Extraction of liposoluble substances from Danshen with subcritical water

A study was carried out for extraction of Tanshinone II A from Danshen with subcritical water to establish the method of extraction of liposoluble substances from the Chinese traditional 'medicine' with subcritical water. The influence of various parameters on the extraction efficiency, including the pressure, temperature and extraction time, as well as the particle size of the plant material was investigated. Compared with conventional organic solvent extraction, the subcritical water catraction shows lower handling time and solvent consumption with no waste produced at the same extraction efficiency. However, this technique is unsuitable for heat - sensitive compounds. The optimal condition of extraction for Tanshinone II A from Danshen with subcritical water is: 0.15 similar to 0.18 min particle size, 5 MPa, 180degreesC extraction for about 10 min. Furthermore, the online detection for extraction is achieved. This technique seems very promising for the extraction of heat-stable liposoluble substance from traditional medicine.