The goal of this study is to present the basic concepts of micro-scale mathematical model (MSMM) for describing the process of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of essential oils. The general equation of MSMM, which can be applied and valid for all the plant species, will be presented along with specific equations for the plant family, i.e. secretory structure. Four basic types of secretory structures have been identified so far and, accordingly, four different mechanisms, i.e. sets of equations, were used to describe the whole SFE process. Numerical solution of MSMM with specific constraints and initial conditions defines the concentration profiles along both the extraction vessel and secretory structure, consequently providing better understanding of the phenomenology of the SFE process. It is shown that the SFE is highly dependable on the secretory structure, i.e. its shape and location within the plant material.
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