Extracción de cinamaldehído de la corteza de canela (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) por arrastre de vapor y método Soxhlet

Abstract

The objective of the current work was to extract cinnamaldehyde (CA) from the bark of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) using two methods: steam distillation and Soxhlet extraction, determining the optimal operating parameters. In the Soxhlet extraction, three variables were utilized: extraction time (5 and 10 hours), average particle size (1.29 and 3 mm), and volumetric fraction of solvent (% v/v) (70% ethanol-30% distilled water, 85% ethanol-15% distilled water, and 100% ethanol). For steam distillation, three apparatuses were employed: conventional (AVF), experimental (AVO) and Clevenger distiller (AVE). In the AVF and AVO apparatuses, extraction time (1 and 1.5 hours) and particle size (1.29 and 3 mm) were analyzed. In the case of the Clevenger distiller, four intervals of 15 minutes were considered over 1 hour (15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes) along with the two previously mentioned average particle sizes. The quantification of cinnamaldehyde was performed using UV-Visible spectroscopy. The Clevenger distiller extracted 19.62 mg CA/g of cinnamon in 60 minutes, while the Soxhlet method reached 126.373 mg CA/g of cinnamon in 10 hours, with the smaller particle size (1.29 mm) enhancing extraction by increasing the surface area in contact with the solvent. Although the Soxhlet method produced a higher amount of extracted cinnamaldehyde, steam distillation is more viable for industrial applications due to its simplicity, greater economic efficiency, and the exclusive use of distilled water as a solvent.