Waseem Abdul

King Abdulaziz University

How can I get the powder of Ricinus

communis leaf extract in ethanol after
evaporation of ethanol?
I have prepared the extract of Ricinus communis leaves but after the evaporation of ethanol, the
oily form is still there. Can anyone suggest the method to get it in powder form?

Popular Answers

Muhammad Siddique Afridi Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial

Research

If you don't have the facility of freeze drying ,dry your extract on water bath for some
time but if you have still there oil in your extract then wash it with hexane to remove oil
and waxes from the extract and then again try to dry it definitely you will get it dry.

Dec 10, 2014

Jacobus Nicolaas Elof University of Pretoria

If you extract an oily substance you cannot get it into a powdered form. The difficulty in such a
case is that it is not easy to know when you have removed all the solvent. In such a case it is
important to weigh the extract from time to time to determine when the mass stays constant.
Some oily substances may also be slightly volatile. In such a case after the steep gradient of loss
of mass over time, this will be followed by a much lower gradient of mass change over time. I
am very careful by only using an air flow over the extract at room temperature and not in an
oven to limit chemical changes that can take place.

Dec 12, 2014

All Answers (13)

Ravi Kant Upadhyay Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University

You should use extract ethanolic and freeze dry it in Speedback for 30 minutes you will
get powdered contents.

Dec 8, 2014

Ravi Kant Upadhyay Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University

You should use Speedback for freeze drying for vaccum concentration to make the powder of
leaf extract from Ricinus communis leaves .

Dec 8, 2014

Riyadh Abdulmajid Saleh Thabit Jiangnan University

You can use the freeze-drying way to get powder after a solvent extraction
Or you can use a rotary evaporator to remove the solvent until the disposal of all the solvent and
must use the proper temperature of the solvent and then a process of removing powder inside
Flask by hand scraped like a spoon and keep powder

Dec 8, 2014

Teodoro S Kaufman IQUIR - Institute of Chemistry of Rosario

You may add an excipient such as lactose or starch

Dec 9, 2014


Muhammad Siddique Afridi Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research

If you don't have the facility of freeze drying ,dry your extract on water bath for some time but if
you have still there oil in your extract then wash it with hexane to remove oil and waxes from
the extract and then again try to dry it definitely you will get it dry.

Dec 10, 2014

Gandhidas Sonajirao Lavekar Dr.GWellness Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi

Above answers are quite sufficient in answering the related question.

Dec 10, 2014

Waseem Abdul King Abdulaziz University

Thanks to all of you for valuable suggestions.

Dec 11, 2014

Sujatha Jeyapaul Malankara Catholic College

Respected Sir : First you have to grind well your sample leaf with ethanol solvent, then
centrifuge, separate the residue and preciptitate part from the crude content of the extract after
that both rsidue and precipitate should be be kept in dessicator or hot air-oven for evaporation of
solvents at 4 to 6 hrs based upon the amount of your leaf samples. Check whether the solvent
evaporation is not if all the solvents are evaporated take a crude content of the extract with
spatula again dry the solvent through a hot airoven with enough optimum level of temperature.

Dec 11, 2014



Vinod Amritkar Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai

The reason for your problem might be because the extraction of sugars in ethanol and some
terpenes, which are not allowing the extract to become dry. You can treat the ethanol extract with
activated charcoal/alumina/hyflosupercel to remove these impurities provided your target
compound should not be removed in this.

Dec 11, 2014

Jacobus Nicolaas Elof University of Pretoria

If you extract an oily substance you cannot get it into a powdered form. The difficulty in such a
case is that it is not easy to know when you have removed all the solvent. In such a case it is
important to weigh the extract from time to time to determine when the mass stays constant.
Some oily substances may also be slightly volatile. In such a case after the steep gradient of loss
of mass over time, this will be followed by a much lower gradient of mass change over time. I
am very careful by only using an air flow over the extract at room temperature and not in an
oven to limit chemical changes that can take place.

Dec 12, 2014

Dr Mrs M R Rathod Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute

As suggested by previous researchers, you have to freeze dry your extract after complete
removal of ethanol. But as mentioned by you, your extract looks oily. There are two
possibilities : either your extract will be oily or hygroscolic in nature. If it is oily in nature you
will never get in powder form, but if it is hygroscopic in nature, then you have to collect your
extract immediately after freeze drying and pack in air tight container otherwise it will become
sticky and very difficult to handle it.

Dec 15, 2014


Dheeraj Kumar Amity University

This link is really helpful regarding leaf extract

synthesis,http://www.instanano.com/uncategorized/leaf-extract-for-nanoparticles-synthesis/

Abiodun Ogundaini

Obafemi Awolowo University

Is it possible to freeze dry a 50% ethanolic extract of plant materials?

Just seen a reference that claimed to have freeze-dried an ethanol extract of plants.

Topics

Medicinal Plants

Oct 25, 2013

All Answers (5)

Facundo Ibanez National Institute of Agricultural Research of Uruguay

You can eliminate the ethanol in a rotary evaporator and then freeze dry the
rest of the extract. Is not good idea put solvents in the freeze drier machine.

Oct 26, 2013

Alok Nahata Dr. Harisingh Gour University

Try to remove ethanol to the most possible extent and then use freeze dryer.

Oct 28, 2013

Manorenjitha M.S. Universiti Sains Malaysia

I've tried method recommended by Facundo Ibanez and Alok Nahata. It works.

Oct 28, 2013

Bhavesh Tiwari Enaltec Labs

I agree with suggestions given by Alok Nahata. try to get rid off the ethanol and then go for
freeze drying.

Aug 1, 2014

Efosa Godwin Ewere University of Uyo

I have freeze dried 70% ethanol plant extract before. This was after i eliminated most of the
ethanol using a rotary evaporator

https://www.omicsgroup.org/journals/a-review-on-the-extraction-methods-use-in-
medicinal-plants-principle-strength-and-limitation-2167-0412-1000196.php?
aid=58448