Subcritical Water Extraction Method Research Articles

Production of fermented milk analogs using subcritical water extraction of rice by-products and investigation of its physicochemical, microbial, rheological, and sensory properties.

Rice milling by-products extract and Persian grape syrup (Persian grape molasses), as the proper alternatives for milk ingredients and sucrose, respectively, can be considered a promising way to produce functional milk analogs. In this study, we studied the production of rice milling by-product extracts via the subcritical water extraction method, as a green method. The optimum extract was then fermented by Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum, and the different physicochemical, sensory, and rheological properties and the viability of these lactic acid bacteria were assessed during fermentation and certain intervals of 28-day storage. Considering rheological properties, the optimum rice milling by-product extract was recognized based on DOE analysis and the rheological curves of fermented drinks and Persian grape molasses were fitted by Herschel-Bulkley and Bingham models, respectively. The extract and also milk analog had excellent fitness with Herschel-Bulkley model, and this fermented milk analog showed a drop in the consistency index, flow behavior, and yield stress during the 28-day storage. According to the results, the viable cell count of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus casei remained at 106-108 colony forming unit/ml after 28-day storage, which showed a combination of rice milling by-product ingredients and inulin had a positive effect on the survival rate of lactic acid bacteria. An increase in values of total phenolic compounds, as well as antioxidant activity observed during fermentation; however, these compounds dropped considerably during storage as a result of degradation and interaction with other compounds. Moreover, in terms of sensory evaluation, Lactobacillus plantarum drinks provided the highest overall acceptability among other samples on the 28th day.

Green subcritical water extraction of Mentha x rotundifolia leaves collected in different annuities

Aim: In this work, the development for the first time of a green and efficient method to obtain bioactive extracts from Mentha x rotundifolia leaves has been investigated. Methods: The efficiency of three techniques [microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), subcritical water extraction (SWE), and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE)] was compared in terms of total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity [1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthioazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assays]. Results: Under similar operating conditions, SWE outperformed MAE and UAE for providing M. rotundifolia extracts with improved antioxidant activity. Further in-depth optimization of the SWE method by means of a Box-Behnken experimental design showed 120°C, 5 min, 0.08 g dry sample: 1 mL water and 2 extraction cycles as optimal experimental parameters to provide the maximum yield of phenolics and the highest bioactivity. The application of the developed SWE method to M. rotundifolia leaves collected in different annuities (2014–2017) showed, in general, no significant differences regarding both composition and antioxidant capacity, as expected from plant samples grown in field under drip irrigation conditions. Conclusions: The SWE method here optimized is shown as a sustainable and efficient alternative for providing bioactive M. rotundifolia extracts with application as functional ingredients, natural preservatives, etc. in the food industry, among others.

Production of Rice-By Product Protein Isolate Using the Subcritical Water Extraction Method

Background: Subcritical water extraction (SWE) is a friendly technique applied to produce rice by-product extract. The aim of this study is using SWE as a new friendly extraction method for producing protein isolates (PI) of rice bran and rice combination as a byproduct of Iranian agriculture product. Methods: D-optimal combined design was used to optimize bran rice ratio, solid/water ratio, extraction time, and particle size to obtain maximum protein. Bran (8-12%) and rice ratio (88-92%) solid water (0.04 -0.12%), time (15-45 min), and particle sizes (420 µm and 710 µm) were selected as independent variables, and protein as dependent variable. After optimization, the effects of extraction parameters on functional properties were investigated. Results: Increasing bran/rice ratio has a significant effect on the protein extraction. In this study, the optimum SWE conditions were solid water (0.12), bran rice ratio (8:92), time (45 min), particle size (420 µm), and the optimum SWE temperature was obtained at 120 Cº. SWE also could significantly enhance functional properties, such as the solubility, emulsifying activity index (EAI), and degree of hydrolysis of by-product of rice milling (BRM) PI. Conclusion: According to the positive impact of SWE on protein extraction and the functional properties of BRM PI, this method could be applied as a novel extraction technique to modify the properties of rice protein isolate for functional purposes in the future. However, more investigation is required to study the quantity and quality of the extracted valuable materials to scale it up for industrial means.

Fly ash electrodes fabricated by an acid-assisted subcritical water extraction method for supercapacitor applications

Fly ash waste was treated by acidic subcritical water extraction (SWE) treatment for producing supercapacitor materials.

INFLUENCE OF SUBCCRITICAL WATER EXTRACTION PARAMETERS ON THE EFFICIENCY OF PROTEIN RECOVERY FROM SOYBEAN MEAL

This work is devoted to the study of the extraction process of protein from soybean meal with subcritical water. The aim of the study is to determine the influence of parameters (temperature: , extraction duration: ( ), hydromodulus: ) of the subcritical water extraction process on the protein content in the dry matter of soybean meal extract and their rational values. To determine the rational parameters of the extraction process, an empirical research method was applied using an orthogonal compositional plan of the 2-nd order for a fractional-factorial experiment . Samples of extracts were obtained on a laboratory setup based on a high pressure reactor. In the obtained samples, the total protein content was determined by the method of catalytic oxidation with chemiluminescent detection. On the basis of the obtained results, a quadratic interpolation model was constructed that relates the total protein content in the dry matter of the extract with the extraction parameters. The analysis of the constructed model made it possible to establish the optimal extraction parameters: temperature , extraction duration . The yield of protein to the dry matter of the extract at optimal values of temperature and duration of the process monotonically increases with an increase in the hydromodulus and reaches a maximum at the hydromodulus . The results obtained can be used to improve the technology for obtaining soy protein concentrate and isolate using the subcritical water extraction method. Due to the environmental friendliness of this extraction technology, the resulting extracts can be directly used to improve the nutritional value of various food products.

A Comparative Study on Zerumbone Concentration, Radical Scavenging Activity and Total Phenolic Content of Zingiber Zerumbet Extracted via Green and Conventional Extraction

Extraction is crucial for herbal extraction to ensure high quality of bioactive compounds from natural herbs. In the current work, Zingiber Zerumbet was extracted via subcritical water extraction (SWE) and is compared with the conventional solvent extraction, Soxhlet. The quality of the extract was investigated in terms of zerumbone concentration, radical scavenging activity (RSA) and total phenolic content (TPC). For zerumbone concentration, extraction via SWE gave 19.82 ±0.004 mg/g as compared with Soxhlet; 28.51±0.079 mg/g. However, the extraction time required for SWE to yield such concentration only required 40 minutes instead of Soxhlet which took 480 minutes. The same trend was recorded for RSA, which yielded 60.70±0.070% inhibition for SWE and 68.81±0.024% inhibition from Soxhlet extraction. In contrast to TPC, SWE recorded a higher response than Soxhlet extraction, which was 19.19±0.003 mgGAE/g DW, while Soxhlet; 8.30±0.019 mgGAE/g DW. Therefore, the SWE method is more favorable for obtaining a higher value of TPC, slightly good in antioxidant properties but lower zerumbone concentration value than organic solvent extraction. However, the reduced extraction time was almost 12 times quicker for SWE when compared with Soxhlet extraction. Overall, SWE is a promising alternative environmentally friendly since it only uses water as solvent and is comparable to the conventional method.

Anticancer and Apoptotic Activity in Cervical Adenocarcinoma HeLa Using Crude Extract of Ganoderma applanatum.

Cancer is currently one of the foremost health challenges and a leading cause of death worldwide. Cervical cancer is caused by cofactors, including oral contraceptive use, smoking, multiparity, and HIV infection. One of the major and considerable etiologies is the persistent infection of the oncogenic human papilloma virus. G. applanatum is a valuable medicinal mushroom that has been widely used as a folk medicine for the treatment and prevention of various diseases. In this study, we obtained crude extract from G. applanatum mushroom with a subcritical water extraction method; cell viability assay was carried out and the crude extract showed an antiproliferative effect in HeLa cells with IC50 of 1.55 ± 0.01 mg/mL; however, it did not show any sign of toxicity in HaCaT. Protein expression was detected by Western blot, stability of IκBα and downregulation of NFκB, IKKα, IKKβ, p-NFκB-65(Ser 536) and p-IKKα/β(Ser 176/180), suggesting loss of survival in a dose-dependent manner. RT-qPCR revealed RNA/mRNA expression; fold changes of gene expression in Apaf-1, caspase-3, cytochrome-c, caspase-9, Bax and Bak were increased, which implies apoptosis, and NFκB was decreased in a dose-dependent manner. DNA fragmentation was seen in the treatment groups as compared to the control group using gel electrophoresis. Identification and quantification of compounds were carried out by GC–MS and HPLC, respectively; 2(5H)furanone with IC50 of 1.99 ± 0.01 μg/mL could be the responsible anticancer compound. In conclusion, these findings suggest the potential use of the crude extract of G. applanatum as a natural source with anticancer activity against cervical cancer.

