Protocol for the Production of Bioactive Plant Extracts: in Comics!

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Protocol for the Production of Bioactive Plant Extracts: in Comics!

Screenplay: Dr. Luciana Katiki, Instituto de Zootecnia, Nova Odessa, Brazil;

Designs, Colors and Translation: Edgard Franco Gomes, Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, Piracicaba, Brazil;

[First Panel]

materials:
• Magnetic stirrer;

• Rotary-evaporator;

• Filter paper # 2;

• Acetone 70%;

• Kitasato;

• Dichloromethane;

• Separatory Funnel;
[Second Panel]

  Weight five grams of dried ground fine plant material;
[Third Panel]

  Add 50 mL of 70% acetone solution. Then leave the erlemmeyer for one hour on the magnetic stirrer, wrapping it in foil to protect from light.
[Fourth Panel]

  Filter the contents in the #2 filter paper with the aid of the vacuum pump and

kitasato.
[Fifth Panel]

  Place the solution in rotary-evaporator until the acetone evaporates. The water in the rotary-evaporator must be no higher than 35 ^oC. Ideally, the water in the condenser is at 14 ^oC.
[Sixth Panel]

  The aqueous phase should be washed three times with dichloromethane. Wear adequate protection, preferably do this in a fume hood. The washings are done with aid of a separatory funnel, preserving the upper phase.
[Seventh Panel]

  Save the upper phase in jars and then freeze.
[Eighth Panel]

  Then just lyophilize the material and the bioactive extracts are ready!

Recommended Reading (click the links in green to access):

SIGMA-ALDRICH. 2012. Solvent Center: Dichloromethane. 

FAO. 1992. Tannic Acid. In Food and NutritionProgramme, add 1.