JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN OIL CHEMISTS SOCIETY, vol.83, no.11, pp.953-957, 2006 (SCI-Expanded)
Laurus nobilis L., commonly known as daphne tree, is an evergreen that belongs to the Lauraceae family. Daphne trees produce grape-sized shiny purplish berries having three parts: flesh, skin, and an inner kernel (single seed). This study examines supercritical CO2 (SC-CO2) extraction of oil from daphne seeds. The oil yield of ground seeds varied from 14 to 28% depending on the method and particle size used for oil recovery. Yields were similar for both petroleum ether and SC-CO2 extraction. The extraction yield decreased significantly with increasing particle size. The amount of extract collected increased exponentially with increasing SC-CO2 pressure. The highest extraction yield was obtained at the highest temperature studied, 75 degrees C. More than 45% of the oil was lauric acid. SC-CO2 is a viable technique to obtain high-purity L. nobilis L. seed oil, which is a potential ingredient for the cosmetic industry.