This study investigate the effects of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasound–microwave-assisted extraction (UMAE) integrated with an aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) on phenolic extraction efficiency and antioxidant activity from red water lily petals and pollen. The Fuzzy Analytical Method (FAM) was used to optimize parameters for maximizing both compositional content and functional bioactivity. Total phenolic concentration (TPC) and total flavonoid concentration (TFC) were used as compositional criteria, while DPPH and iron-chelating activities served as functional criteria. The optimal conditions for petals (450 W, 3 min) produced a TPC of 7.43 mg GAE/mL and TFC of 9.25 mg QE/mL, corresponding to DPPH and iron-chelating activities of 86.89% and 54.17%, respectively. Similarly, the optimal pollen extraction (300 W, 5 min) yielded 7.83 mg GAE/mL TPC and 7.63 mg QE/mL TFC, with respective antioxidant activities of 87.43% and 58.94%. Compared to single-step extraction, the combined ultrasound–microwave-assisted extraction (UMAE–ATPS) provided sufficient mechanical and thermal energy to overcome structural barriers, particularly in pollen, significantly enhancing bioactive recovery. UAE–ATPS was most suitable for maximizing phenolic compound extraction from petals, while MAE–ATPS effectively for flavonoid extraction. FT-IR confirmed the preservation of key functional groups (O–H and C–O), signifying abundant phenolic hydroxyls that aligned with the high DPPH activity. The optimized UMAE–ATPS extracts demonstrated significant antimicrobial potential with a Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations of 62.5 μgGAE/disc against and 1,000 μgGAE/disc against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli , respectively. These findings highlight the superior capability of the hybrid process in preserving the functional integrity of the recovered phenolic compounds.
Rueangsri et al. (Wed,) studied this question.