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Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Artemisinin: An Eco-Friendly Approach

Supercritical CO2 extraction of artemisinin technology

Artemisinin is an essential drug for malaria treatment, and the supercritical CO2 extraction technique is a green and environmentally friendly extraction process. In this article, we will introduce the process of extracting artemisinin using supercritical CO2 extraction technology.

Top 4 steps of process of extracting artemisinin using supercritical CO2

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The process of extracting artemisinin using supercritical CO2 includes the following steps:

  1. Pre-treatment of alumina: Alumina powder is used to adsorb impurities and moisture. This is the first step in the extraction process, which can guarantee the purity of supercritical CO2.
  2. Pre-treatment of artemisia: Ethanol is added as a solvent to the crushed stem and leaves of artemisia, and it is repeatedly soaked to remove the main impurities and pigments.
  3. Extraction process: In the extraction process, supercritical CO2 is used as the extraction solvent. Artemisia stem and leaf samples and powder alumina are added to the extractor, the temperature is raised to 70°C and 45 MPa,kept for a fixed time and then the extract is collected.
  4. Condensation and recovery: The extract is in contact with water vapor used to generate supercritical CO2 in the reactor, dissolving the supercritical CO2. The dissolved artemisinin and supercritical CO2 are then collected and waiting for the temperature to drop to room temperature.

By using supercritical CO2 to extract artemisinin, this method can reduce the hazardous waste and emissions produced by the use of harmful chemicals and solvents in the extraction process. At the same time, the purity and yield of the extracted artemisinin are higher than those of the traditional method.

The table below shows the yield and purity of artemisinin obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction and traditional methods.

TechniqueArtemisinin YieldArtemisinin Purity
Traditional Method0.47%34.5%
Supercritical CO2 Extraction1.23%97.8%

Final Words

In conclusion, supercritical CO2 extraction of artemisinin is an efficient and environmentally friendly extraction process that can obtain higher yields and purity than traditional methods. This technology will become an essential part of modern drug research and production.