APPLICATION OF OFF-LINE SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID EXTRACTION-GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF CHEMICAL-CONSTITUENTS IN CURCUMA-ZEDOARIA

Analytical supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) was used to investigat e the chemical constituents of Curcuma zedoaria, a very useful Chinese herbal medicine. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of extract s was performed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. The effe cts of pressure, temperature and pow rate of the extracting fluid on t he extraction efficiency of SFE were investigated quantitatively. It w as found that at a fixed density, changing temperature in a given expe rimental range had no great influence on the distribution of SFE produ cts, but that an appropriate increase of how rate and fluid volume imp roves the extraction efficiency. SFE using supercritical carbon dioxid e was a more efficient extraction technique than steam distillation.