Supercritical CO2 Extraction Research Articles

PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF SOME KAZAKHSTAN PLANT SPECIES OF THE GENUS PETROSIMONIA, FAMILY CHENOPODIACEAE

The qualitative composition and quantitative content of the main groups of biologically active compounds of Kazakh plant species of the genus Petrosimonia, collected in the Almaty region, were determined. For the first time a comparative phytochemical analysis of Petrosimonia triandra (Pall.) Simonk. and Petrosimonia brachiata (Pall.) Bunge was presented. Studies of the mineral composition have been carried out. It was revealed that the content of toxic heavy metals (mercury, arsenic, cadmium, lead) in plant raw materials does not exceed the permissible standards. The content of amino acids in plant objects was studied for the first time. A high concentration among amino acids was noted for aspartic (1.246–1.286%) and glutamic acids (2.420–2.502%). This paper presents the results of the analysis of extraction processes with the maximum yield of biologically active compounds from Petrosimonia triandra by two methods: supercritical fluid CO2-extraction and maceration. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for the first time in order to detect lipophilic substances in hexane and SCF CO2-extracts from P. triandra. The research results show that these extracts of P. triandra plant are promising sources for obtaining of essential oils, fatty acids and phenolic compounds. Hexane extract from the aerial part of P. triandra exhibits pronounced anti-inflammatory activity.

Pilot-Plant-Scale Extraction of Antioxidant Compounds from Lavender: Experimental Data and Methodology for an Economic Assessment

The techno-economic feasibility of lavender essential oil supercritical CO2 extraction was studied. The process was scaled up to a pilot plant, and the extraction yield, composition, and antioxidant potential of the extracts were evaluated at 60 °C and 180 bar or 250 bar, achieving a maximum yield of 6.9% and a percentage inhibition of the extracts of more than 80%. These results drove the development of a business plan for three scenarios corresponding to different extraction volumes (20, 50, and 100 L) and annual production. The SWOT matrix showed that this is a promising business idea. The COM was calculated and an investment analysis was performed. The profitability of this process was demonstrated by means of a financial analysis for 8 years, considering a selling price of 1.38 EUR/g for the extract from the 20 L plant and 0.9 EUR/g for industrial-scale plants, supported by the price curve. The sensitivity analysis showed that the price of the equipment was the factor that could most influence the robustness of the project and the business strategy, and the financial ratios evaluation resulted in a ROE value above 57% in all cases, indicating the economic attractiveness of the process.

Carotenoids Recovery Enhancement by Supercritical CO2 Extraction from Tomato Using Seed Oils as Modifiers

The food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries have strong demands for lycopene, the carotenoid with the highest antioxidant activity. Usually, this carotenoid is extracted from tomatoes using various extraction methods. This work aims to improve the quantity and quality of extracts from tomato slices by enhancing the recovery of the carotenoids from the solid matrix to the solvent using 20 w/w% seeds as modifiers and supercritical CO2 extraction with optimal parameters as the method. Tomato (TSM), camelina (CSM) and hemp (HSM) seeds were used as modifiers due to their quality (polyunsaturated fatty acids content of 53–72%). A solubility of ~10 mg carotenoids/100 g of oil was obtained for CSM and HSM, while, for TSM, the solubility was 28% higher (due to different compositions of long carbon chains). An increase in the extraction yield from 66.00 to 108.65 g extract/kg dried sample was obtained in the following order: TSM < HSM < CSM. Two products, an oil rich in carotenoids (203.59 mg/100 g extract) and ω3-linolenic acid and a solid oleoresin rich in lycopene (1172.32 mg/100 g extract), were obtained using SFE under optimal conditions (450 bar, 70 °C, 13 kg/h and CSM modifier), as assessed by response surface methodology. A recommendation is proposed for the use of these products in the food industry based on their quality.

