Solvent-free microwave extraction of essential oil of Cinnamomum species

In recent years, natural extracts obtained by various extraction methods and have been widely used as additives in health food and cosmetics, and even as drug sources for many diseases in eastern and western countries. In addition to conventional hydrodistillation and solvent extraction methods, there is a green and eco-friendlier method, namely as solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME), can be used for the extraction of aroma plants [1], [2]. The principle of SFME is that microwave can resonate with in-situ water of plant causing tissues to swell and burst without adding any water or solvent and release the essential oil [3]. In this study, the leaves and barks of different Cinnamomum species were extracted by SFME to obtain the essential oils (CBEOs), and the optimal extraction methods were also discussed. The results showed that the maximum yield of CBEO was 0.75 % at irradiation power 600 W and the extraction time of 30 min. The main volatile compounds of CBEO were analyzed and identified by the electronic nose and compared with authentic standard compounds. The major compounds of CBEO were limonene (16-20 %), α-pinene (11-15 %), myrcene (9-10 %) and 1,8-cineole (7-9 %), respectively. Meanwhile, principal component analysis (PCA) combined with E-nose fingerprint could clearly discriminate samples from different Cinnamomum species.

• References

• 1 Lucchesi ME, Chemat F, Smadja J. Solvent-free microwave extraction of essential oil from aromatic herbs: comparison with conventional hydro-distillation. J Chromatogr A 2004; 1043: 323-327.
• 2 Filly A, Fernandez X, Minuti M, Visinoni F, Vravotto G, Chemat F. Solvent-free microwave extraction of essential oil from aromatic herbs: from laboratory to pilot and industrial scale. Food Chem 2014; 150: 193-198.
• 3 Li Y, Fabiano-Tixier AS, Vian MA, Chemat F. Solvent-free microwave extraction of bioactive compounds provides a tool for green analytical chemistry. Trends Anal Chem 2013; 47: 1-11.