The analysis of the kinetics of extraction of resinoids and hypericines from the amber, Hypericum perforatum L.

The kinetics of the extraction of the overall extracted materials (resinoids), total hypericine, hypericine and pseudohypericine from amber (Hypericum perforatum L.) was investigated by the procedure of maceration both with and without ultra-sound, using methanol as the extractant. It was found that the period of fast extraction with intensification of the extraction of resinoid by ultra-sound was significantly shorter (about 20 minutes) than was needed for the extraction without ultra-sound (about 5 h). Similar results were also obtained for the extraction of the other tested substances. It can be concluded that better drug exploitation can be achieved in a much shorter extraction time by intensification of the extraction using ultra-sound. By preparation of herbal material through pulverization, a significant grade of herbal tissue structure disintegration was achieved, so that turbulent mass transfer plays a dominant role in the extraction. The results show that the coefficient values of fast extraction (b) are approximately the same for all the investigated kinetics.