Effect of solvent polarity on the extraction of bioactive compounds from Heracleum persicum fruits

Effect of solvent polarity on the extraction of bioactive compounds from Heracleum persicum fruits Avetis Tsaturyan1,2 , Lusine Sahakyan1, Lusine Hayrapetyan1, Ela Minasyan1,2 , Ani Chakhoyan1, Valodya Mirzoyan3, Gayane Hovhannisyan2, Haykanush Khachatryan4, Sergey Hayrapetyan5 1 Institute of Pharmacy, Scientific and Educational Center for Control and Monitoring of the Quality of Medicines, Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia 2 Scientific and Production Center “Armbiotechnology”, National Academy of Science, Yerevan, Armenia 3 Research Center for the Institute of Pharmacy, Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia 4 Food Safety Laboratory of the Ministry of Defense of the RA, Jrashen, Armenia 5 Chemical Faculty, Yerevan State University, Yerevan, Armenia Corresponding author: Lusine Sahakyan (lu[email protected]) Received 16 August 2025♦ Accepted 14 November 2025♦ Published 4 December 2025 Citation: Tsaturyan A, Sahakyan L, Hayrapetyan L, Minasyan E, Chakhoyan A, Mirzoyan V, Hovhannisyan G, Khachatryan H, Hayrapetyan S (2025) Effect of solvent polarity on the extraction of bioactive compounds from Heracleum persicum fruits. Pharmacia 72: 1–9. https://doi.org/10.3897/pharmacia.72.e168925 Abstract The selection of appropriate solvents is crucial for determining both the composition and quantity of secondary metabolites extracted from medicinal plants. This study investigates the influence of solvent polarity on the extraction yield and phytochemical profile of Heracleum persicum fruits. Various solvents were tested as extragents, including polar (methanol, ethanol, acetone, acetonitrile), non-polar (hexane), and binary mixtures (ethanol/hexane, ethanol/water). Gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) were employed to analyze the extracts. Hexane, the least effective solvent, extracted only one compound, which can be isolated in pure form. Methanol, the most efficient solvent for quantitative extraction, yielded 7 out of 12 extracted compounds. However, ethanol extracted the highest number of compounds, with a total of 16. Additionally, a new criterion for assessing solvent extraction power is proposed, based on the sum of peak areas in the chromatograms, providing an objective measure of solvent effectiveness. Keywords Heracleum persicum fruits, extragents, extraction strength, phytochemical composition, solvent polarity Introduction Heracleum persicum (H. persicum) Desf. ex Fischer is a flowering plant of the family Apiaceae, commonly known as Persian hogweed. This plant is native to the Asian countries Iran, Iraq, and Turkey (Jonsell et al. 2010) and is locally known as “Golpar” in Iran and Iraq (Hazrati et al. 2020; Salamon 2024), “Tromsøpalme” in northern Norway (Mustafavi et al. 2022), and “Persischer bӓrenklau” in Germany (Davari and Ezazi 2017). It is a perennial herb that generally grows up to 50–120 cm (Jonsell et al. 2010; Hazrati et al. 2020). H. persicum is one of the most important medicinal plants and contains valuable phytochemical compounds, which make it a precious medicinal plant to cultivate Copyright Tsaturyan A et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Pharmacia 72: 1–9 DOI 10.3897/pharmacia.72.e168925 Research Article Tsaturyan A et al.: Solvent polarity in H. persicum extraction2 in other parts of the world. The yield and quality of the phytochemical composition of H. persicum significantly change during the growth period and strongly depend on various phenological stages. The highest yield of essential oil was obtained in the intermediate stage of fruit maturity, and the highest extract content was recorded during the floral budding stage (Hazrati et al. 2020). To date, more than 125 species of the genus Heracleum have been identified worldwide. Most species of this genus are distributed in Asia, and among them, ten perennial aromatic species grow in the flora of Iran (Mustafavi et al. 2022). Different parts of this plant have a long history of use as natural remedies in Iranian folk medicine. Fruits of H. persicum are extensively used in the daily diet of the general Iranian population as a flavoring agent and spice, and the stems are used in making pickles. In addition, in Iranian traditional medicine, its fruits are used as a carminative, anti-inflammatory, digestive aid, antimicrobial tonic, and antiepileptic. It is also believed that this plant can work against stomach ailments, flatulence, infections, memory impairment, and vertigo (Majidi and Lamardi 2018; Alvani et al. 2025). Studies have shown that Heracleum species are rich in phenolic compounds and exhibit high biological activity, making them worthy medicinal plants to study. Phenological and harvest stages are essential factors influencing phenolic compound content as well as biological activities in different organs of medicinal plants (Hazrati