OPTIMIZATION OF THE ANALYTICAL SUPERCRITICAL FLUID EXTRACTION OF CLOVES VIA AN ON-COLUMN INTERFACE TO AN ION TRAP GC/MS SYSTEM

Various densities of supercritical carbon dioxide were evaluated in terms of their ability to selectively extract the components of ground clove buds (Syzygium aromaticum). The extracts were recovered by using either a direct on-column interface or solvent recovery, and an ion trap GC/MS system was used for solute separation and identification. The on-column interface was more efficient than the solvent recovery method under all evaluated conditions. Extraction time was also found to have a significant effect on extract composition for both recovery methods. The on-column interface system provided optimal component selectivity with minimum analysis and method development times and greater potential resolution. These capabilities are particularly valuable for trace and volatile constituent analyses of complex natural products.