Multifarious extraction methodologies for ameliorating lipid recovery from algae

Amongst the current alternatives, algae were proven to be a promising source of biofuel, which is renewable and capable of meeting world demand for transportation fuels. However, a suitable lipid extraction method that efficiently releases the lipids from different algal strains remains a bottleneck. The multifarious pretreatment methods are prevalent in this field of lipid extraction, and therefore, this article has critically reviewed the various lipid extraction methods for ameliorating the lipid yield from algae, irrespective of the strains/species. Physical, mechanical, and chemical are the different types of pretreatment methods. In this review, methodologies such as homogenization, sonication, Soxhlet extraction, microwave treatment, and bead-beating, have been studied in detail and are the most commonly used methods for lipid extraction. Specific advanced/emerging processes such as supercritical CO2 extraction, ionic liquid, and CO2 switchable solvent-based algal lipid extraction are yet to be demonstrated at pilot-scale, though promising. The extraction of lipids has to be financially conducive, environmentally sustainable, and industrially applicable for further conversion into biodiesel. Hence, this paper discusses variable pretreatment for lipid extraction and imparts a comparative analysis to elect an efficient, economically sound lipid extraction method for pilot-scale biodiesel production.

Kinetics, thermodynamic studies, and parametric effects of supercritical CO2 extraction of banana peel wastes

The quest for the recovery of bioactive compounds from food waste is foreseeable with multi-benefits in line with the essential thoughts of the trio sustainability indicators which are to stimulate waste management, reduce the cost of production, bypass resource competition for using edible feedstock and push for greener and sustainable recovery of bioactive compounds for use in pharmaceutical and other industrial applications. In this work, banana peel waste was used as a reusable bioresource to recover extract using supercritical carbon dioxide (Sc-CO2) extraction. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was explored to quantitatively isolate three bioactive compounds namely quercetin, beta-carotene, and gallic acid from the extract. Qualitative characterization using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was carried out to examine the surface morphology of the pre-and post-extracted milled banana peel sample. The mass transfer reaction involved in the Sc-CO2 extraction was studied using Elovich’s, Hyperbolic, and Pseudo second-order kinetic models and were suitably fitted to the experimental data with an average correlation coefficient (R2) value greater than 0.98. Among the kinetic models, the experimental data were best fitted to the Hyperbolic model. Lastly, on the thermodynamic parameters, Gibbs’ free energy, (ΔG), enthalpychange(ΔH), and entropy change (ΔS) calculated at the optimum temperature of the extraction process were -13.29 kJ/mol, 116.99 kJ/mol, and 0.299 Jmol-1K-1, respectively, indicated that the extraction process was spontaneous and endothermically irreversible reactions.

Valorization of handmade argan press cake by supercritical CO2 extraction

The capability of supercritical CO2 to extract edible oil from handmade Argan press cake was investigated. The aim is to enable Moroccan cooperatives to improve their economic situation by valuing the handmade argan press cake, which is nowadays considered as a waste, applying a clean extraction process. Extraction experiments were conducted at 300 and 400 bar, 333 K and 0.14 kg/h on dried biomass. The fatty acids and tocopherols compositions of the extracted oil were found similar to previous studies and correspond to a commercial edible oil. The air flow dried biomass exhibits a higher extraction yield compared to the freeze-dried biomass. A pressure of 300 bar seems to be sufficient to allow the extraction of oil with a satisfactory extraction kinetic.