et al. 2020; Węglarz et al. 2020; Kose et al. 2025). In the phytochemical analysis of H. persicum, several classes of natural chemicals, including volatile (aliphatic esters, carbonyls, phenylpropenes, and terpenes) and nonvolatile (flavonoids, furanocoumarins, tannins, and alkaloids) constituents, as well as different minerals, have been identified. Scientific studies on H. persicum have shown that it possesses a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities (Majidi and Lamardi 2018; Wu et al. 2024; Kose et al. 2025). Medicinal plants with antioxidant properties can replace synthetic antioxidants because they are less costly and more environmentally friendly. In addition to these advantages, dietary phenolic antioxidants of H. persicum play important roles in delaying the development of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory bowel syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease (Goleniowski et al. 2013; Kaurinovic and Vastag 2019). The essential oil of this plant is a yellow liquid with a strong odor. Aliphatic esters, carbonyls, phenylpropenes, and terpenes are the main components of H. persicum oil (Ebadollahi et al. 2014; Gharachorloo et al. 2017; Mustafavi et al. 2022; Paramonova 2024; Ghazi et al. 2025; Kose et al. 2025). Ethyl acetate and methanolic extracts of the aerial parts of H. persicum have shown good antioxidant activities (Sahebkar et al. 2016; Wu et al. 2024; Alvani et al. 2025). Esters such as hexyl and octyl are abundantly found in the oil of H. persicum. Therefore, hexyl and octyl esters may play key roles in the anti-inflammatory and analgesic features of the oil (Majidi and Lamardi 2018). Extracts of H. persicum have shown antidiabetic properties and were evaluated at a dose of 238.1 mg/mL for the inhibition of α-amylase in an in vitro assay. A significant inhibition was found for the n-hexane extract of the aerial parts of H. persicum (78.5%), which was even higher than that of acarbose (74.9%), used as a positive control (Dehghan et al. 2016). According to available results, H. persicum extract shows cardioprotective activity (Alvani et al. 2025) and acts on receptors pertaining to acid secretion rather than gastrin receptors (Majidi and Lamardi 2018). Anticonvulsant activity of H. persicum was shown in mice suffering from seizures induced by pentylenetetrazole and maximal electroshock. These results may be due to alkaloids, terpenoids, and triterpenes of H. persicum, whose neurological effects have been demonstrated in previous studies (Borska et al. 2025). Many studies have been conducted to demonstrate the antimicrobial effects of H. persicum due to its disinfectant and antimicrobial components, such as anethole. Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of H. persicum leaves showed weak antibacterial effects on Streptococcus mutans, with MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of 100 and 200 mg/mL. Therefore, H. persicum can be a good natural alternative to synthetic preservatives for protecting foods from bacteria (Abdoli et al. 2017). The hydroalcoholic extracts of H. persicum fruits also showed anti-Candida activity against three different Candida species (C. albicans, C. tropicalis, and C. glabrata) (Khosravi et al. 2016). The botanical realm offers a vast array of species with immense potential for natural product discovery, and Heracleum persicum is a prime example. Its fruits, in particular, have garnered significant attention due to their rich essential oil composition. Extensive research has consistently demonstrated that the essential oil of H. persicum fruits is abundant in valuable compounds, notably essential oils and various aliphatic esters. This consistent finding across multiple studies (Mustafavi et al. 2022; Ghavam 2023; Javidnia et al. 2025; Kose et al. 2025) firmly establishes H. persicum fruits as a promising natural source of these industrially and pharmacologically relevant substances. However, unlocking the full spectrum of phytochemicals and bioactive compounds from any plant material is not a straightforward process. The efficiency and selectivity of extraction and purification are critically influenced by several factors, including the duration of extraction, extraction temperature, solvent concentration, and, perhaps most importantly, solvent polarity. Phytochemicals exhibit diverse chemical characteristics, meaning that no single solvent can universally extract all desired compounds present within the complex matrix of plant material (Iloki-Assanga et al. 2015). Different classes of compounds possess varying solubilities, necessitating careful selection of single solvents or solvent mixtures to target specific analytes. Numerous studies have underscored the significant impact of solvent polarity on the yield and biological activity of extracted compounds. For instance, research by Ghasemzadeh et al. (2011) demonstrated a strong correlation Pharmacia 72: 1–9 3 between