Supercritical CO₂ | Microwave | Hydrodistillation | Ultrasound | Enzyme-Assisted
Microwave-Assisted Extraction (MAE)
MAE uses microwave energy (300 MHz–300 GHz) to rapidly heat plant material and the surrounding solvent, breaking down cell walls and releasing essential oils and bioactive compounds efficiently.
How It Works:
- Microwaves cause polar molecules (like water or ethanol) in the plant to oscillate.
- This generates internal heat, rupturing plant cells from within.
- Oils and active compounds diffuse quickly into the solvent.
- Extraction occurs faster and often with higher yields, especially for aromatic and fragile oils.
Advantages:
- Very fast (minutes instead of hours)
- Higher oil yields with better preservation of volatile compounds
- Low solvent usage
- Ideal for thermolabile compounds (like sesquiterpenes)
- Scalable from lab to industrial production
Applications in Essential Oil Extraction:
Especially effective for:
- Agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis)
- Sandalwood, cinnamon, ylang-ylang, frangipani, and other perfumery crops
- Medicinal herbs for nutraceutical extracts
Considerations:
- Requires microwave-compatible solvent systems (usually ethanol, methanol, or water)
- Specialized closed-vessel MAE equipment is safer and more efficient than standard microwaves
- May need cooling systems to prevent compound degradation in sensitive oils