Hii
we are planning to prepare an extract from the medicinal plant. Due to the medicinal properties of our plant, we thought to the first extract with methanol then n-Hexan. but I read that for successive extraction first use of non-polar solvents than polar solvent.
Kindly suggest a polar and nonpolar solvent system for successive extraction from medicinal plant.
It depends on the active ingredient that you seek....In this way is better to do a preliminar screening to find it...so...You can design the extraction route..
Mass transfer during extraction is the transfer of soluble constituents from the matrix of the plant material to the solvent of extraction. This is highly dependent on a number of factors. Of Paramount is the polarity of the solvent used. The polar the solvent, the higher the extraction strength. So starting with a very polar solvent say methanol during successive extraction will extract both the polar and nonpolar constituent together. Therefore, for general successive extraction, you start with a nonpolar solvent such as n-hexane or pet ether, then DCM or chloroform, then ethyl acetate, then methanol or ethanol and finally water if necessary. But note that at each stage, you have to repeat it up to three times to reduce overlapping of constituents. With this the constituent will be extracted in order of polarity ranging from non polar to polar constituents.
@ Paul Sunday Thomas your response is succinct and in order. Thank you.
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