solvent polarity and both extract yield and antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds isolated from plant materials. This highlights the importance of matching solvent polarity to the chemical nature of target compounds to achieve optimal extraction efficiency and maximize the recovery of desired bioactive substances. Furthermore, the study of multicomponent solvents represents a critical and evolving area within modern fundamental and applied science. Many biochemical processes, both in nature and in industrial applications, inherently occur within complex multicomponent media (Valeur 2013; Kurtaliev et al. 2020; Stepko et al. 2021). Understanding the behavior of these systems is essential for effective extraction and separation. A key phenomenon observed in such systems is the localized enrichment of solvent components around a solute molecule. It is well-established that local concentrations of components within a complex solvent system, particularly in the immediate vicinity of a solute molecule, often deviate significantly from the average concentrations observed across the bulk solution. This leads to a scenario in which the solvate shell—the layer of solvent molecules directly surrounding the solute—is preferentially enriched with the solvent component to which the solute has a higher affinity. This selective interaction arises from dynamic competition among solvent molecules for binding sites in proximity to the solute. The result is the formation of distinct molecular entities, termed solvates, whose microscopic composition, at least within their first coordination sphere, can differ substantially from the macroscopic proportions of components in the bulk solution (Stepko et al. 2021). This phenomenon of selective solvation demonstrates the complexity of extraction processes when using multicomponent solvent systems. In light of the complex factors influencing extraction efficiency and selectivity, this study was conducted to systematically compare the chemical compositions of Heracleum persicum fruit extracts obtained using solvents of different polarities. The extracts were analyzed using advanced analytical techniques, specifically gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). By employing these separation and identification methods, we aimed to determine the most effective extractants for isolating the maximum quantity and diversity of valuable compounds from H. persicum fruits. This systematic approach provides critical insights for optimizing extraction protocols and facilitating the efficient utilization of this promising plant resource. Materials and methods Reagents and standards Analytical-grade reagents were obtained from CertiPURR, Merck, Darmstadt, Germany, and ultrapure water (Millipore, Milli-Q RG, Thermo Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) was used in sample preparation. Plant material and extract preparation The dried fruits of Heracleum persicum were collected at full maturity during the final ripening stage in August 2023 from the Tavush region, Republic of Armenia. Following harvest, the fruits were promptly transported to the laboratory under ambient conditions to preserve their phytochemical properties. Mature, healthy fruits were manually selected and separated from any damaged or undeveloped specimens. The selected fruits were thoroughly cleaned to remove dust and extraneous material, then milled using a Triplex grinder (Triplex, France). The ground material was passed through a 0.5 mm mesh sieve to obtain a homogeneous fine powder. The resulting fruit powder was stored in sealed polyethylene bags, protected from light, and maintained at 4 °C until further analysis to minimize degradation and preserve volatile constituents. For extraction, 0.50 g of the powdered fruit material was subjected to solvent treatment using various extracting agents to evaluate solvent efficiency. The solvents employed included (1) ethanol (0.51 g), (2) ethanol/water (70:30, v/v) (0.51 g), (3) acetonitrile (0.51 g), (4) acetone (0.53 g), (5) methanol (0.51 g), (6) hexane (0.50 g), and (7) hexane/ethanol (1:1, v/v) (0.50 g). Each extraction was carried out by mixing the powder with 5 mL of the respective solvent, followed by vigorous shaking to enhance solute–solvent interactions. The mixtures were then left to stand undisturbed for 10 days at room temperature in complete darkness to prevent photodegradation of sensitive compounds. After the extraction period, the samples were filtered through 0.22 µm membrane filters to remove particulate matter, and the resulting filtrates were collected for subsequent chemical and phytochemical analysis. Determination of extract composition Gas chromatography (GC) analysis was used to determine the content of selected compounds in H. persicum fruit extracts. Chromatographic conditions: Analysis was performed using a gas chromatography system (Thermo Scientific TRACE 1310 GC with flame ionization detector [FID]). Separation was carried out using an OPTIMA FFASplus column (30 m × 0.25 mm, 0.5 µm). The oven temperature program was set at 70 °C (2 min) and increased to 100 °C at 5 °C/min, then held for 2 min, followed by an increase to 220 °C at 40 °C/min and held for 5 min, then increased to 250 °C at 30 °C/min and held for 2 min. The detector and injector temperatures were set at 230 °C. Nitrogen was used as the carrier gas at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The injection volume was 1 µL. