Extraction in pharmaceutical terms refers to the separation of active medicinal components from inactive or ineffective components from plant and animal tissues using selected solvents with standard extraction instructions.
Extraction in pharmaceutical terms refers to the separation of active medicinal components from inactive or ineffective components from plant and animal tissues using selected solvents with standard extraction instructions. Therefore, the products obtained from plants are under the name of liquid plant extracts, semi-solid or relatively impure powders and a set of different compounds that can be used for oral and topical use and in the form of well-known products including decoction, infusion, liquid extract, Tincture, semi-solid extracts and powdered extracts are classified.
The extract is different from the solution, so that the process of preparing the extract implies the presence of an insoluble substance, and part of the soluble compounds present in the tissues of this insoluble substance are removed by a suitable solvent. Extraction methods include 5 main methods: maceration, percolation, digestion, brewing and boiling. To choose the type of extract for different uses, it is not far from being useful to get familiar with different extraction methods.
Maceration: In this process, the crushed solids and the entire extraction solvent are transferred to a still container and remain for at least 3 days with intermittent mixing during this period. Then this mixture is filtered and the solid material is compressed and the resulting liquids are filtered or remain until the suspended material settles and is separated.
Percolation: This instruction is often used to extract active ingredients in tincture and liquid extract products. If needed, the plant material is cut into pieces of suitable size. Then they are mixed with a little of the selected extraction solvent and transferred to the percolator. The extraction solvent is passed over the solids at a suitable temperature with a suitable flow so that all parts of the solids are exposed to the solvent. After the liquid exits from the percolator, the plant is compressed and the resulting liquids are filtered or left to settle and separate the suspended materials.
Digestion: This method is a type of maceration that uses gentle heat during the extraction process. This method is used when mild heat does not cause a problem, and in this way, the efficiency of the extraction solvent increases.
Infusion: An infusion is a dilute solution of ready-to-dissolve ingredients in a raw plant. Fresh brews are prepared by macerating the plant for a short time with cold or boiling water.
Boiled: In this process, heat-resistant and water-soluble components are extracted by boiling the plant in water for 15 minutes and then cooling, straining and passing cold water through the plant until the desired volume is reached.
After a solution of the active ingredients of a medicinal raw material (plant) has been obtained by maceration or percolation, it may be ready for use as a medicine in the form of a special tincture or liquid extract, or it may require There is a process to produce solid or semi-solid extract or adapt the extract as a raw material to the matrix of the final product.
Since plants are composed of a complex set of compounds with different physical and chemical characteristics and different effectiveness, in order to fully extract these different compounds, sometimes their existence together increases the effectiveness of the plant or reduces some side effects of the effective compounds. Or even the selective extraction of a group of compounds to increase a specific effectiveness of the plant, requires the correct and precise selection of the extraction solvent and even changes in the conditions affecting the extraction, such as temperature and other effective parameters, which will directly affect the quality of the final extract.
Also, in order to obtain a standard extract, it is necessary that the plant itself used has a suitable and standard quality. Medicinal plants are obtained through cultivation or harvesting from natural sources. The conditions of collection, cultivation, harvesting, drying, watering and proper maintenance are necessary parameters to ensure the quality of medicinal plants. Also, correctly identifying the plant with a specific scientific name and knowing the similarities and avoiding the mistakes caused by it, as well as knowing the appropriate ecological conditions for plant growth to obtain a standard plant with appropriate effectiveness, are other important parameters that play a fundamental role in having a standard medicinal plant. have
Essan Plant Farming and Pharmaceutical Company with relatively good knowledge of medicinal plants in terms of authenticity, their suitable ecology, optimal cultivation conditions and the right time of harvest and full knowledge of their effective compounds to provide medicinal plants grown in the field of cultivation and industry This company buys from agricultural experts and scientific and experienced operators, and the plants are used for extraction or other processing after passing the standards in the national and international pharmacopoeia such as BP, EP and USP.
In order to prepare high-quality plant extract, according to the effective compounds of medicinal plants, specific effectiveness and use, suitable extraction method, suitable and specific solvent and other effective parameters, they are selected and optimized under the supervision of experts and by maintaining all the principles of optimal manufacturing (GMP). We prepare extracts with good quality. Then, the standardized extracts are processed according to the next use and conformed to the standard used, and are ready to be consumed in the forms compatible with the customers’ formulations, for use in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries.