Microwave Hydrodistillation Method Research Articles

The Effects of Microwave Irradiation Power on the Chemical Composition of Essential Oil from the Leaves of Turkish Bay Laurel

In the present study, the essential oil from the leaves of Turkish bay laurel (Laurus nobilis L., Lauraceae) was obtained by microwave hydrodistillation (MWHD) and hydrodistallation (HD) techniques by using Clevenger apparatus. The chemical composition of essential oil obtained by microwave method was analysed by GC and GC-MS. The results showed that microwave irradiation power played an important role on the yield and chemical composition of the by laurel leaf. The yield of essential oil increased with increasing microwave irradiation power. The content of oxygenetad monoterpens (especially, 1.8-cineole) determined by MWHD method was found to be greatly higher than those determined by conventional hydrodistillation method. The content of oxide compound was greatly reduced by using MWHD method in comparison to HD method. However, the yield of essential oil determined by MWHD was somewhat lower than that of conventional HD method at the present conditions.