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method Identification of chromatographic peaks was performed using the GC–MS method. In addition to GC analysis, GC–MS chromatography (Thermo Scientific ISQ 7610 Tsaturyan A et al.: Solvent polarity in H. persicum extraction4 Single Quadrupole) was used to analyze the extractants of H. persicum fruit samples. The GC–MS system was equipped with a TG-5MS column (60 m × 0.25 mm, 0.25 µm). According to the programmed method, the oven temperature was set at 70 °C (2 min) and increased to 100 °C at 20 °C/min, then held for 2 min, followed by an increase to 250 °C at 40 °C/min and held for 5 min, and finally raised to 300 °C at 10 °C/min and held for 5 min. Argon was used as the carrier gas at a flow rate of 1.6 mL/min. The analysis was performed with a scan time of 30 m/z, an analysis range up to 600 m/z, ionization at 70 electron volts, a solvent delay of 2 min, and an injection volume of 1 µL. Compounds were identified based on mass spectral matching against the NIST11 mass spectral library using the GC–MS ISQ 7610 system. Results and discussion The extraction of bioactive substances from solid matrices can be conceptually compared to the processes involved in solid-phase extraction (SPE). In essence, solid matrices act as natural carriers, with various compounds adsorbed or precipitated onto their surfaces. These adsorbed substances can subsequently be liberated or extracted by applying appropriate solvents. In classical SPE methodologies, however, this process is deliberately engineered: porous solid sorbents are functionalized with specific chemical groups that exhibit tailored affinity for target analytes. These functionalized sorbents serve as selective adsorbents, concentrating analytes onto their surfaces through well-defined intermolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, or ionic binding. Following adsorption, the SPE protocol typically includes a washing step, during which weaker solvents or solvents with lower elution strength are employed to remove nonspecifically bound or unwanted matrix components without dislodging the analytes of interest. Subsequently, a more potent solvent with higher elution strength is used to selectively desorb and recover target compounds from the sorbent surface. This two-step process enhances analyte purity and concentration and improves overall analytical sensitivity and specificity. Analogously, the extraction of substances from natural solid matrices, such as plant fruits or other botanical materials, can be understood as a form of SPE occurring in a less controlled environment. The solid matrix itself acts as a carrier with inherent physicochemical properties that facilitate the adsorption or binding of compounds of interest. During solvent extraction, the matrix is subjected to an elution process whereby solvents penetrate the solid phase, solubilizing and releasing the adsorbed substances. Prior to complete extraction, loosely bound or extraneous components may be removed similarly to the washing steps in SPE, although this process is generally less selective and more dependent on solvent polarity and affinity. While the strict definition of solid-phase extraction is tied to the use of artificial sorbents with chemically tailored functionalities, the conceptual framework of SPE provides a useful model for understanding the dissolution and extraction of substances from complex solid matrices using solvents. Indeed, the terminology of solid-phase extraction has become widely adopted in chromatographic sample preparation despite the ambiguous nature of the concept when applied outside engineered sorbents. In this study, we adopt the SPE paradigm to elucidate the mechanisms underlying solvent-mediated extraction of bioactive compounds from Heracleum persicum fruits. This approach enables a systematic interpretation of how solvent choice, polarity, and extraction conditions influence compound recovery. It also highlights the parallels between controlled SPE techniques and traditional solvent extraction, offering insights that can guide optimization of extraction protocols. Furthermore, acknowledging the similarities between these processes fosters a deeper understanding of matrix–analyte interactions and the factors governing selective solubilization in complex natural products. Chromatographic profiles of H. persicum fruit extracts using different extraction solvents are shown