STUDY AWAL EKSTRAKSI MINYAK ESENSIAL BUNGA KAMBOJA PUTIH (Plumeria obtusa) SEGAR: PERBANDINGAN PENGARUH METODE EKSTRAKSI TERHADAP KOMPOSISI EKSTRAK

White frangipani flowers (Plumeria obtusa) are widespread across many regions in Indonesia and are frequently used as an essential component of religious ceremonies as offerings in the temples. They can be found placed at many village corners as local culture and beliefs. The used frangipani flowers caused a huge amount of flower waste. To resolve this issue, frangipani flowers can be utilized through product development to add their value, such as by producing essential oils. It has been reported from previous studies that the essential oil of frangipani flowers was done through conventional methods which used toxic chemical solvents or distillation processes with high-temperature conditions that can damage the volatile and bioactive compounds in flowers. Thus, in this research, the processing of frangipani flowers into essential oil was done with supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) extraction. The results showed that supercritical CO2 extraction produces a lower yield (1.27%) of essential oil if compared to soxhlet extraction with n-hexane (4.23%), however supercritical CO2 extraction provides advantages of no residue of extraction product and more environmentally-friendly method. Furthermore, the identification of bioactive compounds from P. obtusa essential oil showed that there were 65 compounds identified from supercritical CO2 extraction with 87% of compounds with activities and benefits reported from literature, whereas essential oil from soxhlet extraction produced more compounds, 76 compounds were identified with 78% of compounds with reported activities and benefits. This confirms that supercritical CO2 extraction was more selective in extracting specific volatile compounds. Keywords: bioactive,  carbon dioxide,  essential oil, plumeria obtuse, supercritical fluid extraction

The botanical drug PBI-05204, a supercritical CO2 extract of Nerium oleander, sensitizes alveolar and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma to radiotherapy in vitro and in vivo.

Treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), the most common a soft tissue sarcoma in childhood, provides intensive multimodal therapy, with radiotherapy (RT) playing a critical role for local tumor control. However, since RMS efficiently activates mechanisms of resistance to therapies, despite improvements, the prognosis remains still largely unsatisfactory, mainly in RMS expressing chimeric oncoproteins PAX3/PAX7-FOXO1, and fusion-positive (FP)-RMS. Cardiac glycosides (CGs), plant-derived steroid-like compounds with a selective inhibitory activity of the Na+/K+-ATPase pump (NKA), have shown antitumor and radio-sensitizing properties. Herein, the therapeutic properties of PBI-05204, an extract from Nerium oleander containing the CG oleandrin already studied in phase I and II clinical trials for cancer patients, were investigated, in vitro and in vivo, against FN- and FP-RMS cancer models. PBI-05204 induced growth arrest in a concentration dependent manner, with FP-RMS being more sensitive than FN-RMS, by differently regulating cell cycle regulators and commonly upregulating cell cycle inhibitors p21Waf1/Cip1 and p27Cip1/Kip1. Furthermore, PBI-05204 concomitantly induced cell death on both RMS types and senescence in FN-RMS. Notably, PBI-05204 counteracted in vitro migration and invasion abilities and suppressed the formation of spheroids enriched in CD133+ cancer stem cells (CSCs). PBI-05204 sensitized both cell types to RT by improving the ability of RT to induce G2 growth arrest and counteracting the RT-induced activation of both Non-Homologous End-Joining and homologous recombination DSBs repair pathways. Finally, the antitumor and radio-sensitizing proprieties of PBI-05204 were confirmed in vivo. Notably, both in vitro and in vivo evidence confirmed the higher sensitivity to PBI-05204 of FP-RMS. Thus, PBI-05204 represents a valid radio-sensitizing agent for the treatment of RMS, including the intrinsically radio-resistant FP-RMS.

The Dependence of the Component Composition of the Extract of Satureja hortensis L. on the Pressure of the Process of Supercritical CO2 Extraction

The Dependence of the Component Composition of the Extract of Satureja hortensis L. on the Pressure of the Process of Supercritical CO2 Extraction

Supercritical CO2 extraction of spices: A systematic study with focus on terpenes and piperamides from black pepper (Piper nigrum L.)

