CO₂ Supercritical Extraction of Essential Oil of Jordanian Rosemary

J AOAC Int. 2019 Mar 1;102(2):662-665. doi: 10.5740/jaoacint.18-0221. Epub 2018 Sep 19.

Abstract

Background: Experimental investigation of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of active ingredients from rosemary herb has been performed. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) was used as a solvent with ethanol as a trapping agent. This work showed that the SFE can be an exceptional alternative to the use of chemical solvents. Objective: The effect of temperature and pressure on the extraction process was investigated to increase the yield of the extracted essential components. Methods: The types of extracted compounds from rosemary were specified and analyzed using GC-MS. Results: The results indicated that several essential active ingredient compounds were extracted. Furthermore, the pressure affects the extraction, as the composition of some compounds increases with a pressure increase. Conclusions: SFE can be used to extract valuable active ingredients from rosemary. Two process parameters were investigated, namely, pressure and temperature, which indicate that SFE is a selective process for the production of certain constituents. Highlights: Some of the main components of the essential oil of Jordanian rosemary obtained in this study have important applications in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. For instance, α-pinene is one of the main raw compounds used in the perfume industry.

MeSH terms

  • Carbon Dioxide / chemistry*
  • Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid*
  • Jordan
  • Oils, Volatile / chemistry*
  • Oils, Volatile / isolation & purification*
  • Rosmarinus / chemistry*

Substances

  • Oils, Volatile
  • Carbon Dioxide