Analysis of Plant Essential Oils by Supercritical CO2 Extraction with Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry: An Instrumental Analysis Comprehensive Experiment Teaching Reform
The analysis of plant essential oil components using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) serves as an integral component of modern chemical experiment and technology (instrumental analysis part) for undergraduates in our college. The conventional approach of steam distillation for extracting plant essential oil suffers from limitations such as low extraction rate, solvent residue and extended processing time. Supercritical CO2 extraction, an advanced green extraction technology, offers considerable advantages for the isolation of bioactive constituents from natural plants and animals. In this experiment, citrus essential oil was extracted using supercritical CO2 extraction and compared with traditional steam distillation method. A total of 106 essential oil components were isolated using supercritical CO2 extraction, with the following distribution in terms of relative content: terpenes, aldehydes, acids, esters, ketones and alcohols, among which terpenes accounted for 89.55%. The incorporation of supercritical CO2 extraction technology into the laboratory syllabus not only enriches students' understanding of advanced sample preparation methods but also enhances their practical skills, research acumen, and innovative thinking. Furthermore, this technology streamlines experiment timeline, reduces the use of hazardous reagents, and promotes green experiment teaching.
Plant essential oilSupercritical CO2 extractionGas chromatography-mass spectrometryComprehensive experiment