Solvent selection
Polar solvents (water, ethanol) extract flavonoids and glycosides. Non-polar solvents (hexane) extract oils and waxes. Sequential extraction uses increasing polarity.
Techniques
- Maceration — soak plant material at room temperature.
- Soxhlet — continuous solvent circulation.
- Supercritical CO₂ — tunable pressure for clean oil extracts.
- Ultrasound-assisted — disrupts cells to improve yield.
Safety
Work in ventilated hood with flammable solvents; document extraction yield per dry weight for reproducibility.