Monitoring the content of PAHs in the former sludge dump near the Seversky Donets River

The concentration of industrial waste at specialized landfills often leads to forming a point source of pollution including the one with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in adjacent territories and environments. In this study, the level of 16 priority PAHs in technoginically formed sediments (TFS) of the former landfill for liquid industrial waste (LIW) was determined. The PAHs determination was performed using a new ecologically green subcritical water extraction method. The total PAHs content remains high and does not meet the main generally recognized standards after 30 years of closure of the landfill. The level of total PAHs content in the TFS of monitoring sites No.1 and No.2 were 6438.5 ± 75.9 μg kg-1 and 6015.6 ± 57.6 μg kg-1, respectively. These values indicate a high degree of PAHs contamination in both sites No. 1 and No.2. The total content of PAHs in TFS of the monitoring site No.3 was 1.5-1.6 times higher than in the rest of the studied sites (9509.6 ± 112.4 μg kg-1) indicating an extremely high degree of pollution in this area. Thus, the total content of priority polyarenes showed an extremely high degree of PAHs contamination in the former sludge dump near the Seversky Donets River.

Yield and Extraction Rate Analysis of Phytochemical Compounds from Eucheuma cottonii, Ganoderma lucidum, and Gracilaria sp. using Subcritical Water Extraction

Eucheuma cottonii (E. cottonii), Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum), and Gracilaria sp. are plants that contain high phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, polyphenols, saponins, and tannins. In this work, the phytochemicals were obtained using the subcritical water extraction (SWE) process. The SWE method uses water as a solvent in subcritical conditions. Therefore, the SWE process is an environmentally friendly process for extraction. In order to run the SWE process optimally, measurement of the extraction rate of SWE is needed. Calculation of the extraction rate of SWE process used first and second-order models according to Lagergren equation. SWE process was started by setting temperatures from 140 to 180oC at a pressure of 7 MPa and solvent flow rate of 1 ml/min. Before starting the extraction, the raw material was loaded into the extractor. The raw materials used were E. cottonii, G. lucidum, and Gracilaria sp. The extraction process was carried out for 3 hours, and the product was collected every 30 minutes. The collected product was put into a sample bottle and dried using a freeze dryer. After that, the products obtained were balanced by an analytical scale. Based on the result, the optimum temperature for the SWE process was 180oC for E. cottonii and G. lucidum and 160oC for Gracilaria sp. The yields of the SWE process under the optimum temperature were 85.37%, 58.42%, and 75.73% for E. cottonii, G. lucidum, and Gracilaria sp, respectively. The extract contained phytochemical compounds detected by high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. The kinetics model of extraction rate for all variables exhibited a second-order kinetics model that indicated that the extraction process was influenced by more than one factor.

Characterisation of polyphenols and antioxidant potential of red and white pomace by-product extracts using subcritical water extraction

A detailed assessment of the content of high added-value compounds in grape pomace varieties was carried out following a subcritical water extraction method. High amounts of anthocyanins and tannins were recovered from fermented grape pomace at differential temperatures with high variability between the by-products observed. Contrary to anthocyanins, high extraction temperatures (about 200 °C) yielded higher amounts of tannins. Overall, we found that grape pomace antioxidant activity and total polyphenols, quantified by the Folin Ciocalteu method, were not directly related to the main polyphenol content in SWE extracts. The data obtained in our study by using laboratory-scale equipment will be useful for developing an industrial-scale SWE process. Finally, it was shown that grape pomace by-products can be considered asan important source of polyphenols. They could therefore potentially provide a basis for the sustainable and integrated exploitation of winemaking by-products, to be used as inexpensive and readily available sources of bioactive compounds for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries.

