Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to quantify the extraction of dry substances and essential oils from the needles of
P. sylvestris and P. nigra, growing under the conditions of the Republic of Moldova. The moisture content in needle
samples of both plant species Pinus sylvestris and Pinus nigra increased from March to September, while the
concentration of solid compounds decreases. Nevertheless, the dry substances in the extracts obtained from needles
collected in spring and autumn was not significantly different. The solids content in extracts of 96 % ethanol in ratio raw
materials: solvent 1: 5 after their decantation and filtration was 4.4–4.6 % for P. sylvestris and 5.0–5.1 % for P. nigra. It
was found that the optimal duration for extraction of essential oils from previous dried needles of both species P. sylvestris
and P. nigra using the hydrodistillation method is 4.0 hours. The maximal yield of essential oil extracted by studied
procedure was about 0.6 and 0.5% for P. sylvestris and P. nigra, respectively