in Suppl. material 1: fig. S1. To characterize the extracting power, we chose the total value of the area of all peaks as a criterion and represented it in Table 1 with the relative percentage (%) of each compound, calculated as the peak area of each compound divided by the total peak area of all compounds in the respective extract. According to this criterion, acetonitrile has the highest extracting power (the sum of the areas of all peaks is 4,130,621), followed by ethanol, methanol, a mixture of ethanol with water, a mixture of ethanol with hexane, and finally hexane (Table 1). Thus, the extracting power of acetonitrile is 1.028 times greater than the extracting power of ethanol, 1.033 times more than methanol, 1.83 times more than a mixture of ethanol and water, 2.95 times more than a mixture of ethanol and hexane, 6.07 times more than acetone, and 76.855 times more than hexane. Fig. 1 shows chromatographic profiles of H. persicum fruit extracts using acetonitrile as an extractant. The effectiveness of different solvents and solvent systems in extracting phytochemicals from Heracleum persicum fruits, as investigated in this study, is summarized in Table 1. The binary mixture ethanol/water extracts five compounds, and they are relatively low-molecular, while the mixture ethanol/hexane extracts eight compounds, two of which are compounds with relatively high molecular weights, as evidenced by the times of their peaks (11.97, 13.00 min). In addition, in the case of ethanol/water, out of the five extracted compounds, two have the maximum peak-area values among all extractants, while in ethanol/ hexane, out of eight compounds, only one has the maximum peak-area value. In addition, the total area value of all five peaks in the case of ethanol/water is greater than the eight peaks in the case of ethanol/hexane. At first glance, using hexane as a solvent may seem useless, but from the point of view of the fact that it is possible to extract a single substance, such a solvent becomes relevant for isolating a pure substance without impurities. It should be noted that this substance is present in all extractants. The next solvent that extracts the least number of substances is Pharmacia 72: 1–9 5 ethanol/water. In this case, out of five substances, two are maximum, i.e., this solvent can remove two compounds completely. Using an acetone mixture, it is possible to extract eight substances with two maxima, but these maxima are specific and are not repeated in other cases. From this point of view, using acetone as an extractant becomes useless. The next solvent with a comparatively smaller number of extractants is ethanol/hexane with one maximum, which is also extracted by other solvents. Using methanol, it is possible to isolate 12 substances with five maxima, two of which are coincidences. In the methanol extract, seven substances with six maxima and three trace substances remain. It is important to note that such a coincidence with the previous solvent (ethanol/water) completely removes the substance with a retention time of 4.94 min. In the case of acetonitrile, there are 12 compounds with five maxima, Table 1. Relative composition (%) of H. persicum fruit extracts obtained with different solvents, based on chromatographic peak-area normalization. Retention time Relative composition (%) Acetonitrile Ethanol Methanol Ethanol/ Water (70/30) Ethanol/ Hexane (1/1) Acetone Hexane 4.57 – – 0.01 – – – – 4.66 – – 0.01 – – – – 4.94 – 1.49 0.01 2.12 5.69 – – 5.08 – 0.43 – – – – – 5.09 – – 0.03 – – – – 5.46 – 0.39 – – – – – 5.78 – 0.46 – 2.60 – – – 7.12 – 0.59 – – – – – 8.05 0.13 – – – – – – 8.44 – – – – – 1.76 – 9.08 – – 2.05 – – – – 9.81 – – – – – 1.76 – 9.19 2.24 1.68 – – 1.31 – – 10.33 91.04 87.85 92.75 83.4 85.07 86.94 100 10.41 – – 3.23 – 3.22 – – 10.53 3.81 3.67 0.37 3.86 – 3.62 – 10.65 1.14 0.25 0.51 8.02 3.34 2.54 – 10.73 0.24 2.04 – – – – – 10.93 – – 0.36 – – – – 11.04 0.25 0.21 0.32 – – – – 11.08 0.20 0.21 – – – – – 11.35 0.12 0.16 – – – – – 11.97 0.30 0.31 0.34 – 0.52 1.09 – 13.00 0.36 0.47 – – 0.85 1.62 – 14.77 0.41 0.21 – – – 0.68 – Sum of areas 4130621 4017769 3998010 2255440 1396775 680215 53745 Number of peaks 12 16 12 5 8 8 1 Quantity of maximum peak area in the extract 5 7 8 2 1 2 0 Figure 1. Chromatographic profile of H. persicum fruit extracts using acetonitrile as the extractant. Tsaturyan A et al.: Solvent polarity in H. persicum extraction6 of which four are present in the extractants obtained with other solvents. Another two compounds are removed by methanol. In addition, the substance with a peak-release time of 10.33 min is almost identical to acetonitrile (91.4 versus 92.75). Thus, in the acetonitrile extractant, there are nine compounds with four maxima. In the case of ethanol, out of 16 compounds, there are seven maxima, of which six are not repeated anywhere, i.e., they are in the medium. By replacing the order of solvents, it is possible to have different groupings in individual