CO₂ Supercritical Extraction of Essential Oil of Jordanian Rosemary

Background: Experimental investigation of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of active ingredients from rosemary herb has been performed. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) was used as a solvent with ethanol as a trapping agent. This work showed that the SFE can be an exceptional alternative to the use of chemical solvents. Objective: The effect of temperature and pressure on the extraction process was investigated to increase the yield of the extracted essential components. Methods: The types of extracted compounds from rosemary were specified and analyzed using GC-MS. Results: The results indicated that several essential active ingredient compounds were extracted. Furthermore, the pressure affects the extraction, as the composition of some compounds increases with a pressure increase. Conclusions: SFE can be used to extract valuable active ingredients from rosemary. Two process parameters were investigated, namely, pressure and temperature, which indicate that SFE is a selective process for the production of certain constituents. Highlights: Some of the main components of the essential oil of Jordanian rosemary obtained in this study have important applications in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. For instance, α-pinene is one of the main raw compounds used in the perfume industry.