Greetings
I'm doing an increasing polarity successive extraction on tree leaves with n-hexane, methanol, and hot water successively. The n-hexane extract gave dark green coloration, while the methanol extract gave dark green-brownish color. However, the last phase of extraction with hot water gave clear water with foam on the top, so I suspect that there is no extract left in the leave. Is this normal to happen?
Thank you in advance for your answers
Tannins and other Low polar maximum compounds extracted in n hexane and high polar compounds extracted in methanol remaining very less highly polar and water soluble content only extracted in hot water
This is normal because the hexane extract extracted the pigments (which can sometimes be chlorophyll a) and other nonpolar compound and the methenol extract extracted almost all of the polar compounds with the rest of the pigments vegetable (chlorophyll b, c and xanthophylls) containing in the material on the other hand the extract with water has extracted only the strongly polar compounds remaining in the residue, the foam of these compounds allows us to say that it was saponins.The question I'm going to ask you is why you are extracting with hot water instead of cold water and what type of extraction technique have you adopted?
Dear All
Thank you for your answers, it is very helpful. I understand that it might contain colorless compounds so I will continue to work on it. I usually work on wood and we usually do the n-hexane - methanol - hot water successive extraction procedure. I use soxhlet extraction for n-hexane - methanol and reflux for the hot water extraction.
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