Black pepper (P. nigrum L.) is considered one of the most valuable spices and a promising candidate in natural product research. In this study, the influence of different combinations of pressures (100–300 bar) and temperatures (40–60 °C) on the supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) recovery of several key compounds from black pepper was evaluated systematically. The extraction curves showed that terpenes were recovered in a short time under all studied conditions. In contrast, higher pressure values were required to extract piperamides efficiently. Furthermore, the differences in the extraction kinetics of piperine, piperettine, pellitorine, guineensine, and N-isobutyl-2,4,14-eicosatrienamide were linked with several structural features, such as the nature of the amine group or the terminal part of the fatty acid. The data from the isocratic experiments represented the starting point for designing a two-step pressure gradient SC-CO2 process in which one terpene-rich and one piperamide-rich product were successively obtained.

Nanoparticles encapsulating sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum) oil: Physicochemical, antioxidant and enzymatic inhibition properties

The present considers the encapsulation of Sesamum indicum L. seeds oil obtained by means of the supercritical CO2 extraction technique in new polymethyl methacrylate based nanoparticles and investigates the in vitro antioxidant and enzymatic inhibition effects. The activity of the formulation to inhibit carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes (i.e. α-amylase and α-glucosidase), cholinesterase (i.e. acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase) and urease involved in the management of diabetes, Alzheimer and ulcer, respectively, was investigated. Round nanoparticles with a mean size of 259 ± 4 nm, a zeta-potential (ζ) of +78 ± 4 mV, and an efficiency of encapsulation of 99 ± 1% were obtained. A high antidiabetic effect with IC50 around 77.72 and 53.6 μg⋅ mL−1 towards α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively) and moderate antiurease and anti-Alzheimer activities with IC50 equal to 130.74, 62.21 and 77.73 μg mL−1 towards acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and urease, respectively, were observed. This study contributes to the development of an effective approach to enhance sesame seeds oil stability and efficiency, provided drug carriers for hydrophobic oil drugs.

Anticancer and apoptotic activity in neuroblastoma SK-N-SH using phospholipid extract from bone of Scomberomorus niphonius.

Among various types children's health challenges, neuroblastoma is the most serious solid neoplasm forming outside the cranium. Scomberomorus niphonius is a valuable edible fish that has been widely used for a meal. In this study, we obtained phospholipid extract from the bone of S. niphonius with the supercritical CO2 extraction method and tested anticancer activity with a cell viability assay. The phospholipid showed anticancer activity on neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells, and the anticancer activity was presented with an IC50 of 710.25 ± 28.31 μg/ml, but did not show a significant toxicity on HUVEC cell lines. Western blot was used to detect signaling proteins; Bak, caspase-9, caspase-8, caspase-3, Bax, and IκBα were increased, whereas IKKβ and NFκB were downregulated in experimental groups compared to untreated groups. Gene expression was revealed by RT-qPCR, and the fold ratio of Apaf-1, cytochrome-c, caspase-9, caspase-3, and Bax genes' expression was raised in treated groups, implying apoptosis. Gel electrophoresis revealed that the experimental groups had more fragmented DNA than the control group. The study shows that a phospholipid extract from S. niphonius' bone could be used as a biological origin of anticancer activity in neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells.

Anti-lipid-oxidation effects and edible safety evaluation of the oil extracted by a supercritical CO2 process from coix seed fermented by Monascus purpureus

The physicochemical properties and composition of coix seed oil produced by Monascus purpureus fermentation and supercritical CO2 extraction were determined. Anti-lipid-oxidation and edible safety were evaluated using a cholesterol-fish oil model, acute oral toxicity assay, and genetic toxicity assay in vitro and in vivo, respectively. The results show that the extraction oil from fermented coix seed (FCS-O) had good physicochemical quality and abundant active components with physiological function. In particular, γ-tocotrienol, γ-oryzanol, coixenolide and oleic acid concentrations reached 72.83 µg/g, 745.96 µg/g, 9.65mg/g and 316.58 mg/100 g DW, respectively. The FCS-O exhibited higher antioxidant capability in inhibiting lipid oxidation and peroxidation. Compared to the blank control, the concentrations of 7-ketocholestreol and peroxide only were 8.42 µg/mL and 16.16 mmol/kg at 168 h of oxidation (P < 0.01). In addition, the FCS-O has been confirmed to be a very safe edible oil, with no acute toxicity (LD50 > 10 g/kg bw, considered actually non-toxic) and no induced mutagenicity, cytotoxicity or genotoxicity. These results serve as a good safety reference for future application of the oil from fermented coix seed. The development and utilization of this kind of oil will be beneficial as a food, food ingredient, nutritional supplement, or natural food antioxidant to promote good health function.

