Pigments Extraction Service

Natural pigment extraction refers to the extraction of pigment components from the roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits of natural plants, as well as from insects and microorganisms. They can be used as substitutes for chemical pigments for pharmaceutical coloring, as well as for food coloring in the food industry, cosmetic coloring and preservative products. Natural colors are growing in popularity as people become more conscious of nature and safety in recent years. To hasten the creation and promotion of natural pigments, Daji Belle has introduced a pigment extraction service.

Pigment Extraction Methods

Natural pigments are typically less stable and more vulnerable to heat, light, and bacterial enzymes. In order to preserve their stability and naturalness, natural pigments are typically prepared using physical procedures. The extraction processes for natural pigments can be further broken down into solvent extraction, enzyme extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, microwave extraction, and molecular distillation depending on the diverse source materials, applications, and dosage forms of the pigments.

• Solvent Extraction Method
  Solvent extraction methods, including impregnation, infiltration, decocting and reflux extraction, are currently the most commonly used methods for natural pigment extraction. When natural pigments can be soluble in water, they can be extracted by impregnation method and decoction method. For natural pigments that are wet, heat stable and not volatile, they can be extracted by reflux extraction method with the help of organic solvents.

• Enzyme Extraction Method
  In the process of phytochrome extraction, the pigments are often encapsulated in the cell walls. Therefore, enzymatic digestion with cellulase prior to extraction of plant components to disrupt the plant cell wall before extraction can improve the extraction rate of pigment components. In addition, enzymatic treatment for different substrates can also yield natural pigments of different colors.

• Supercritical Fluid Extraction Method
  Supercritical fluid (SF) is a kind of fluid between gas and liquid. It has good solvent properties due to its strong gas-like penetration and large liquid-like density and solubility. The most common solvent used in this technology is CO₂, and studies have shown that the products extracted by this method have high purity, low solvent residue, and no toxic side effects.

• Microwave Extraction Method
  The sample and organic solvent in a closed container with microwave heating is the microwave extraction of natural pigments. Its extraction of various sample components can be done in a short time. Currently, microwave technology can be used to extract pigments involving alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and other substances.

• Molecular Distillation Method
  Molecular distillation is a technique based on the difference in the mean free path of molecular movement of different substances under high vacuum and separation at temperatures well below the boiling point at atmospheric pressure. This technique is extremely protective of the quality of heat-sensitive substances and truly maintains the pure natural properties.

For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.