CHARACTERIZATION OF THE ROSEMARY EXTRACT (ROSMARINUS OFFICINAL1S L.) OBTAINED WITH SUPERCRITICAL CO_2, STARTING WITH THE THEORETICALLY STAGED DETERMINATION OF THE EXTRACTION

摘要

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), as a good source of antioxidants compounds, was the raw material to obtain extracts using CO_2 in supercritical state as solvent. Two factors were varied to determine their influence in the extract yield: the extraction temperature and the solvent (CO_2) flow rate. A randomized 2~2 factorial experimental design was employed. The levels for each factor were 40 and 60℃ and 8.3 and 15 mL/min for temperature and flow rate, respectively. The extraction pressure was fixed at 4,500 psi (3.10 Mpa), given that literature reports that the antioxidant compounds of rosemary are obtained between 4000 and 5000 psi. The theoretical stages for extraction were calculated and determined that 3, 4 and even 5 stages were needed; the number of stages being inversely proportional to the CO_2 flow rate. The rosemary extracts composition was determined by GC/MS. Of more than 100 compounds separated, 94 were identified and 58 quantified. The concentration of the three main compounds were used to calculate the statistical influence of the mentioned factors and the theoretical stages needed for extraction.