Supercritical CO2 extraction of hemp flowers: A systematic study to produce terpene-rich and terpene-depleted cannabidiol fractions

Despite their high-added value, terpenes currently have limited exploitation in the hemp industry, often ending up in the sidestream of cannabidiol extraction and/or purification. In this work, the influence of different combinations of pressures (80–300 bar) and temperatures (40–50 °C) on the recovery of three representative terpenes (caryophyllene, humulene , caryophyllene oxide) and, secondarily, cannabidiol, from hemp flowers by supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide (SC-CO 2 ) was investigated systematically. In the preliminary experiments, the influence of the particle size and storage time on the SC-CO 2 process was evaluated, being noticed that a good recovery of the target compounds was obtained with freshly grounded hemp flowers. By comparing the extraction curves obtained for the studied pressure and temperature conditions, it was observed that pressures from 90 to 110 bar and temperatures from 40° to 50°C could allow a fast and efficient extraction of the three hemp terpenes. In contrast, higher pressures (200–300 bar) are needed for a superior recovery of cannabidiol. Based on the isocratic experiments, the gradient temperature (from 40° to 50°C) and pressure (from 100 to 300 bar) conditions were selected for the online fractionation of hemp flowers; thus, the proof-of-concept step-gradient SC-CO 2 experiment generated terpene-rich and terpene-depleted cannabidiol fractions. In conclusion, our study brings essential knowledge on selecting the SC-CO 2 process parameters for efficiently extracting hemp terpenes or performing the simultaneous removal of terpenes and extraction of cannabidiol from hemp flowers using step-gradient SC-CO 2 . • SC-CO 2 recovery of terpenes and cannabidiol was systematically investigated. • Low pressures (90–110 bar) enabled fast and complete extraction of terpenes. • High pressures (200–300 bar) allowed a fast recovery of cannabidiol. • Terpene-depleted cannabidiol-rich fractions can be obtained using step-gradient SC-CO 2 .

Integrated rice bran processing by supercritical CO2 extraction and subcritical water hydrolysis to obtain oil, fermentable sugars, and platform chemicals

Rice bran is rich in oil and constituted by a lignocellulosic structure, which is a potential raw material for its processing into several products. Therefore, the oil yield and composition of oil obtained from supercritical CO2 extraction were investigated to select a condition for using defatted rice bran for processing by subcritical water hydrolysis. The effects of temperature (230 °C and 260 °C) and solvent-to-feed mass ratio (50 and 100 g water/g defatted rice bran) on fermentable sugar yield (YFS) and hydrolysate composition were evaluated and discussed. Supercritical CO2 extraction at 40 °C and 20 MPa provided an oil yield of 17.19 wt% at 120 min. For defatted rice bran, the highest YFS (6.53 g sugars/100 g defatted rice bran) was obtained at 260 °C and 100 g water/g defatted rice bran.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Leaves as a Source of Bioactive Compounds