Subcritical Water as a Solvent for Extraction of Nickel and Aluminum Ions from Reforming Spent Catalysts

Spent catalysts are categorized as hazardous waste because they still contain heavy metal elements. It indicates that spent catalysts need to be treated before they discharge to the environment. In this study, spent catalysts treatment was done using subcritical water extraction method. The extraction process was conducted by varying temperature and extraction times. Temperature was varied at 100–250°C, whereas time extraction was varied at 15–45 minutes. Operating pressure and particle size were kept at 70 bars and –60+70 mesh, respectively. The content of aluminum (III) (Al3+) ions and nickel (II) (Ni2+) ions were analyzed using UV–vis spectrophotometer. The experimental results showed that the highest content of both metal ions was achieved at 250°C and 45 minutes. The content of extracted Al3+ ions and extracted Ni2+ ions at those conditions was 623.39 and 35.03 ppm, respectively.

Subcritical water extraction as an efficient technique to isolate biologically-active fucoidans from Nizamuddinia zanardinii.

A sulfated polysaccharide (fucoidan) has been isolated from Nizamuddinia zanardinii using subcritical water extraction method (SCWE), and extraction conditions were optimised using the response surface methodology. The optimum extraction conditions were found to be: extraction time of 29 min, extraction temperature of 150 °C, and raw material-to-water ratio of 21 g/mL. The fucoidan yield under these optimum conditions was 25.98%, which was considerably higher than that of conventional solvent extraction (5.2%). Extraction time and temperature were the extraction variables that most significantly affected fucoidan yield. Chemical and monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, and the antioxidant, anticancer and immunomodulatory activities of the extract have also been investigated. The monosaccharide composition of fucoidan included fucose (34.13%), mannose (30.70%), galactose (23.19%), xylose (9.35%) and glucose (2.65%). The average molecular weight of the extracted fucoidan was 694 kDa. Antioxidant results revealed that SCWE-extracted fucoidan had appreciable ABTS radical scavenging (70.35%) and reducing power (0.182 Abs). The anticancer activity of fucoidan ranged from 24.60 to 49.46% for HeLa cells and from 23.95 to 46.78% for HepG2 cells. The NO production of RAW264.7 cells was observed to be dose-dependent, while maximum NO production was found to be 34.82 μmol at a 50 μg/mL fucoidan concentration.

Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Capacities of Local Banana Peels Extract by Using Subcritical Water Extraction Technique

Banana peels has been shown to possess strong antioxidant which may exhibit protective responses against reactive oxygen species through free radicals scavenging and breaking the autoxidative chain reaction and restore the ‘redox homeostasis’ state. Subcritical water extraction method was used by using water as the solvent and increasing the temperature to between 100 and 374°C and keeping the pressure high enough to maintain the liquid state allowing the dielectric constant (ε) of water becomes like that of an organic solvent, like ethanol or methanol. The extract was collected by using temperatures of 100 °C, 150 °C, 180 °C and 200 °C with 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes for the investigation of antioxidative compounds and antioxidant activity. The TPC ranged widely from 20.93 to 66.39 mg GAE/g for Pisang Tanduk and 43.64 to 151.40 mg GAE/g for Pisang Cavendish peel extract. While TFC of Pisang Tanduk ranged from 1.94 to 17.19 RE/g and for Pisang Cavendish it was as low from 3.80 to as high as 72.45 RE/g. Radical scavenging activities (inhibition of DPPH) of the extracts ranged from 36.96 to 85.60% for Pisang Tanduk and from 52.26 to 93.68%. Inhibition of ABST scavenging activity showed 97.14 to 99.03% inhibition for Pisang Tanduk. For Pisang Cavendish, it showed from 73.02 to 98.86% inhibition. Although both banana peel extracts appeared to have low TPC and TFC, its antioxidant activities were ranked moderate to high. This implies that antioxidative compounds other than phenolics and flavonoids were probably responsible for inhibition of DPPH.

