I did invitro study of various herbal extracts. Result of invitro study showed maximum effect to benzene extract and hence I want to confirm the result by using invivo study. But literature revealed that benzene as a solvent is carcinogenic in nature. So I am scared to continue invivo study for benzene extract although I have evaporated all benzene from my extract. Please guide me, whether shall I continue with vivo study of benzene.
As long as you can determine the concentration of the residual benzene to be below safe exposure limits, you should be able to perform in vivo experiments. If you are unable to determine the concentration, you should not risk exposure. You should be able to use heat or vacuum to reduce the amount of benzene. As an alternative, you could try super critical CO2 as a solvent.
You may be able to reduce benzene by re-extracting the herbal extracts from benzene fraction with ethanol extraction. Ethanol extraction will reduce benzene concentrations.
You may also do an Ames Test for the benzene fraction to guess the potential carcinogenicity of your prep.
Try to use toluene. The solubilty properties are very similar to benzene and it is much less toxic.
Good luck
Dear all,
Thank you very much for your suggestions. But since I have already evaporated all benzene from my extract and the sample is almost dry, still I cannot go for animal study due to the risk of carcinogenicity.
Alternative suggestions of liquid CO2 extraction (the method used for extraction of cannabinoid prescription herbal medicine Sativex) and Toluene extraction appear appropriate. If you have your benzene extract available, if I were you I would wash the sample in Toluene, evaporate the solvent then remove it under vacuum. Theoretically, these steps should absolutely minimise any trace benzene to barely detectable levels.
Thanks Dr. Alexander Kendall for your valuable suggestion.
I will surely try the same, It seems more appropriate.
A good and interesting question and discussion, from which it can be useful to find out, for everyday work, for the safe extraction of benzene!
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