Comparative study of the performance of Supercritical Fluid Extraction, Microwave assisted Hydro-distillation and Hydro-distillation of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon Citratus): A Review
Abstract
This review study deals with the collocation of the performance of three different separation techniques for the extraction of essential oil of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon Citratus) accordant with yield produced, time utilized for extraction, and overall cost of production. The system of Supercritical CO2 extraction (SFC), Microwave-assisted Hydro-distillation (MAHD), and conventional hydro-distillation (HD) method were juxtaposed from the yield and time point of view. SFE is a modern extraction technology that uses a Supercritical phase of CO2for the isolation of essential oil from lemongrass (Cymbopogon Citratus) and is a green process because of the use of natural and climate-friendly solventCO2. MAHD is a microwave-powered extraction procedure that provides efficient and effective heating to the plant material and uses deionized water as a solvent. A lab-scale apparatus of conventional hydro-distillation was used. SFE and MAHD were found to be superior green technology when compared with HD producing high quality of oil, in a short period with negligible environmental degradation.