Green Extraction of Withania somnifera and Panax ginseng: Phytochemical Enrichment, Functional Bioactivity, and Ready-to-Drink Beverage Development

This study compared Soxhlet (SE), ultrasound-assisted (UAE), and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of Withania somnifera and Panax ginseng roots for phytochemical recovery, bioactivity, and beverage application. MAE produced the highest extraction yields (22.15% and 23.88%, respectively; p < 0.05), total phenolic contents (35.91 and 38.42 mg GAE/g DW), and total flavonoid contents (20.83 and 22.13 mg QE/g DW). Antioxidant activity followed the order MAE > UAE > SE, with maximum DPPH inhibition of 81.29% and 83.85%. HPLC-DAD confirmed improved recovery of withaferin A and ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg1. MAE extracts showed the strongest α-amylase (73.15% and 77.63%), α-glucosidase (78.24% and 82.17%), and pancreatic lipase inhibition (69.91% and 72.48%), and the highest cholesterol-lowering activity (25.86 and 27.14 mg/g). MAE-based ready-to-drink beverages had the highest phenolic content (2.18 and 2.27 mg GAE/mL), with pH 4.46–4.49 and TSS 13.27–13.48 °Brix. Their sensory acceptability decreased from 8.38–8.44 to 7.50–7.57 after 30 days at 4 °C, retaining about 90% of the initial sensory scores. MAE emerged as the most efficient green extraction strategy for developing functional medicinal plant-based beverages.