Extracts with high of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content were obtained by supercritical extraction with CO2 from drug-type Cannabis sativa L. at pilot scale. The overall process yield of extractions carried out with multistage pressure increments and at constant pressure of 17, 24 and 34 MPa and 328 K was obtained. At 34 MPa apparent solubilities of extracts were determined for four different Cannabis Sativa L. strains with variable cannabinoids initial content. And finally, the use of ethanol as a co-solvent was investigated with two different approaches, i.e. constant co-solvent flow, and by applying pulses of ethanol at different times though the extraction procedure. The cannabinoid composition of the extracts was determined with HPLC analysis. Process extraction efficiency as high as 92% was achieved. Extraction yield was highly dependent on pressure and plant material starting composition. The obtained extracts show similar cannabinoid profile distribution at vary separator conditions. The supply of co-solvent in the form of pulses showed a better performance than the traditional co-solvent at constant concentration in the solvent flow, with major impact on plant material with low cannabinoid concentration.

Different operation conditions and regimes in supercritical extraction of cannabinoids: The role of co-solvent at pilot scale

255th National Meeting (2018)

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