SOXHLET EXTRACTION OF CRUDE

DRUGS
 CONTENTS
• Extraction definition
• Why we need for extraction??
• Collection
• Drying
• Soxhlet extraction history
• Parts
• Properties of solvents
• Types of solvents
• Procedure
• Advantages and disadvantages
• application
 EXTRACTION
Extraction is the method of removing
active constituents from a solid or
liquid by means of liquid solvent
The separation of medicinally active
portions of plant or animal tissues
from the inactive or inert components
by using selective solvent
The solvent used for extraction is
known as menstrum and the
remaining inert material that remains
after extraction is known as marc
 Why we need this extraction??

• The purposes of standardized extraction procedure for

crude drugs are to attain the therapeutically desired
portion
• Also to eliminate the inert material by treatment with a
selective solvent known as menstrum
• Natural medicines are prepared using these extracts
• The preparations popularly have been called
as gelanicals, named for galen
• He is the second century greek physician
PROTOCOL FOR
EXTRACTION
 COLLECTION OF CRUDE DRUG
• The plant that we going to collect should
contain good medicinal properties
• Medicinal plant materials should be collected
during the appropriate season or time period
to ensure the best possible quality of both
source material and finished product
• It is well known that the quantitative
concentration of biologically active
constituents varies with a stage of plant growth
and development
• After collection the medicinal plants are
subjected to appropiriate preliminary
processing to remove contaminants, rodents
,pests, insects etc….
• Cultivated plants give good yield then wild
 EXAMPLES
• Bark- cinnamon, cinchona
• Rhizomes – rhuberb, valerian, turmeric, ginger
• Root- ipecac, rauwolfia, gentian, aconite
• Leaves-senna, datura, belladona, digitalis,
• Flowers-rose,clove,saffronin
• Fruits-, capsicum, cardomum
• Seeds-almond, nux-vomica mustard
 DRYING
• By this process we can remove
moisture from plant material
• This process is done for preventing
the microorganisms growth
• Facilitating the grinding process
• Inhibiting of enzymes and reactions
which can convert some of the
plant constituents from active to
inactive state
• To stop the enzymatic process the
water content must be brought
down to about 10 percentage
• Now the dried plant material is
ready for soxhelet extraction
 SOXHLET
EXTRACTION
 HISTORY

• It was developed by Frant von soxhlet a German

chemist in 1879
• His focus is mainly on protein and sugar in milk
• So he develop this to know the fates in milk
• It can be used both on laboratory and industrial
scale
PARTS OF SOXHLET APPARATUS
 IDEAL PROPERTIES OF SOLVENTS

• It should be highly selective for the compounds to be

extracted
• Not react with the extracted compound or with other
compounds in the plant material
• Should have low price
• Should be easily available
• Should not be harmless to man and the enviroinment
 CONTINUE

• Be completely volatile
• Should not nix up with water
• Should not have big capacity in relation to
extractive
• Should have the minimum viscosity
• The solvents should stored in a reagent bottle to
avoid the evaporation
SOLVENT BOILING POINT(⁰C) POLARITY

HEXANE 69 NON POLAR

HEPTANE 98 NON POLAR
PENTANE 36 NON POLAR
ISO-HEXANE 60 NON POLAR
OCTANE 126 NON POLAR
ETHANOL 79 POLAR
PROPANOL 97.15 POLAR
BUTANOL 116-118 POLAR
PENTANOL 138 SLIGHTLY POLAR
HEXANOL 157 NON POLAR
DICHOLOROMETHANE 40 SLIGHTLY POLAR
TOLUENE 111 NON POLAR
 POLAR SOLVENTS
• A polar solvent is a liquid with molecules that
have a slight electrical charge due to its shape.
• For example, water is a molecule with one
oxygen and two hydrogen atoms.
• The two hydrogen atoms are not on opposite
sides of the oxygen, but rather at an angle
• EXAMPLE
• Ethanol, methanol, acetone etc …
• Non-polar solvents are liphophilic as they
dissolve non-polar substances such as oils,
fats, greases.
EXAMPLES
• Carbon tetra chloride
• Diethyl ether
• Hexane
 PROCEDURE
• Grind the sample thoroughly and homogenously

• Weigh the sample using electronic weighing

balance
• Transfer the sample to the filter paper which is
made up of cellulose or thimble
• Pack it properly
 SETUP

• The round bottom flask is taken with the solvent

• Heating mantle is present to heat the solvent
• The siphon tube is fitted with the round bottom flask
• Thimble is fitted inside the siphon tube
• At the top of the siphon arm connect the condenser
• In condenser the bottom one is for inlet the top one is
for outlet
 WORKING PROCEDURE
• The solvent is heated at reflux
• As it boils its vapors rise up and are condensed by
a condenser
• The condensed solvent then fills up in the
thimble
• After it fills with enough solvent it automatically
siphons back down into the container of organic
solvent
• This process takes place over and over again until
the material to be extracted from the solid in the
thimble is extracted
• The process may continue for 6 to 8 hours or
more than that
• The water flow to the apparatus should be in a
continues proper manner
• Otherwise it leads to the damage of the
apparatus
 EXTRACTION OF ALKALOID

