How is this valerian root oil extracted, and which method is preferred?
Valerian root oil is produced by steam distillation (the industry standard) or supercritical CO2 extraction (higher yield, richer profile); molecular distillation further purifies bornyl acetate for premium grades.
Extraction Methods
| Method | Process | Key advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Steam distillation (standard) | Roots/rhizomes cut to 3–5 mm, steam-distilled at 100–105°C for 2–3 h, oil-water separation, centrifugal fine separation | Compliant with T/CAFFCI 70-2023; classic earthy profile; 67 components identified |
| Supercritical CO2 extraction | CO2 extraction per CN101396381B (25–30 MPa, 40°C, 2 h, optional ethanol entrainer) | Yield ~1.8× of steam distillation; 98 components identified (vs 67); preserves heat-sensitive actives |
| SFE-CO2 + ethanol (patent CN101396381B) | Static/dynamic ethanol-modified supercritical extraction: e.g., 30 MPa, 40°C static 2 h + dynamic 2 h, ethanol recycled under vacuum | Rich valerenic components; supports sedative-hypnotic, anti-depressant, antispasmodic uses |
| Molecular distillation | Wiped-film molecular distillation (68°C, 82 mL/h feed, 188 r/min, 0.1–1 Pa) | Purifies bornyl acetate up to 77.46% for pharma-grade |
- Steam distillation is the compliant standard for food-additive grade (T/CAFFCI 70-2023); SFE-CO2 is preferred for high-end perfumery and pharma where yield and heat-sensitive retention matter
- GC-MS analysis on every batch: camphene 9–29% and bornyl acetate 21–41% are the mandatory fingerprint markers per T/CAFFCI 70-2023
- The oil is denser than water on average within 0.845–1.033; heavy-oil separator / Florator + disc centrifuge (6,000–8,000 r/min) are used for clean separation
- CN201610734508 (ethanol/isopropanol/acetone entrainer, 18–22 MPa, 35–40°C, 2–4 h) offers an alternative SFE route for continuous extraction
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This article was published on 2026-09-07, and last updated on 2026-09-07. The article will be continuously updated.
