OIL EXTRACTION FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF SOPHORA MOLLIS (ROYLE) BAKER

Abstract

Sophora mollis (Royle) Baker ssp. Griffithii (Stocks) Ali belongs to the family Papilionaceae. It is used as fodder & has fuel values. A study was conducted for the extraction of essential oil from Sophora mollis. In the study different parameters, moisture content & effects of other parts, leaves, stem & mixed leaves & stem, extraction time (3h) drying method & types of solvents on the extracted yield of oil were investigated. 10gm of fresh leaves, stems, leaves & stems of Sophora mollis were kept at 104 ºC. Leaves, stem, mixed leaves & stem of Sophora mollis were dried in air, shade & oven. Four particle sizes < 150 µm, 150 µm, 180 µm & 250 µm were obtained from the samples. The air dried, shade dried & oven dried samples of leaves, stems, leaves & stems were used for oil extraction (3h) with two solvents, n-hexane & methanol. Leaves had high moisture content (4.46%), followed by leaves & stem (4.36%) & stem (4.30%). Results showed that smaller particles had a higher extraction yield than larger particles & shade-dried leaves, dried mixed stem, leaves & stem had high content of essential oil. Methanol was found to be a better solvent than n-hexane had high percentage of extraction.