• Soxhlet extraction method is suitable for extraction

of alkaloids from powdered plant material with the
help of organic solvents
• Actually alkaloids and their respective salts are
soluble in alcohol like methanol, ethanol,
isopropanol
• The extraction with total alkaloids with alcohol is
highly recommended because of its maximum
efficiency and economical viability
• the most widely used water-immiscible solvents for
the extraction of alkaloids are chloroform, diethyl ether
and isopropyl ether.
• a few other specific organic solvents, namely ethylene
chloride, carbon tetrachloride and benzene may be
employed with an evident advantage for certain
specific alkaloids.
• chloroform is regarded as the best water-immiscible
solvent for a broad-spectrum of alkaloids .
• But, Chloroform is not suitable for the extraction of
quaternary alkaloids
 EXTRACTION OF TANNIN
• The suitable temperature of extraction
improves the diffusion ratio of tannins into the
solvent and the circulation of the solvent.
• Fifty percent ethanol gives the highest extract
yield of tannins from herbal plants .
• Soxhlet extraction with water as a solvent is
also the best method for gallic and ellagic acid
extractions.
• The solvents such as water or ethanol-water
mixtures are used for the extraction of the
active hydrolysable tannins
• When the evaporation temperature of the
solvents is high, thermal destruction of tannins
can happen
• So sometimes the soxhlet extraction is restricted
SOXHLET EXTRACTION OF GLYCOSIDES

• Glycoside drugs are extracted using suitable

water solvent and alcoholic solvents like
ethanol, propanol, hexanol, pentanol etc..
• After extraction the the glycosidal drugs are
treat with lead acetate to precipitate the
tannin
 EXTRACTIVE VALUE
• The crude drugs have their biological activity
mainely due to active chemical constituents
• These constituent may be soluble in different
polar, semipolar, nonpolar solvent
• Total soluble constituents of the drug in any
particular solvent or mixture of solvents can
be called as its extractive value
• This method determines the amount of active
constituents in given amount of medicinal
plant material or crude drug when extracted
with solvents
• It also helps to indicate the nature of chemical
constituents present in the drug
• Also helpful to identify the adulteration
 HOW DO WE CALCULATE THE
EXTRACTIVE VALUE??

• First we have to remove the solvent using

distillation method
• Pour the concentrated extract in a pre weighted
petridish
• Evaporate the solvent completely and take the
final weight of the petridish
• The difference between the initial weight and
final weight of the petridish gives the extractive
value of the solvent
 W2-W1
―――――― 1OO
W3

W2 Initial weight of the petridish

W1 final weight of the petridish
W3 weight of the plant powder
 Difference between soxhlet extraction
and distillation methods
DISTILLATION METHOD EXTRACTION METHOD
Distillation is the method of purifying a Extraction is the action of extracting
liquid by a process of heating and cooling something. Ecspecially using efforts and
force
Uses the difference between boiling point Uses the different solubility and boiling
and chemical components in a mixture point
Can done for only liquid phase mixtures Can be done for liquid and solid phase
mixtures
 ADVANTAGES
• Soxhlet extraction is advantageous in a way
that less solvent is needed for yielding more
concentrated products
• The extraction is continuous until complete
exhaustion of the drug
• Can be used for small scale and large scale
productions
• High efficient extraction and complete
extraction is done
 DISADVANTAGES
• It is a lengthy process
• The process is not suitable for thermoliabe
substance
• The process is restricted to pure boiling solvents
or to azeotrope
• An azeotrope is a mixture of two or more liquids
in such a ratio that it its composition cannot be
changed by simple distillation
• Azeotrope are also called as constant boiling
mixtures.
 APPLICATIONS

• The extracts obtained may be for

use as medicinal agent in the form
of tinctures and fluid extracts
• It may be further processed to be
incorporated in any dosage forms
such as tablets or capsules
• It is the most useful apparatus for solid liquid
extraction in various fields such as
Pharmaceutics, foodstuffs
• Now a days soxhlet apparatus is still common
and widely used as a reference and standard
method in many laboratories for the
extraction of secondary metabolites from
various plant materials or crude drugs
 REFERENCE

• Biren shah, A.k seth., text book of pharmacognosy

and phytochemistry,
• The soxhlet extractor
explained.(https://www.google.com/amp/oleoresin
s.melbia.com/priciples of soxhlet extraction and
experimental setup html/amp)
• https://www.sciencedirect.com topics
• https://www.ncbi.nil.nih.gov pmc
• http://www.sciencedirect.com/soxhlet-extraction