Herbal Extraction Process

Herbal extraction process is to extract the active ingredients from herbal and make them reach a certain purity and efficacy, so as to facilitate the preparation of medicines or other uses. The key to the extraction process of herb is the selection of appropriate extraction methods and extraction solvents, as well as the optimization and improvement of the extraction process. Some common methods and techniques for plant extraction processes will be introduced below.

1. Extraction method

The extraction method is one of the most common methods for extracting herbal, and is suitable for situations where the soluble components of plant materials are relatively high. The process generally includes steps such as cleaning, chopping, soaking, percolation and concentration of medicinal materials. Among them, the soaking time and the selection of solvent are key, which are generally determined according to the characteristics of the medicinal materials and the ingredients that need to be extracted.

2. Steam distillation method

Put the plant into a steam distiller. Under the action of steam, the volatile oil and other components in the plant are distilled out and then collected through a condensation device.

3. Ultrasonic extraction method

Ultrasonic extraction method is a method that uses the physical effect of ultrasonic waves to accelerate the extraction of herb. The rapid oscillation of ultrasound and the explosion of tiny bubbles can destroy the cell structure, making it easier for drug ingredients to be released and dissolved. This method has the advantages of good extraction effect and short extraction time, but the equipment cost is high.

4.Supercritical fluid extraction method

Supercritical fluid extraction is a method that utilizes the characteristics of supercritical fluid for extraction. Supercritical fluid has low viscosity, high diffusivity and good dissolving ability. It can improve the extraction speed and extraction effect. However, supercritical fluid equipment is more complex and difficult to operate.

Below we will mainly talk about the extraction method. The process includes material preparation, crushing, extraction, filtration, concentration, drying, etc. The specific process is as follows:

1. Material preparation: Select high-quality herbal materials, remove impurities, clean them, and dry them for later use.

2. Grinding: Grinding herbal materials into powder, usually mechanically or manually.

3. Extraction: Add an appropriate amount of solvent to the powder, such as water, alcohol, ethanol, acetone, etc., and soak it in a certain proportion for a certain period of time to dissolve the active ingredients in the medicinal materials in the solvent.

4. Filtration: Filter out the drug residue and impurities to obtain a clear extract.

5. Concentration: The extract is heated or vacuum concentrated to evaporate the solvent and concentrate the extract.

6. Drying: Dry the concentrated extract at low temperature to make dry herb extract.

The above is the basic process of extracting traditional herbal materials. Different medicinal materials and extracted ingredients require different extraction methods and processes. Reasonable optimization of the extraction process can improve the extraction rate and purity of active ingredients of medicinal materials, thereby ensuring the efficacy and quality of medicinal materials.