Overview of the principles and processes of the five extraction methods of Eucommia:
1. Solvent extraction
Principle:
Solvent extraction dissolves the active ingredients in the plant into the solvent by selecting a suitable solvent (such as ethanol, methanol, etc.). These solvents can effectively dissolve the active ingredients in the plant without dissolving too many impurities.
Process:
Take an appropriate amount of Eucommia raw materials, cut or crush
Add an appropriate amount of solvent, soak or reflux heating to extract
Filter to remove solid impurities
Evaporate the solvent and concentrate the extract
Obtain Eucommia extract
2. Supercritical fluid extraction
Principle:
Supercritical fluid extraction uses supercritical fluid (such as supercritical carbon dioxide) as a solvent to extract active ingredients. Supercritical fluid has the dual characteristics of liquid and gas, can dissolve a variety of substances, and has no solvent residue, which is environmentally friendly and safe.
Process:
Pre-treat the Eucommia raw materials (drying, crushing)
Use supercritical carbon dioxide or other fluids for extraction
Control the temperature and pressure during the extraction process to achieve the best extraction effect of the supercritical fluid
After extraction, reduce the pressure to recover the solvent
Obtain a high-purity Eucommia extract
3. Microwave-assisted extraction
Principle:
Microwave-assisted extraction promotes cell wall rupture through microwave heating, thereby accelerating the release of plant active ingredients. Microwave heating has the characteristics of selective heating, which can quickly heat the solvent and plant tissue, thereby improving the extraction efficiency.
Process:
Pre-treat the Eucommia raw materials
Mix the raw materials with an appropriate amount of solvent
Put the mixture in a microwave extractor for heating
Control the temperature and time to ensure that the microwave energy achieves the best extraction effect
Filter and remove the residue
Evaporate the solvent and concentrate the extract
4. Water extraction
Principle:
Water extraction uses water as a solvent to extract water-soluble components in plants. It is usually suitable for water-soluble substances such as sugars, amino acids, and minerals. This method is environmentally friendly and simple, and is often used in Chinese medicine extraction.
Process:
Take Eucommia and crush it
Add water and heat to boiling, decoct or soak
Filter to separate the liquid part
Concentrate or dry to obtain water extract
5. Ultrasonic extraction
Principle:
Ultrasonic extraction uses the energy of ultrasonic waves to act on the solvent and plant materials, generating high-frequency vibrations, forming a cavitation effect, breaking the cell wall, and thus accelerating the release of active ingredients in the plant. This method is often used to extract heat-sensitive ingredients.
Process:
Pretreat Eucommia and crush it into fine particles
Add an appropriate amount of solvent and place it in an ultrasonic extraction device
Turn on the ultrasonic wave, control the time and temperature, and promote the release of active ingredients
Filter to remove solid impurities
Evaporate the solvent to obtain a concentrated extract
