Chemical Composition and Extraction Yield of the Extract of <i>Origanum vulgare</i> Obtained from Sub- and Supercritical CO₂

Abstract

In this work sub- and supercritical CO(2) were used to obtain extracts from two origanum samples, one commercial, and another cultivated under agronomic control. The experiments were performed in the temperature range of 293-313 K and from 100 to 200 bar in pressure, employing around 26 g of origanum samples. Results show that the commercial sample provides a higher yield of extract if compared to the other sample. It is also achieved that a raise in temperature at constant pressure leads to an increase in the extraction yield despite solvent density changes. Chemical analyses were carried out in a GC-MSD, allowing the identification of around 24 compounds by use of the library of spectra of the equipment and injection of some standard compounds for both commercial and cultivated origanum samples. It was also found that the distribution of chemical components as a function of extraction time differs appreciably between the origanum species. The chromatographic analysis permitted the identification of thymol and cis-sabinene hydrate as the most prominent compounds present in commercial oregano sample and carvacrol and cis-sabinene hydrate in the cultivated Origanum vulgare.