Ionic liquid-assisted subcritical water enhances the extraction of phenolics from brown seaweed and its antioxidant activity

Natural phenolic substances have recently been recovered from brown seaweeds using various techniques. Particularly, subcritical water extraction (SWE) has been developed to replace conventional processes because of its sustainable properties. In addition, ionic liquids (IL) have recently been proved to have potential capabilities in extracting bioactive compounds from natural resources. This study explores the power of the IL-assisted SWE method (SWE + IL) in obtaining different phenolic compounds from the brown seaweed Saccharina japonica. The imidazolium-based IL 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [C4C1im][BF4] was provided as a catalyst in the SWE system at different temperatures (100–250 °C) and concentrations (0.25–1.00 M) to examine its thermal and quantitative effects. Solid–liquid extraction (SLE) and SWE were additionally provided as references for the considered method. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the SWE and SWE + IL extracts showed high contents of gallic, chlorogenic, gentisic, protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, and caffeic acids along with minor amounts of vanillic and syringic acids. The highest total content of phenolics was determined at 175 °C in two SWE techniques; however, in conventional SLE, phenolic compounds were poorly detected. Various antioxidant-determining assays such as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging assay, total antioxidant capacity assay, and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay indicated the high antioxidant activity of extracting samples from SWE and SWE + IL; however, limited capacity was observed from conventional SLE. Correlation testing and principal component analysis indicated a strong connection between phenolic content and antioxidant activity, thereby demonstrating the high quality of phenolic bioactive extracts from brown seaweeds.

Features of accumulation, migration, and transformation of benzo[a]pyrene in soil-plant system in a model condition of soil contamination

Purpose The investigation of accumulation, migration, and transformation features of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in a soil-plant system by using new ecologically friendly subcritical water extraction method is the purpose of this research.

The effect of filler addition and oven temperature to the antioxidant quality in the drying of Physalis angulata fruit extract obtained by subcritical water extraction

Physalis angulata or ceplukan is medicinal herb, which grows naturally in Indonesia. It has been used in traditional medicine to treat several diseases. It is also reported to have antimycobacterial, antileukemic, antipyretic. In this research, Pysalis angulata fruit was investigated for its antioxidant capacity. In order to avoid the toxic organic solvent commonly used in conventional extraction, subcritical water extraction method was used. During drying, filler which is inert was added to the extract. It can absorb water and change the oily and sticky form of extract to powder form. The effects of filler types, concentrations and drying temperatures were investigated to the antioxidant quality covering total phenol, flavonoid and antioxidant activity. The results showed that total phenol, flavonoid and antioxidant activity were improved by addition of filler because the drying time was shorter compared to extract without filler. Filler absorbs water and protects extract from exposure to heat during drying. The combination between high temperature and shorter drying time are beneficial to protect the antioxidant in extract. The type of fillers investigation showed that aerosil gave better performance compared to Microcrystalline Celullose (MCC).

The physicochemical properties, in vitro binding capacities and in vivo hypocholesterolemic activity of soluble dietary fiber extracted from soy hulls.

Soluble dietary fibers (SDFs) have earned a healthy reputation due to their distinguished physiological functions. In this study, SDF was efficiently extracted from soy hulls using a phosphate-assisted subcritical water extraction method. The physicochemical properties, in vitro binding capacities and in vivo hypocholesterolemic activity of soy hull soluble dietary fiber (SHSDF) were evaluated. The results indicated that the major component of SHSDF was pectic polysaccharides, and with comparison to commercial oat β-glucan, SHSDF had favorable solubility, viscosity, water-holding ability (5.26 g water per g sample), and oil holding capacity (4.83 g oil per g sample). It also possessed good in vitro cholesterol-binding capacity (6.18 mg g-1 sample at pH 2 and 7.62 mg g-1 sample at pH 7), bile acid-binding capacity (3.3, 1.73 and 6.65 μM of GCA, GCDCA and GDCA per 100 mg of sample), glucose dialysis retardation index (64.76%), and in vivo hypocholesterolemic activity (16.88% and 35.28% reduction in serum total cholesterol and LDL level in rats, respectively). These data suggest that SHSDF has great potential in food applications, especially in the development of functional food ingredients.

