Isolation of borneol and bornyl acetate from Ferulago macrocarpa by microwave irradiation

Background & Aim: A simple and rapid microwave- assisted extraction (MAE) procedure was developed and optimized for the isolation of borneol and bornyl acetate from Ferulago macrocarpa. Ferulago macrocarpa (Apiaceae) is an endemic plant in Iran. Experimental: Dried powdered aerial parts of plants were soaked in water and irradiated with microwave in a Clevenger extraction approach under optimum conditions (520 W and 0.5 h). Results & Discussion: Compared to traditional heating methods by Clevenger, the present method is more efficiency and proceeds in a short time. The isolation rates of borneol and bornyl acetate increased by about 2 and 1.3, respectively, as compared to the conventional thermal methods. Low cost, easy extraction, high purity of the extracted products and high efficiency are the advantages of this method. Furthermore, solvent free extraction of the essential oils is a good method for the development of green chemistry. Recommended applications/industries: The essential oil of this plant obtained by MAHD and HD methods, contained bornyl acetate as the most abundant component. The extracted essential oil by MAHD was qualitatively similar to that obtained by HD however; it was achieved in a much short time. Therefore pilot microwave reactor might be proven suitable for large scale extraction with potential industrial applications.