Extração de óleo essencial de eucalipto assistida por micro-ondas: revisão da literatura e testes exploratórios

Abstract

In light of the current global scenario, the essential oil market is experiencing significant growth. This progress is closely tied to the potential associated with the properties of the respective components, ranging from their pharmacological application in homeopathy and aromatherapy to their use in complementing sanitizing products. Thus, given the importance of essential oils and their increasing demand, there is a need for studies on extraction methods that aim not only at economic returns but also at reducing environmental impacts and energy consumption. This study aims to evaluate the microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) method for eucalyptus essential oils, comparing its efficiency and environmental contribution against conventional techniques such as hydrodistillation (HD) and organic solvent extraction, Soxhlet. The study provides a literature review on the microwave-assisted extraction process of eucalyptus essential oil and compiles some results found in informational databases, such as "Periódicos CAPES," "SciELO," "Science Direct," "Repositórios UFU," and "Google Scholar," focusing on scientific articles, master’s dissertations, and doctoral theses. An evaluation of the extraction yield using solvents was conducted to assess emerging methodologies that minimize the use of non-polar solvents, considering the difficulty in processing post-extraction materials. The results show that the microwave-assisted technique has the potential to reduce extraction time, solvent consumption, and consequently the associated environmental impacts, while increasing product yield and maintaining the quality of the essential oil. Additionally, combinations of low power and long process times demonstrated higher yields.