Supercritical CO2 Extraction Method for Black Pepper Oil

Black pepper oil extraction method

The extraction of black pepper oleoresin is mostly based on solvent extraction, supplemented by ultrasonic and microwave.

Solvent extraction

Although the solvent extraction method has a large processing capacity, it has disadvantages such as large solvent consumption, long extraction time, damage to active ingredients and residual organic solvents.

Supercritical CO2 extraction

Supercritical CO2 extraction is usually carried out at low temperature, which can effectively prevent the oxidation and dissipation of heat-sensitive components; CO2 is a gas under normal conditions and is non-toxic. The extracted components are easily removed after separation, and there is no solvent residue at all, which effectively solves the traditional extraction.

Best black pepper oil CO2 extraction process

• Extraction temperature: 42°C.
• Extraction pressure: 340bar.
• Extraction time: 120 minutes.
• Granularity: 30-50 mesh.

Determination of the Best CO2 Extraction Method for Black Pepper Oil

CO2 Extraction temperature

The yield of black pepper essential oil first increases with the increase in temperature, reaching the maximum at 42°C, and the temperature continues to rise, but the yield of essential oil decreases. Considering comprehensively, the optimal temperature is selected as 42°C.

CO2 Extraction pressure

As the pressure increases, the yield of black pepper essential oil also increases. When the extraction pressure is 34 MPa, the yield reaches the maximum value of 6.46%. The extraction pressure continues to increase, but the yield decreases, so supercritical The best choice for CO2 extraction of black pepper essential oil is 34 MPa.

CO2 Extraction time

With the extension of the extraction time, the yield of black pepper essential oil gradually increased, but after the extraction time was 120 minutes, if the extraction time continued to be extended, the extraction yield increased little. Therefore, the optimal extraction time is 120 minutes.

Granularity

The particle size decreases, the specific surface area increases, the contact area between the particles and the fluid increases, and the mass transfer path of the solute from the particle interior to the fluid becomes shorter. Therefore, the particle size decreases and the extraction rate increases.

However, too fine particle size may aggravate the back-mixing phenomenon of the bed and adversely affect the extraction. Therefore, there is an optimal particle size range.

The particle size range of 30-50 mesh is recommended.

Analysis of CO2 Extracted Black Pepper Oil

A total of 48 aroma substances were identified in the black pepper oleoresin extracted by supercritical CO2.

Among them, in the black pepper oleoresin obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction, a total of 22 aroma components were identified. The main compounds are 0-alcoene (4.81%), 3-elemene (11.00%), and plant elemene (1.48%), ielemene (57.70%), cis-farnesene (3.26%), g-bisabolene (2.20%), nucleolenol (1.61%), piperine⑴.09% ).

Oleoresin is a resinous product that is viscous, slightly darker in color, and contains essential oils extracted from crushed spices by appropriate methods. Almost all aroma and taste components in spices can be extracted. In addition to essential oils, there are also Containing non-volatile spicy ingredients, fats, pigments and other substances that can be dissolved in solvents, these substances can represent the effective ingredients in spices, and their aroma and taste are more balanced, complete and fuller than essential oils.

In addition to aroma substances, black pepper oleoresin also contains pyrrolidine amide alkaloids-piperine.

Black pepper oil CO2 extraction equipment Technical

1. Biomass drying

Biomass (flowers, leaves, seeds, rhizomes, etc.) is much easier to buck when it includes less than 10% moisture.
Dry biomass to moisture content below 10%.
As an alternative to machinery, many farmers let their crops dry in the field. This works well as long as the harvest time is cool and dry.

2. Grinding

Once the biomass has been dried, it is granulated. In general, smaller particles (30-80 mesh) are desirable and tighter particle diameter distributions are better for extraction throughput.
Important: Before grinding (pulverizing) large chunks of biomass, it needs to be divided into flakes and sent to a pulverizer for grinding. This avoids the high temperature generated by the high-speed pulverization of biomass in the pulverizer, which destroys the characteristics of the extract and loses part of the essential oil.

3. Fill Biomass

Load Extraction Vessel with biomass.

4. Pressurize with CO2

Bring each vessel to working pressure using CO2 from supply cylinders.

5. Run in Closed Loop

In Extraction Vessel, compounds are pulled from biomass into solution.
Solvent (CO2) is boiled out of solution in Separator 1.
Evaporated CO2 is condensed into liquid and stored in Accumulator.

6. Periodically

Open valve on the separator to collect extract.

7. Depressurize

After allotted run time, system is depressurized by releasing CO2 through Separator 3.

Black pepper oil

Botanical Name

Piper nigrum L.

Plant Part

Black Peppercorns

Advantage of CO2 black pepper oil

Supercritical Fluid Extraction Process (SCFE) also called Co2 Extraction process.

Black pepper seeds, black pepperInline with oleoresin of black pepper.

The black pepper essential oil produced by the supercritical extraction process is one of the highest quality black pepper essential oils. This oil is free from solvent, pesticide residues and heavy metal traces and therefore is ideal for high quality pharmaceutical, cosmetic, cosmoceutical, nutraceutical formulations and food products.

Black pepper Eessential oil is extracted from berries of black pepper and light greenish in appearance.

Active compounds

• Black peppercorns contain compounds called alkaloids and one of most important is piperine.
• It acts as a central nervous system depressant and suppresses fever and pain.
• It is known to be anti-inflammatory and insecticidal.
• It is known to cause skin pigmentation and is used in vitiligo.

Background of CO2 extracted black pepper oil

Pepper is one of the oldest and the world’s most important spice.
It is the dried fruit of Piper nigrum L.

Native of Madagascar and Malabar Coast of South Western India, pepper is also known as the King of Spices. The berries start turning from red to black as they mature, black pepper is dried, developed unripe fruit.