New alternative method of benzo[a]pyrene extractionfrom soils and its approbation in soil under technogenic pressure

The optimization of benzo[a]pyrene extraction conditions by subcritical water extraction method from soils is the purpose of the research. The optimal conditions for benzo[a]pyrene recovery are 30-min extraction by water in a special steel cartridge at 250 °C and 100 atm. Studies were conducted on the soils of monitoring plots subjected to Novocherkassk Power Station emissions. Monitoring plots were established at different distances from the Novocherkassk Power Station (NPS; 1.0–20.0 km). It was shown that the use of water in subcritical state as a solvent for benzo[a]pyrene extraction from soil allows to avoid large volumes of organic solvents and to decrease the time of sample preparation. It is shown that the maximum benzo[a]pyrene maintenance was observed in soils of the monitoring plots located most close (to 5 km) to a pollution source in the area of the prevailing direction of a wind rose. Dynamics of pollutant accumulation in soils depend on number of Novocherkassk state district power station emissions. The method of benzo[a]pyrene subcritical water extraction from soil was developed and approbated during long-term monitoring researches of technogenic polluted territories. The optimum conditions for benzo[a]pyrene extraction from soil have been determined: the soil is treating by subcritical water at 250 °C and 100 atm of pressure for 30 min. Trends in the accumulation of benzo[a]pyrene in soil zones of the thermal power plant influence have been researched over a 5-year period of monitoring observations by subcritical water extraction method. Benzo[a]pyrene accumulation in soils depends on the technogenic emissions to the atmosphere from Novocherkassk power station and on the soil physical and chemical properties.

Simultaneous determination of the migrations of bisphenol A and phenol in polycarbonate bottles based on subcritical water extraction and high performance liquid chromatography

A new method was established for the simultaneous determination of the migration amounts of bisphenol A (BPA) and phenol from polycarbonate (PC) bottles based on subcritical water extraction (SWE) and high performance liquid chromatography. The optimum extraction conditions included an extraction temperature of 120 degree C, a pressure of 6.89 MPa (1000 psi), a static extraction time of 1 h and one cycle. Under the conditions, the migration amounts of the BPA ranged from 6.81 to 1116 micro g/g in 11 samples. Phenol was not detectable in 5 samples, and in other ones the migration amounts of phenol varied in the range of 3.25 -6. 08 micro g/g. The traditional soaking extraction experiments showed that PC was subjected to weak hydrolysis after long-time leaching. The BPA and phenol were separated in 8 min. Good linearities were obtained in the range of 0. 05 - 20 mg/L for BPA and 0.02 - 20 mg/L for phenol ( r > 0.999 7). The limits of detection were 7.6 micro g/L for BPA and 2.0 micro g/L for phenol. Intra-day and inter-day repeatabilities (expressed as RSD) were less than 5.21% and 11.63%, respectively. Compared with traditional water soaking extraction, the extraction efficiencies increased 49 - 106 times using this developed SWE method. The procedure is simple, rapid and environment friendly, and can be utilized to determine the migration amounts of BPA and phenol in PC bottles.

Characterization of the subcritical water extraction of Fluoxetine-Hydrochloride

The characteristics of using Subcritical Water Extraction (SWE) to recover Fluoxetine-Hydrochloride from both standard solutions and the contents of commercial capsule formulations were investigated. Analysis of solutions and extracts was done by HPLC with UV detection at 254nm. Standard solutions of Fluoxetine-Hydrochloride were exposed to a variety of SWE operating conditions, including temperatures from 125 to 275°C and periods ranging from 5 to 30min. Fluoxetine-Hydrochloride could be quantitatively recovered from standard solutions (1.0mg/mL) that were heated up to 175°C for 30min, up to 200°C for 15min, or up to 225°C for 10min. At higher temperatures and/or times, Fluoxetine-Hydrochloride recoveries were generally incomplete and often produced decomposition by-products during the process. By comparison, the concentration of Fluoxetine-Hydrochloride in the standard solution had relatively little effect on recovery. Considering these parameters, an SWE method was developed to extract Fluoxetine-Hydrochloride from the contents of Prozac® capsules. It was found that Fluoxetine-Hydrochloride could be quantitatively extracted from the capsule contents in 8min at a temperature of 200°C using 3.5mL of water as the extraction solvent. Gelatinization of the starch excipient in the capsule contents was also observed to occur temporarily during the capsule extractions, before ultimately disappearing again. The period of this phenomenon was dependent on both temperature and sample size. The results indicate that SWE can be a very useful method for Fluoxetine-Hydrochloride extraction and suggest that it may be interesting to explore other pharmaceuticals using this method as well.