Comparison of the Sub-Critical Fluid Extraction of the Essential Oil of Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) with That of Hydrodistillation

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is a spice plant grown in the tropics that contains both an essential oil and an oleoresin. The essential oil is important as a flavouring and has pharmaceutical properties, while the oleoresin is bright yellow in colour and has medicinal properties. The essential oil has traditionally been extracted by hydrodistillation/steam distillation with the total extract being extracted by solvent extraction and more recently by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). The objective of the work described in this paper was to investigate the possibility of extracting the essential oil using sub-critical fluid extraction and to compare it with hydrodistillation. The experiments using hydrodistillation showed that unpeeled fresh turmeric was the preferred raw material, giving an oil yield of approximate to 6% dry weight basis, which is similar to that reported in the literature. The experimental programme on the extraction of the oil from dried unpeeled turmeric was carried out over a temperature range from 25 to 30 degrees C and pressures from 65 to 71 bar. Yields were generally higher than hydrodistillation (up to approximate to 9% dry weight basis) as were the compositions of the extracted oils. The preferred operating conditions were determined to be 25 degrees C temperature and 65 bar pressure. Curcumin, the major component of the oleoresin, was not found in the oil, thereby demonstrating that the sub-critical extract is a pure essential oil. It is suggested that consideration be given to evaluating an SFE process whereby the essential oil is initially fully extracted under sub-critical fluid extraction conditions, after which the oleoresin is extracted separately by raising the pressure to approximate to 250 bar.