Enhanced yield of extraction from Gastrodia elata Blume by ultrasonication and enzyme reaction

Gastrodia elata Blume (Chunma) belongs to Orchidaceae, which is a perennial parasitic herbaceous plant and grows in the woods of the central provinces of China, Korea and Japan. Recently, the constituents of the tubers of this plant have been investigated by researchers who have revealed the presence of phenolic compounds including gastrodin as a major constituent, together with 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, parishin, 4,4-dihydroxybenzyl sulfoxide, vanillin, vanillyl alcohol, beta-sitosterol, organic acids and polysaccharides, etc. In this study, we used ultrasonicator and two kinds of enzymes for enhancement of extraction yield. We also used electronic nose for the aroma pattern analysis of Chunma extracts. The concentrations of glucose and functional constituents (gastrodin, vanillin, 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol) were measured by biochemistry analyzer and HPLC, respectively. Therefore, we showed that the yield of extraction was increased and discomfortable odor was reduced.