African Journal of
Pharmacy and Pharmacology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Pharm. Pharmacol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0816
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJPP
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 2285

Full Length Research Paper

Recent advances on supercritical fluid extraction of essential oils

Lili Xu1, Xiaori Zhan1*, Zhaowu Zeng2*, Rong Chen1, Haifeng Li1, Tian Xie1 and Shuling Wang1
1Research Center for Biomedicine and Health, Hangzhou Normal University, 1378 Wen Yi Xi Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 311121, People’s Republic of China. 2Guangdong Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Natural Drugs, Guangdong Medical College, Dongguan, Guangdong, 523808, People’s Republic of China.
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 02 August 2011
  •  Published: 08 September 2011

Abstract

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) is one of the most commonly used extraction techniques in the course of analysis or preparation. It is environmentally friendly and has some advantages over other conventional extraction methods. This review covers the recent developments of SFE in the extraction of essential oils from the plant materials during the period 2005 to 2011, in particular some factors influencing SFE extraction yield, its characteristics and applications.

 

Key words: Supercritical fluid extraction, essential oils, review.