Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of carvone and limonene from caraway seed

The process conditions during the extraction of carvone and limonene from caraway seed (Cal lan carvi L.) with supercritical-CO2 (SC-CO2) have been optimized with respect to pressure, temperature, CO2-flow and extraction time in order to selectively obtain the essential oil. Using Soxhlet extraction, limonene, carvone and fatty oils in both the raw material and the residual matrix material were extracted. From GC analysis of both extracts and the isolated compounds using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) yields for limonene, carvone and total oil (C16, C18) were determined. The highest yield of carvone and limonene was obtained at an extraction pressure 125 bar and a temperature 32 degrees C. CO2 flow rate and extraction time both effected the yield of carvone and limonene under these conditions. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.