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is an annual spicy plant generally utilized as a flavouring agent for food. Basil leaves also have pharmaceutical properties due to the presence of polyphenols, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. In this work, carbon dioxide was employed to extract bioactive compounds from basil leaves. Extraction with supercritical CO2 (p = 30 MPa; T = 50 °C) for 2 h using 10% ethanol as a cosolvent was the most efficient method, with a yield similar to that of the control (100% ethanol) and was applied to two basil cultivars: “Italiano Classico” and “Genovese”. Antioxidant activity, phenolic acid content, and volatile organic compounds were determined in the extracts obtained by this method. In both cultivars, the supercritical CO2 extracts showed antiradical activity (ABTS●+ assay), caffeic acid (1.69–1.92 mg/g), linalool (35–27%), and bergamotene (11–14%) contents significantly higher than those of the control. The polyphenol content and antiradical activity measured by the three assays were higher in the “Genovese” cultivar than in the “Italiano Classico” cultivar, while the linalool content was higher (35.08%) in the “Italiano Classico” cultivar. Supercritical CO2 not only allowed us to obtain extracts rich in bioactive compounds in an environmentally friendly way but also reduced ethanol consumption.

"Smart Extraction Chain" with Green Solvents: Extraction of Bioactive Compounds from Picea abies Bark Waste for Pharmaceutical, Nutraceutical and Cosmetic Uses.

Secondary metabolites from the sawmill waste Picea abies bark were extracted using an innovative two-step extraction that includes a first step with supercritical CO2 (SCO2) and a second step using green solvents, namely ethanol, water, and water ethanol mixture. Maceration (M), ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave assisted extraction (MAE) techniques were applied in the second step. A total of nineteen extract were obtained and yield were compared. Bark extracts were characterized by LC-DAD-MSn and classes of compounds were quantified as abietane derivatives, piceasides, flavonoids, and phenolics to compare different extractions. Obtained extracts were studied by in vitro assay to evaluate potential pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic uses assessing the antioxidant activity as well as the inhibitory activity on target enzymes. Results show that the “smart extraction chain” is advantageous in term of yield of extraction and phytoconstituent concentration. SCO2 extract, presenting a unique composition with a large amount of abietane derivatives, exerted the best activity for amylase inhibition compared to the other extracts.

Correlating Local Structure and Electrochemical Performance in Metal-Substituted Vanadium Ferrite Aerogel Electrodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Disordered vanadium ferrite (VFe2Ox) materials exhibit promising performance for electrochemical energy-storage applications such as rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.1,2 We employ an epoxide-promoted sol–gel reaction of iron chloride and vanadium isopropoxide to form nanostructured vanadium ferrite gels. Subsequent supercritical-CO2 extraction of the pore fluid yields high surface–area aerogels. Heat treatment under either O2-containing or inert atmosphere yields disordered or nanocrystalline variants, respectively. Electroinactive metal cations such as aluminum, zinc, and zirconium are substituted during the initial sol–gel synthesis to alter the local electronic environment of VFe2Ox. The resulting series of native and substituted VFe2Ox materials are evaluated as powder-composite cathodes versus lithium metal in coin cells with conventional nonaqueous lithium-ion electrolyte. We correlate such critical battery-performance parameters as total specific capacity, high-rate capability, and cycle life as a function of MVFe2Ox composition and its degree of structural order/disorder. In-lab X-ray absorption spectroscopy also provides important information on metal oxidation state and element-specific coordination for these VFe2Ox aerogels, including during operando electrochemical lithiation/delithiation. In parallel with experimental advancements, calculations on VFe2Ox reveal that V incorporation into the defect-induced spinel structure occurs at tetrahedral sites. Further, both disorder of vacancies and Fe/V tetrahedral occupation lower the overall energy, opening an electronic energy gap that establishes the redox sequence during lithiation. N. Chervin, J. S. Ko, B. W. Miller, L. Dudek, A. N. Mansour, M. D. Donakowski, T. Brintlinger, P. Gogotsi, S. Chattopadhyay, T. Shibata, J. F. Parker, B. P. Hahn, D. R. Rolison, and J. W. Long, J. Mater. Chem. A 3, 12059 (2015). C. N. Chervin, R.H. DeBlock, J. F. Parker, B. M. Hudak, N. L. Skeele, J. S. Ko, D. R. Rolison, and J. W. Long, RSC Adv. 11, 14495 (2021).

