Abstract
Experimental investigation of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of active ingredients from rosemary herb has been performed. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) was used as a solvent with ethanol as a trapping agent. This work showed that the SFE can be an exceptional alternative to the use of chemical solvents.
The effect of temperature and pressure on the extraction process was investigated to increase the yield of the extracted essential components.
The types of extracted compounds from rosemary were specified and analyzed using GC-MS.
The results indicated that several essential active ingredient compounds were extracted. Furthermore, the pressure affects the extraction, as the composition of some compounds increases with a pressure increase.
SFE can be used to extract valuable active ingredients from rosemary. Two process parameters were investigated, namely, pressure and temperature, which indicate that SFE is a selective process for the production of certain constituents.
Some of the main components of the essential oil of Jordanian rosemary obtained in this study have important applications in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. For instance, α-pinene is one of the main raw compounds used in the perfume industry.