A Microwave-Assisted Simultaneous Distillation and Extraction Method for the Separation of Polysaccharides and Essential Oil from the Leaves of Taxus chinensis Var. mairei

Abstract

An efficient microwave-assisted simultaneous distillation and extraction (MA-SDE) method has been developed for the separation of polysaccharides and essential oil from Taxus chinensis var. mairei. The key operating parameters for MA-SDE were optimized by single factor and central composite design experiments, and the optimal conditions were found to include a particle size of 60-80 mesh, liquid/solid ratio of 22.5 mL/g, extraction time of 17.5 min, microwave power of 547 W, and dichloromethane was used as the extraction solvent of the essential oil. The yields obtained for polysaccharides and essential oil under the optimized conditions were 6.39%˘0.12% and 0.27%˘0.03%, respectively. The MA-SDE method was also compared with conventional heat reflux extraction (HRE) and hydrodistillation extraction (HDE). The MA-SDE method not only allowed for the simultaneous extraction of polysaccharides and essential oil, but also completed the task with a much shorter extraction time of 17.5 min (HRE and HDE required 3 and 6 h, respectively). Furthermore, the MA-SDE method gave increased extraction yields for polysaccharides (1.14-fold higher than HRE) and essential oil (1.23-fold higher than HDE). Based on these results, this MA-SDE method represents a rapid and efficient technique for the simultaneous extraction of polysaccharides and essential oil.

Process Optimization of Microwave Assisted Simultaneous Distillation and Extraction from Siam cardamom using Response Surface Methodology

“…The main compounds found in the essential oil obtained by MA-SDE and SDE were 1,8-cineole, iso-carveol, cis-p-mentha-1(7),8-dien-2-ol and trans-p-2,8-menthadien-1-ol. This result, which indicates that essential oil could be extracted using MA-SDE without causing chemical profile changes in essential oil components, is consistent with previous reports [18,19]. 1,8-Cineole, which was the major constituent in the essential oil reported in this study similarly was also the most abundant when compared to the report on the essential oils of cardamom fruits and seeds collected from other regions, as shown in Table 3.…”

Comparative Studies on Different Extraction Methods of Centella asiatica and Extracts Bioactive Compounds Effects on Antimicrobial Activities

“…Distillation is the separation of components at a particular boiling point and condensation. There are two types of distillation used in extraction: steam distillation that is performed by passing dry steam through the plant material, and water distillation in which elevated pressure is used with plants whose essential oil is difficult to extract at a higher temperature [ 61 ].…”

Investigation of bioactivities of Taxus chinensis, Taxus cuspidata, and Taxus × media by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

“…Of the various Taxus species, three are mainly used in northeastern China, namely, Taxus chinensis ( T. chinensis , N), Taxus cuspidata ( T. cuspidata , D), and Taxus × media ( T. media , M). T. chinensis is an evergreen conifer native to China, where it is also referred to as “Beauteous Taxus” [ 6 ]. It grows across southeastern China, including Jiangxi, Fujian, Hunan, and Taiwan [ 5 ].…”