Abstract : Current global requirements necessitate the successful achievement of maximum possible process efficiency, minimum possible usage of organic solvents and along with sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. These criteria become even more stringent if the raw material is based on plant-derived bioactive compounds as they are often present only in trace amounts. For the extraction process the above factors are majorly determined by the selection of solvents with respect to get the highest possible recovery and the selection of suitable extraction methodology. Furano-flavonoids such as pongamol and karanjin from the seeds of Pongamia pinnata (P. pinnata) shows considerable activities as skin care ingredients. However, the content of these furano-flavonoids is significantly less in the seeds, calls for the effective process development to achieve highest process recovery along with reduction of solvent volumes and optimized extraction methodologies for highest possible process efficiency and minimum possible process cost. The current study focuses to develop a suitable extraction solvent system among the - non-polar, mid-polar, and polar – solvents. The study also aims to optimize the extraction techniques among maceration, hot extraction, and Soxhlet extraction on the basis of extraction yield, furano-flavonoid recovery, and radical scavenging activity analysis by the DPPH assay. Furthermore, this study evaluates the therapeutic relevance of the optimized extract was evaluated through cytotoxicity analysis by MTT assay against skin cancer cells. From the key findings of this study, it was confirmed that solvent polarity and extraction techniques have a critical role in the development of sustainable and efficient process development. Extraction with hexane along with Soxhlet extraction methodology showed the highest efficiency in terms of yield, process efficiency and anti-skin cancer activity.

Keyword :Anti Skin cancer, Antioxidant, Karanjin, Pongamia pinnata, Pongamol, Sustainable process development