extractants. The total number of compounds detected in the seven types of extractants is 25. The order of extraction begins with the extractant that has the most maxima. In this case, these compounds will be completely removed from the matrix. In this case, other compounds will also be extracted. It would be ideal if these substances with maxima coincided with other extractants; then they would be removed from the matrix, i.e., the matrix would be purified from these substances. The second extraction is carried out with the extragent that has the second most maxima. The extraction efficiency of solvents with differing polarities from Heracleum persicum fruits reveals notable trends that underscore the importance of solvent–matrix interactions in phytochemical extraction. Non-polar solvents, exemplified by hexane, were generally found to be unsuitable for effective extraction of target compounds from the fruits. This observation can be primarily attributed to the inherently hydrophilic nature of the fruit matrix, which results in poor wettability by non-polar solvents. Wettability, a critical factor in solid–liquid extraction, determines the extent to which a solvent can penetrate and interact with the matrix surface; in this context, the inability of hexane to adequately wet the fruit material significantly hampers its solvent power. Consequently, despite hexane’s limited overall extraction efficiency, it is noteworthy that this solvent can isolate relatively pure compounds with minimal co-extraction of foreign impurities, as detailed in Table 2. This selectivity may be advantageous when target compounds possess sufficient non-polar characteristics and purity is prioritized over yield (Wakeel et al. 2019; Sánchez-Camargo et al. 2020). Of particular interest is the phenomenon observed with binary solvent systems, specifically ethanol/water and ethanol/hexane mixtures, which exhibited remarkably comparable extraction efficacies. This finding is intriguing considering the stark polarity differences between water, a highly polar solvent, and hexane, a non-polar solvent. Ethanol, an amphipathic solvent with intermediate polarity, acts as a bridging solvent in these mixtures, enhancing the overall solvent–matrix interactions. In the ethanol/ water system, ethanol reduces the polarity of the aqueous phase, facilitating solubilization of moderately polar compounds. Conversely, in the ethanol/hexane system, ethanol likely improves the wettability of the hydrophilic matrix by the nonpolar hexane through intermolecular interactions, thereby enhancing solvent penetration and extraction capacity. The comparable extraction efficiencies of these binary mixtures suggest that the enhancement in matrix wettability by ethanol plays a pivotal role, compensating for the polarity disparity between water and hexane and ultimately leading to similar extraction outcomes (Nawaz et al. 2020). Polar solvents such as methanol, ethanol, and acetonitrile demonstrated high extraction power consistent with their ability to dissolve a wide range of polar to moderately polar phytochemicals present in the fruit matrix. These solvents’ efficacy is likely linked to their strong hydrogen-bonding capability and polarity, which favor interaction with hydrophilic fruit components. However, an unexpected result was the comparatively low extraction efficiency exhibited by acetone, a polar aprotic solvent, which was found to be inferior to acetonitrile by a factor of approximately 6.44, as indicated in Table 1 and Fig. 2. This discrepancy may be attributed to differences in solvent–solute interaction mechanisms, solvent polarity indices, and solubility parameters. While acetone is polar, its lower dielectric constant and weaker hydrogen-bonding capacity relative to acetonitrile could limit its ability to solubilize certain target compounds effectively. Additionally, acetone’s volatility and potential to induce matrix compaction could negatively impact extraction kinetics. These findings highlight the nuanced and solvent-specific nature of extraction processes and underscore the importance of selecting appropriate solvents based not only on polarity but also on their interaction profiles with the complex fruit matrix. Table 2. Phytochemicals in Heracleum persicum seed extracts identified by GC–MS. Name Formula Ret time Relative percentages (%) of area EtOH ACN EtOH ACN Octanal C8H16O 7.68 –1.81 3-Octen-1-ol, acetate, (Z) C10H18O29.35 – 6.06 Acetic acid, octyl ester C10H20O29.43 – 53.16 Thymol C10H14O 9.86 – 2.81 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, ethyl ester, (E)- C11H12O210.14 – 1.89 Elemicin C12H16O311.19 – 11.78 2.0 Hexanoic acid, octyl ester C14H28O2– 11.26 0.80 Octanoic acid, octyl ester C16H32O2– 12.20 7.10 Methoxsalen C12H8O414.57 14.56 2.40 1.33 Bergapten/ Heraclin C12H8O414.92 14.91 6.57 37.31 Pimpinellin C13H10O515.53 15.52 8.67 50.16 Isopimpinellin C13H10O516.79 16.77 4.85 1.22 Pharmacia 72: 1–9 7 