just hot water? just hot water? Investigations on the release of essential oils from herbal drugs while preparing an infusion

Author(s): Franz, G.

Abstract: The results relevant for pharmaceutical practice are as follows:1. An infusion prepared from coarsely or fine cut herbal drugs containing essential oil should be carried out for ten minutes in a well covered cup by occasional stirring.2. The individual extraction-coefficient depends on the essential-oil composition of the herbal drug. For example, in the case of a sage infusion an extraction-maximum of 30% and in the case for peppermint of almost 50% is possible.3. If the individual compounds of the essential oil show significant variations in their physico-chemical properties, the composition of the essential oil obtained from an aqueous infusion also shows significant differences to the original essential oil from the herbal drug.4. The amount of herbal drugs utilized for the preparation of an infusion and the extraction-coefficient are not proportional.5. The essential oil content of a herbal drug (demands of the Pharmacopoeias) has O distinct influence an the essential oil content of the corresponding aqueous infusion.

Keyword(s): Aqueous infusion

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