Optimization of betulin extraction process from Inonotus Obliquus with pulsed electric fields

In this work, the extraction of betulin from Inonotus Obliquus applying high intensity pulsed electric fields (PEF) was studied. To extract non-polar compound, 75% ethanol solution was used. The effect of PEF on betulin yield was discussed compared with conventional extracting method. A set of optimal parameters (PEF strength = 40 kV/cm, pulse number = 2, ethanol concentration = 75%, and solid-to-solvent ratio = 1:25) were tested and analyzed.Industrial relevanceResults of this study show that pulsed electric fields can be used to extract non-polar compound from plant origin raw material, such as Chinese herbal medicine, with easy-to-use equipment, materials and shorter extracting time compared with conventional methods.