Mini review: Application of supercritical carbon dioxide in extraction of propolis extract (original) (raw)

Propolis is a resinous substance produced by bees functioned to seal holes, exclude draught, protect against contamination and external intruders inside their hives has been substantially studied and reported to have numerous health properties such as antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics. Propolis cannot be utilized as raw material, due to its complex mixture of compounds. Hence it must be separated by the extraction process. Extraction targets to removes the inert compounds in the propolis sample and preserves the flavonoids and polyphenolic fraction. The most common technique used in propolis extraction is solvent extraction that involves the use of solvents such as ethanol, water, hexane, ethyl-acetate and chloroform. However, this conventional technique has some drawbacks including strong residual flavour, possible adverse reactions, harmful to the environment, low quality of the extract and long process period requi...