Methods of Extraction of Natural Products

Methods of extraction of natural products:
Several approaches can be employed to extract the

plant material.
Although water is used as an extractant in many

traditional protocols, organic solvents of varying
polarities are generally selected in modern methods of
extraction to exploit the various solubilities of plant
constituents.
-Maceration :
This simple widely used procedure involves leaving the

pulverized plant to soak in a suitable solvent in a
closed container .simple maceration is performed at
room temperature by mixing the ground drug with the
solvent (drug solvent ratio : 1:5 or 1:10) and leaving
the mixture for several days with occasional shaking or
stirring. The extract is then repeated from the plant
particles by straining . The process is repeated for
once or twice with fresh solvent .Finally the last
residue of extract is pressed out of the plant particles
using a mechanical press or a centrifuge.kinetic
maceration differe from simple one by continous
stirring.
-The method is suitable for both initial and bulk

extraction.
-The main disadvantage of maceration is that the

process can be quite time-consuming, taking from a
few hours up to several weeks
-Ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction:
This is a modified maceration method where the

extraction is facilitated by the use of ultrasound . The
plant powder is placed in a vial. The vial is placed in an
ultrasonic bath, and ultrasound is used to induce a
mechanical stress on the cells through the production
of cavitations in the sample. The cellular breakdown
increases the solubilization of metabolites in the
solvent and improves extraction
yields.
-it is mostly used for the initial extraction of a small

amount of material.
-Percolation :
the powdered plant material is soaked initially in a
solvent
in a percolator . Additional solvent is then poured on

top of the plant
material and allowed to percolate slowly (dropwise)

out of the bottom of the percolator. Additional filtration
of the extract is not required because there is a filter
at the outlet of the percolator.
-Percolation is adequate for both initial and large-scale

extraction.
-The main disadvantages are :
1-fine powders and materials such as resins and plants

that swell excessively (e.g., those containing
mucilages) can clog the percolator. 2-if the material is
not distributed homogenously in the container, the
solvent may not reach all areas
and the extraction will be incomplete.
-Soxhlet extraction :
This method is adequate for both initial and bulk

extraction . The plant powder is placed in a cellulose
thimble in an extraction chamber, which is placed on
top of a collecting flask beneath a reflux condenser. A
suitable solvent is added to the flask, and the set up is
heated under reflux. When a certain level of condensed
solvent has accumulated in the thimble, it is siphoned
into the flask beneath.
-The main advantage of Soxhlet extraction is that it is a
continuous process.
-pressurized solvent extraction :
The powdered plant material is loaded into an

extraction cell, which is placed in an oven. The solvent
is then pumped from a reservoir to fill the cell, which
is heated and pressurized at programmed levels for a
set period of time. The cell is flushed with nitrogen
gas, and the extract, which is automatically filtered, is
collected in a flask. Fresh solvent is used to rinse the
cell and to solubilize the remaining components. A
final purge with nitrogen gas is performed to dry the
material.
-offers a more economical and environment-friendly

alternative to conventional approaches.
-Extraction under reflux and steam distillation :
plant material is immersed in a solvent in a round-

bottomed flask, which is connected to a condenser. The
solvent is heated until it reaches its boiling point. As
the vapor is condensed, the solvent
is recycled to the flask.
-It is commonly applied to the extraction of plant

essential oils.
-The main disadvantage is that thermolabile

components risk being degraded.
-Extration with supercritical fluids :
Supercritical fluids (SCFs) are increasingly replacing

organic solvents,
e.g., n-hexane, dichloromethane, chloroform, and so

on, that
are conventionally used in industrial extraction

operations because of regulatory and environmental
pressures on hydrocarbon and ozone-depleting
emissions.
Most of the currently available Solvent FreeExtraction

systems utilize CO2, which is generally considered as
safe for solvent-free extraction processes. The
fundamental steps involved in SFE are as follows:
(1) Liquid CO2 is forced into supercritical state by

regulating its temperature and pressure.
(2) Supercritical CO2 has solvent power and extracts

predominantly lipophilic and volatile compounds.
(3) Gaseous CO2 returns to CO2 tank. After a full

round, the new extraction starts with circulating CO2.
-Countercurrent extraction :
This is a continuous process in which the plant

material moves against the solvent. It is suitable
procedure for production of large amounts of extracts
on an industrial scale.
Several types of extractors are available. In the screw

extractor the plant material is transported by a screw
through a tube and meets the solvent which is pumped
in the opposite direction.

Methods of Extraction of Natural Products

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Methods of Extraction of Natural Products

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Methods of Extraction of Natural Products

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Methods of extraction of natural products:

Several approaches can be employed to extract the

Although water is used as an extractant in many

This simple widely used procedure involves leaving the

-The method is suitable for both initial and bulk

-The main disadvantage of maceration is that the

-Ultrasound-assisted solvent extraction:

This is a modified maceration method where the

-it is mostly used for the initial extraction of a small

in a percolator . Additional solvent is then poured on

material and allowed to percolate slowly (dropwise)

-Percolation is adequate for both initial and large-scale

-The main disadvantages are :

1-fine powders and materials such as resins and plants

and the extraction will be incomplete.

This method is adequate for both initial and bulk

-pressurized solvent extraction :

The powdered plant material is loaded into an

-offers a more economical and environment-friendly

-Extraction under reflux and steam distillation :

plant material is immersed in a solvent in a round-

is recycled to the flask.

-It is commonly applied to the extraction of plant

-The main disadvantage is that thermolabile

Supercritical fluids (SCFs) are increasingly replacing

e.g., n-hexane, dichloromethane, chloroform, and so

are conventionally used in industrial extraction

Most of the currently available Solvent FreeExtraction

(1) Liquid CO2 is forced into supercritical state by

(2) Supercritical CO2 has solvent power and extracts

(3) Gaseous CO2 returns to CO2 tank. After a full

This is a continuous process in which the plant

Several types of extractors are available. In the screw

You might also like