A Green and Solvent-Free
Process for Preparation of High-Purity (–)-Borneol from Leaves
of Blumea balsamifera (L) DC
Yuan-Hui Wang1,
Hong-Yun Tian1, Ai-Mei Wang1,
Hong-Xin Wang1* and Chun-Li Zou2
1State Key Laboratory of Food
Science and Technology, School of Food Science and
Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, 2Gui
Zhou Ai Yuan Eco-Pharmaceutical Development Co Ltd,
Luodian 550100, China
*For correspondence: Email:
xblack1983@eyou.com;
Tel: +86 510 85917795; Fax:
+86 510 85876799
Received: 13 May 2013
Revised accepted: 1
December 2013
Tropical Journal of
Pharmaceutical Research, January 2014;
13(1):
41-46
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v13i1.6
Abstract
Purpose: To develop a simple and low
cost process for the preparation of high-purity (–)-borneol
from leaves of Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC..
Methods: An improved
hydrodistillation (IHD) equipped with a vertical
condenser tube was designed for extracting the volatiles
(crude (–)-borneol) without solvent, and comparing with
hydrodistillation-solvent extraction (HDSE) and
simultaneous distillation and extraction (SDE). The
sublimation was used to separated high-purity (–)-borneol.
The purities of (–)-borneol products were quantitatively
analyzed by gas chromatography (GC), and the (–)-borneol
product was analyzed by optical activity and nuclear
magnetic resonance (NMR), and the antimicrobial activity
was evaluated.
Results: The (–)-borneol content of
the volatiles was 82 % in IHD, and much higher than that
of HDSE (45 %) and SDE (44 %). After sublimation, the
purity of separated (–)-borneol was 92 %, and the
recovery was 96 %. The NMR spectral data confirmed that
the product was (–)-borneol, and the specific rotation
was –36.4° (20 °C, ethanol). Meanwhile, the performances
of the (–)-borneol product and standard (–)-borneol were
the same in antimicrobial activity.
Conclusion: The work provides a green,
efficient and solvent-free process for preparation of
high-purity natural (–)-borneol from B. balsamifera
leaves.
Keywords:
Blumea
balsamifera (L.) DC., (–)-Borneol, Green method,
Solvent-free distillation
