Extraction
equipment
Dr. Fatma Abdallah
Extraction in the pharmaceutical
industry
• Extraction is the selective isolating and
separating bioactive compounds.
• usually from natural sources, in order to
obtain pure and concentrated substances
with therapeutic properties.
• Extraction plays an important role in the
production of medicines.
Extraction in the pharmaceutical
industry
The goal of pharmaceutical extraction is
1. to obtain high-quality active pharmaceutical
ingredients (APIs) that can be further processed
into medications.
2. ensuring efficacy, purity, and safety in
pharmaceutical formulations.
Extraction in the pharmaceutical
industry
• This process involves the use of specific solvents,
mechanical forces, techniques, and extraction
systems to selectively dissolve and remove target
compounds from raw materials, such as plants or
animal tissues.
• The choice of extraction method and equipment is
critical in achieving optimal yield, purity, and
selectivity of the desired bioactive compounds.
Applications of Extraction
1. It is used in the separation of antibiotics.
2. It is used to obtain therapeutically active
constituents from plant parts.
3. It is used to isolate enzymes (renin) and
hormones (insulin) from animal sources.
4. Gelatin extraxtion.
5. It is used in extraction of fixed oils from seeds.
Types of Extraction
Types of Extraction
Liquid-Liquid
Extraction
Solid Phase
Extraction
Solid-Liquid
Extraction
Types of Extraction
1. Liquid-Liquid Extraction
(Solvent extraction)
• In this extraction the
components of the liquid
mixture are separated by
contacting them with a
suitable insoluble solvent
which preferentially dissolves
one or more components.
• This type of extraction is most
widely used to separate
actives and aromatic
compounds from plants.
Types of Extraction
2. Solid Phase Extraction
• It involves contacting of aqueous samples
with a solid phase (sorbent), where the
component under consideration is
adsorbed on the surface of the solid phase
prior to elution.
• The extract amount is negligible
compared to quantity of analyte in the
sample.
• This type of extraction is widely used in
analytical laboratories
Types of Extraction
3. Solid-Liquid Extraction (Leaching)
• Solid-liquid extraction means the removal of
constituents from a mixture of solids by bringing
the solid material into contact with a liquid
solvent that dissolves these particular constituents.
• Leaching may either be used for production of
concentrated solution of a active principle.
Methods of Extraction
Soxhlet Extraction
(Hot Continuous Extraction)
• Finely ground crude drug sample is placed in
a porous bag or thimble made from a strong filter
paper or cellulose.
• Extraction solvent is heated in the round
bottom flask, vaporizes into the sample thimble,
and condenses in the condenser and drip back.
• When the liquid content reaches siphon arm, it
is emptied into the bottom flask again and the
process is continued
Soxhlet Extractor advantages
1. Good process adaptability
2. High recovery rate
3. Save solvent.
4. Lower energy consumption.
5. The quality of active ingredients
components of the extract was improved.
6. High degree of automation.
Microwave Assisted Extractor
• utilizes microwave energy to facilitate
partition of analytes from the sample matrix
into the solvent.
• Microwave radiation interacts with dipoles of
polar materials (solvent and sample) that
causes heating near the surface of the
materials and heat is transferred by
conduction.
Microwave Assisted Extractor
• Rotation of the molecules induced by
microwave electromagnetic disrupts
hydrogen bonding; enhancing the
migration of dissolved ions and promotes
solvent penetration into the matrix.
• In non-polar solvents, poor heating
occurs as the energy is transferred by
dielectric absorption only.
• Can be considered as selective
methods that favor polar molecules
and solvents with high dielectric constant
Sonication Extractor
• This method involves the use of ultrasound waves ranging
from 20 kHz to 2000 kHz.
• The mechanic effect of ultrasound waves increases the
surface contact between solvents and samples and
permeability of cell walls.
Sonication Extractor
• Physical and chemical properties of the materials subjected to
ultrasound are altered and disrupt the plant cell wall;
facilitating release of compounds and enhancing mass
transport of the solvents into the plant cells.
• The procedure is simple and relatively cheap that can be used
in both small and large scale of phytochemical extraction
Supercritical Fluid Extractor
• Supercritical fluid (SCF; dense-gas) is a substance that
shares the physical properties of both gas and liquid at its
critical point.
• SCF behaves more like a gas but have the solvating
characteristic of a liquid.
• Applying appropriate temperature, and pressure CO2
migrates into the supercritical phase in which it can behave
as a gas and liquid and act as an efficient solvent.
Supercritical Fluid Extractor
• SEF is an eco-friendly, safe, clean alternative to organic
solvent-based traditional extraction method.
• CO2 preserves the chemical composition of extracts
especially in heat-sensitive materials, and reduce the
formation of solvent residues.
• A major drawback of this method is the initial cost of the
equipment which is very high.
