The ethanol extracts and essential oils from Pinus sylvestris and Pinus nigra

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