We have done methanol extraction of a plant sample using a soxhlet apparatus. In order to get rid of the contents of methanol from the extract what procedure has to do? Simply evaporating the methanol after extraction will be helpful? Or is there some other procedures.
Soxhlet apparatus means, you have pretty large volumes now? Maybe you can use a rotary evaporator for concentration? This is probably the best you can do. Alternatively, you may get rid of the metahnol in a normal destillation apparatus. This does, however, not really match with the relatively mild Soxhlet extraction procedure.
You can use the Rotary Evaporator under vacuum to get rid the residue of methanol. Rotovap Conditions; Temperature (30 °C), Vacuum (26 mm Hg) and Time (depend on the methanol quantity).
Using rotavapour at 30-40 degrees depending on the thermostability of the desired plant secondary metabolites.
Dear colleague,
- thanks a lot for this question. We can use several methods such as : liquid-liquid extraction and distillation. About liquid-liquid extraction, we must find a good solvent in which the methanol can dissolved easily. About distillation, the difference of boils points between water and methanol can make the separation easily, however the presence of azeotrope can makes a limit of reached concentration.
- we can also one of the set of membranes techniques to avoid the azeotrope barrier.
- about the use vacuum distillation is a good idea for several earsons.
- with my best wishes!
- Adel
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