The ordinate represents the relative extractive strength (%) of the tested solvents, calculated based on the total peak area of compounds detected by GC-FID. This provides a comparative, experiment-specific measure of solvent extraction ability. The results reflect relative extraction efficiency under the experimental conditions of this study. GC–MS studies (Identification) To identify individual compounds in H. persicum fruits, GC–MS analysis of their ethanol and acetonitrile extracts was carried out (Fig. 3, Table 1, 2). These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the phytochemical profile of H. persicum fruits and highlight the potential of selective solvent extraction for isolating bioactive compounds. The results emphasize the importance of solvent selection in maximizing the yield and diversity of phytochemicals from H. persicum fruits. Conclusion H. persicum is one of the most important medicinal plants in Asia and has valuable phytochemical compounds, which make it a precious medicinal plant to grow in other parts of the world. The results of this study clearly indicated that the composition and quality of the phytochemicals of the H. persicum fruit extracts significantly depend Figure 2. Relative extractive strength (%) of different solvents used for the extraction of Heracleum persicum fruit components. Figure 3. GC–MS chromatograms of H. persicum fruit extracts in A. Ethanol; B. Acetonitrile. A B Tsaturyan A et al.: Solvent polarity in H. persicum extraction8 on the polarity of extraction solvents. The choice of the appropriate solvent and extraction technique is necessary in order to preserve the biological properties of bioactive substances of medicinal plants. In this study, a method for assessing the extractive power of different extracting solvents is proposed. This assessment is based on the assumption that the sum of the areas of all chromatographic peaks can become an objective criterion for assessing the extractive power of a given solvent or solvent system. The results of the present study introduced H. persicum as a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals. Among the 12 compounds identified from H. persicum fruit extracts using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, at least 10 exhibit potential medical significance. Acknowledgments The work was supported by the Higher Education and Science Committee MESCS RA in the frame of the research project No. 25YR-1D019. Additional information Conflict of interest The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Ethical statements The authors declared that no clinical trials were used in the present study. The authors declared that no experiments on humans or human tissues were performed for the present study. The authors declared that no informed consent was obtained from the humans, donors or donors’ representatives participating in the study. The authors declared that no experiments on animals were performed for the present study. The authors declared that no commercially available immortalised human and animal cell lines were used in the present study. Use of AI No use of AI was reported. Funding Higher education and science committee MoESCS RA in the frame of the research project No: 25YR-1D019 Author contributions All authors have contributed equally. Author ORCIDs Avetis Tsaturyan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9716-7744 Lusine Sahakyan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7244-184X Lusine Hayrapetyan https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9721-1682 Ela Minasyan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9281-7613 Ani Chakhoyan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2404-8124 Sergey Hayrapetyan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0655-9668 Data availability All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text or Supplementary Information. References Abdoli A, Borazjani JM, Roohi P (2017) Antimicrobial activity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Heracleum persicum. Myrtus and Lemon verbena against Streptococcus mutans. 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Cogent Food & Agriculture 10(1): 2325198. https://doi.org/10.1080 /23311932.2024.2325198 Supplementary material 1 Phytochemicals in Heracleum persicum seeds extracts identified by GC-MS Authors: Avetis Tsaturyan, Lusine Sahakyan, Lusine Hayrapetyan, Ela Minasyan, Ani Chakhoyan, Valodya Mirzoyan, Gayane Hovhannisyan, Haykanush Khachatryan, Sergey Hayrapetyan Data type: docx Copyright notice: This dataset is made available under the Open Database License (http://opendatacommons.org/licenses/ odbl/1.0). The Open Database License (ODbL) is a license agreement intended to allow users to freely share, modify, and use this Dataset while maintaining this same freedom for others, provided that the original source and author(s) are credited. Link: https://doi.org/10.3897/pharmacia.72.e168925.suppl1