Aqueous-softened, organic solvent-free hot-melt extrusion of Centella asiatica biomass into multifunctional bio-based materials

초록

The extensive use of organic solvents in conventional phytochemical extraction generates hazardous waste and environmental concerns. To address these limitations, this study developed an aqueous-softened, organic solventfree hot-melt extrusion (HME) process for the valorization of Centella asiatica biomass into multifunctional biobased materials. The continuous HME process enabled biomass conversion without organic solvent extraction and generated two functional fractions, CA Solution and CA Sphere, supporting sustainable dual-fraction biomass utilization. The HME-derived materials exhibited adsorption activity against representative aquatic pollutants, including rhodamine B and tetracycline hydrochloride. Among the formulations, CA Sphere showed the highest adsorption performance, with removal efficiencies of 69% for rhodamine B and 26% for tetracycline hydrochloride. In addition, the materials reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species generation and attenuated lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Overall, this study demonstrates that solvent-free HME processing provides a scalable and environmentally sustainable strategy for converting plant biomass into value-added functional materials with pollutant adsorption and biologically supportive properties.

키워드