayer and
penetrates throughout the cell wall into the inner structures. The
water soaking shows very fewer effects on cork cells. The
cellulose and suberin lamella are the cell wall constituent of cork
cells. The suberin lamella makes the cork cell impermeable to
water. But, the hydrotrope solutions break and open the water
impermeable suberin lamella, then the mature cork cells. The
cork cell layers are disturbed by the hydrotrope and the aqueous
solution penetrates through the cell wall. After the inner part is
showing to the hydrotrope solution, the cell swells, and frees the
cells from closely bound structures (Trease and Evanse, 2005).
Hydrotropic agents can formulate the O/W and W/O
microemulsion and the lamellar liquid crystal destabilized, after
results in the 'phase transition' from lamellar liquid crystal phase
to bi-continuous structure this is called as Hydrotropesolubilization action. Vitamin C shows hydrotropesolubilization action (Guo et al., 2002; Lachman et al., 1987).
Hydrotropes are famous as 'coupling agents'. When hydrotropes
are added to a turbid liquid with relatively high water substance
causes the liquid to become transparent because of 'phase
transition'(Friberg, 1997).
Problems with conventional Methods of Extraction

3. Ultrasound treatment ruptures the cell walls during

strong dynamic stressing, which results to enhance the yield
and mass-transfer rate in several solid-liquid extraction
processes. The effect of ultrasound is, still, localized, and its
application to a large volume of raw material might be
ineffective (Agrawal and Paridhavi, 2007).
4. There are two problems to rise above in the extraction
from solid plant materials, releasing the essential oil from
solid matrix and letting it diffuse out successfully in a
approach that can be scaled-up to industrial volumes. In
various methods such as essential oil extraction, microwave
mediated processes are highly popular due to their small
equipment size (portability) and controllability through
mild increments of heating. However, so future the
microwave technology has found a purity of 85% of
piperine from black pepper 20. Hydrotropes were used for
the selective extraction of piperine by cell permeabilization
of Piper nigrum fruits. The recovered piperine was
approx.90% pure and significantly free from oleoresins
(Raman and Gaikar, 2002).
Applications of Hydrotropes in Herbal Extraction
1. Isolation of piperine: Black pepper contains 6-9%
piperine by weight. Piperine phytoconstituent was
extracted with ethanol and the extract was treated by
aqueous sodium hydroxide (hydrotropic agent) to remove
all the fatty material. Other solvents used for extraction are
petroleum ether and dichloromethane (Lachman et al.,
1987; Rangari, 2002; Raphel, 1991). The extraction of
piperine into these organic solvents is not selective as other
compounds like gums, polysaccharides and resins are
extracted reducing the purity of piperine. The post
extraction processing for decontaminate piperine is very
time consuming and uneconomical. Hydrotropic agent

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Asian Journal of Biomaterial Research 2016; 2(3): 84-87

solutions permeabilized the cover of Piper nigrum fruits and,

give the selective method for extraction of piperine. The
hydrotrope substance probably get adsorbed on the cell wall,

Agrawal SS, Paridhavi M. Herbal Drug technology.

Universities press Hyderabad; 327. Fist Edition 2007.
Charde MS, Shukla A, Bukhariya V, Chakole RD. 2012. A
Review on: A significance of microwave assist
technique in green chemistry.International Journal of

dislocate cellulose structure and assisting in disordering the

phospholipid bilayer and breakdown of cellulose, as well as
membrane proteins, to some extent. This leads to a significant
improvement in extraction and the yield of the product (Raman
and Gaikar, 2002; Guo et al., 2002; Charde et al., 2012).
2. Isolation of Curcumin: Curcuminoids phytoconstituents are

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Phytopharmacy, 2 (2): 39-50.

Dandekar DV, Gaikar VG. 2003. Hydrotropic extraction of
curcuminoids from turmeric. Separation Science and

present in the cortex of oleoresin cells. The cork cells cover

Technology, 38(5): 185-1215.

Desai M, Parikh J. 2009. Thermodynamic Study for

cortex are consist of inner and outer cellulose layers and a median

Aggregation Behavior of Hydrotropic Solution. World

suberin lamella. The mature cork cell is dead and impermeable to

water. Where hydrotropic agent used, increase permeability of

Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 57:

227-229.

water during process and the outer covering of epidermis,

Friberg SE. 1997. Hydrotropes. Current Opinion in Colloid

hypodermis and cork cells gets disturbed. The hydrotrope action

on cork cells need to be monitored by microscopic studies of

and Interface Science, 2:490-494.

Gour V, Garg A, Shukla , Yadav AK. 2016. Development

numerous sections of rhizomes. The inner part was also exposed

directly to aqueous hydrotrope solutions to monitor the
hydrotrope effect on the oleoresin cells. Na+ salt of following

and Evaluation of Metronidazole Injection by Mixed

hydrotropes substance have better ability for extraction of

curcuminoids from Curcuma longa; others Butyl mono glycol
sulfate>Salicylate>cumene sulfoante (Qin et al., 1996).

Guo R, Zhang Q, Qian J, Zou A. 2002. Hydrotrope and

hydrotrope-solubilization action of Penicillin-K in
CTAB/n-C5H11OH/H2O system. Physicochemical

Result and discussion

Hydrotropes substances are shows potential agents which have
the ability to make possible herbal extraction process. The above

and EngineeringAspects, 196: 223234.

Heldt N, Zhao J, Friberg S, Zhang Z, Slack G, Lia Y. 2000.
Controlling the Size of Vesicles Prepared from Egg

mentioned examples have shown that they can be used in the

extraction of a variety of phytoconstituents of varied chemical
classes. This technique can be useful in the extraction of such

Lecithin using a Hydrotrope. Tetrahedron, 56: 69856990.

Horvath-Szab G, Yin Q, Fribergy SE. 2001. The

phytomolecules which have low solubility in aqueous medium.

Such extracts can be prepared by addition of hydrotropes without
affecting the physicochemical properties of the constituents.

Hydrotrope Action of Sodium Xylenesulfonate on the

Solubility of Lecithin. Journal of Colloid and Interface
Science, 236: 5259.

These hydrotropes can prove efficient in the extraction of a

variety of resins as well as certain low permeability agents.
Conclusion
Hydrotropic extraction shows great potential to (a) go through
specific interactions with amphiphile, (b) transform mixing
behavior of oil and water (c) self-associate with water (d)
improve aqueous solubility of dissimilar solutes and selective
extraction of bioactive compounds on a commercial scale.
Product yield achieved with the supercritical fluid extraction,
and by using the hydrotropic agent in aqueous solutions. Simple
dilution by water provides an uncomplicated recovery method.
In future hydrotropy method will be the hopeful way to extract
polar as well as non polar phyto-constituents without using
excess heat and temperature.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
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