Towards a modern approach to traditional use of Helichrysum italicum in dermatological conditions: In vivo testing supercritical extract on artificially irritated skin

Ethnopharmacological relevanceHelichrysum italicum has been widely used in traditional medicine to treat allergies, colds, cough, skin, liver and gallbladder disorders, inflammation, infections, and sleeplessness. Furthermore, it possesses considerable wound healing and skin protective properties, documented by several in vivo studies performed on animals. However, there is a lack of experimental evidence supporting its potential as a topical agent tested by human clinical trials. Aim of the studyThe study aimed to investigate the skin protective activity of cotton gauze and polypropylene non-woven fabric, impregnated with H. italicum extract by the integrated supercritical CO2 extraction-supercritical solvent impregnation process. Materials and methodsThe integrated process of supercritical CO2 extraction of H. italicum and the impregnation of cotton gauze and polypropylene non-woven fabric was performed under 350 bar and 40 °C with and without the addition of ethanol as a cosolvent. Impregnated textile materials were tested in vivo for their bioactivity on irritated human skin. Randomized in vivo studies performed involved assays of both safety and efficacy of the impregnated textiles. The effects were evaluated using the in vivo non-invasive biophysical measurements of the following skin parameters: electrical capacitance, transepidermal water loss, melanin index, erythema index, and skin pH. ResultsBoth cotton gauze and polypropylene non-woven fabric were impregnated with H. italicum extracts under supercritical conditions with considerable values of the impregnation yield (1.97%–4.25%). The addition of ethanol as a cosolvent during the process caused significant changes in the incorporated extracts’ impregnation yield and chemical profile. Both impregnated textile materials were safe, evaluated by their testing on the human skin with no cause of any irritation and redness. However, efficacy studies revealed that polypropylene non-woven fabric impregnated with H. italicum extract with ethanol as a cosolvent, possessed significantly greater potential for skin protection than the other investigated samples. ConclusionsThe present study demonstrated the feasibility of the combined supercritical extraction and impregnation process in developing materials for topical application based on H. italicum extract. The results of in vivo studies performed on human volunteers confirmed the suitability of H. italicum active components to be a part of human skin protective preparations because of their ability to maintain the skin unimpaired. Traditionally claimed applications as a medicinal plant capable of regenerating skin have been scientifically proven, in addition to employing green technology in obtaining the impregnated materials with a broad spectrum of utilization.

Extraction and Characterization of Fatty Acids from the Leaves and Stems of Clinacanthus nutans Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Soxhlet Method

Background: The composition and bioactivity of natural plant extract strongly depend on the extraction technique employed. Clinacanthus nutans Lindau (C. nutans) is a well-known medicinal plant in South-East Asia that has been traditionally used for the treatment of various diseases. Several conventional methods have been using for the extraction of bioactive compounds from C. nutans. However, extraction of fatty acids using supercritical carbon dioxide was not reported yet from this medicinal herbs. Objective: The main objective of the study is to examine the potential of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extraction of fatty acids from leaves and stems of C. nutans. Method: Fatty acid compositions were determined from leaves and stems of C. nutans oil extracted by scCO2 (temperature 45-65 °C, pressure 25-35 MPa) and compared to the results of Soxhlet extraction. Results: Supercritical CO2 extraction shows the highest oil recovery in both leaves (3.7%) and stems (1.6%) at pressure 35 MPa, temperature 65°C and 2 ml/min flow rate, which was closer to the yield of Soxhlet. The scCO2 yields presented a higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially linoleic acid (C18:2n-6). Palmitic acid ranging from 42%- 47% in leaves and stems of C. nutans was found dominant saturated fatty acids (SFA) in both scCO2 and Soxhlet method. Conclusion: The current results indicate that leaves and stems of C. nutans could be a potential source of fatty acids, especially biologically active compounds.