The principle of such an extract is very simple, it is the dissolution of the active substances of plants in vegetable oil.

With the help of vegetable oil, substances such as aromatic oils from spicy and aromatic plants, tannins, fat-soluble vitamins and some organic acids, including fruit acids, can be extracted from plants.
Oil extracts are a wonderful cosmetic product, as they are very well absorbed into the skin, improve local blood circulation, skin elasticity, increase local immunity, promote the healing of minor wounds, cracks and abrasions.

You can dispose of the finished oil as follows:
Or carefully pour it into a dark glass dish, an oil bottle, then you need to keep it in a dark place or in the refrigerator.
In this case, the precipitate can and should be used as described above.

Or you can leave it with the sediment, again putting it in the refrigerator.
Over time, the oil will continue to infuse and the concentration of substances released from the herbs increases. Personally, I like this option. I use this oil as needed, and I use the sediment later. Since I always insist on some kind of oil, but not one, there is always sediment in stock.
I recommend transferring the sediment to another bowl and storing it in the refrigerator.
For cosmetic purposes, oil with sediment can also be stored in a cabinet.
If you use herbal oil inside, then you need to store such oil in a dark, cool place.

It is not necessary to close the container too tightly, you can use a simple plastic lid. You do not need to open it either, you can shake it slightly.
When the raw material is infused, air bubbles begin to emerge from it; when shaken, this process is faster.

Oil extracts can be prepared from both dry and fresh plants.
When preparing extracts from dry plants, several conditions must be observed.
Plants should be crushed into powder, you need to insist in glassware, store in a dark place and shake occasionally. You need to insist at least 3 weeks.

Of course, the properties of dry and fresh plants are different. But you can't say which is better. It all depends on the task, since during drying some substances are lost, but the concentration of others increases.
Oil extracts can be prepared from any parts of plants that contain active substances. From flowers, fruits, herbs, roots and rhizomes. It all depends on what plant you use and what task you set for yourself.

Do not pour herbs with hot oil. If you pour herbs with hot oil, they will simply cook like deep-fried. The extract is obtained at normal room temperature. To speed up, you can put it in a warm place, but so that the temperature of the Grass Oil does not exceed 35-40 ° C.

Pine nut shell extract

Still, an alcohol extract from pine nut shells, in my opinion, will be more effective, but you can try to make an oil extract as follows.

Grind the shell into powder, pour oil in a ratio of 1: 3, insist in a dark place, shaking several times daily for at least 5 minutes. Insist at least a month.

St. John's wort oil from fresh raw materials is prepared as follows:

The glass jar is filled with chopped St. John's wort to the top, but not very tightly, poured with vegetable oil and placed on the windowsill, into the light.

After some time, air bubbles will be released and biochemical processes and the dissolution of active substances will begin. After 2 weeks, the oil can be put away in the cabinet and used as needed.
St. John's wort oil is a wonderful remedy for burns. It is used to treat various skin diseases and heal wounds.
To prepare oil from dry St. John's wort, take 4 parts of oil for 1 part of St. John's wort, insist in a dark place for 2 weeks.
Oil can be made from mint in the same way as from St. John's wort. in the same proportions.

It is very simple to make garlic oil, just push it through a garlic crusher or knead it in another way, pour it with oil in a ratio of 1:7. Leave for three days and store in the refrigerator.
Take on an empty stomach 1/2 teaspoon 1-2 times a day as a prophylactic for various colds.
Garlic oil is an immunostimulating agent.
For culinary purposes, this oil can be used as early as 2 hours after preparation.

Herbal oils can be used to make soap.

It must be borne in mind that fruit acids and vitamins decompose due to high temperature, but tannins, pectins and aromatic substances remain.

For food purposes, oil extracts from succulent fresh plants can be stored in the refrigerator until they acquire a sour taste. But this does not mean that this oil cannot be used.

The shelf life of herbal oil for food purposes is limited by the shelf life of the oil itself. Linseed and olive oil is stored longer, sunflower refined too.

If you make an oil extract from a succulent plant, then various biochemical processes begin to take place during the infusion. Complex organic acids are formed, which are a good transport for pectins, tannins and other substances when used externally.

They are unlikely to be able to harm these substances during external use, rather the opposite. Unless, of course, you have a specific reaction (allergy) to any plant.

Wormwood oil

When fresh raw materials are not available, oil can be made from dried herbs. Depending on the desired concentration of aromatic substances in wormwood oil, you can infuse powdered dry wormwood grass together with inflorescences in a weight ratio of 1:3, 1:2 and 1:1.

In the latter case, you will get a liquid cream. The smaller the particles of wormwood, the better the oil will turn out.
Infuse for 3 weeks, shaking daily for at least 10 minutes.

Herbal wormwood oil has a local analgesic, sedative effect. It is used for nervous exhaustion, hysteria, insomnia. The ideal option is the use in the bath if there are no contraindications. You can rub the body with wormwood oil after a shower, but not more than once every 2 days in courses of 1 session with a two-week break. Breaks are needed so that there is no addiction and the effect does not decrease.

Wormwood oil can be used in food as a spicy-aromatic oil for salads. But you need to do it very carefully. Taste for an amateur.

Also, wormwood oil, prepared in a ratio of 1: 3, can be taken orally to improve appetite, as a prophylactic for pulmonary diseases, as an anticonvulsant.
You need to take this oil 10-15 drops 3 times a day before meals.

coniferous oil

I collect pine needles as follows: I cut off the most fluffy branches 15-20 cm long. I scroll them through a meat grinder (great physical strength is needed here), I put the scrolled raw materials in a jar and pour oil in a ratio of 1: 4.

Infuse for 2 weeks, then drain the oil and refrigerate, and use the sediment as masks for the care of dry skin areas. During bath procedures, you can rub this slurry with light massage movements. If you have dry facial skin, then you can make a cosmetic mask, and be sure to test your skin for allergies.

I am sure that every woman knows how to do such a test, but just in case, I will say. You need to apply a little oil to the delicate part of the skin, it can be the inside of the wrist or the skin on the elbow. If within 10-15 minutes. no redness and discomfort did not arise, such a mask can be used, but not more often than 1-2 times a week.

What effect does pine oil give?

First of all, the antioxidant effect, due to the presence of vitamin C. Increases local immunity, smoothes fine wrinkles, partially restores skin collagen, moisturizes and nourishes the skin. Phytoncides contained in the needles create a bactericidal effect.

gum oil

I make gum oil from hard spruce gum. I collect it from the trunks of fir trees, where it is formed in places of damage to the bark in the form of sagging, drops and cones. It is necessary to collect hard resin.

Now the recipe for cooking gum oil.
I took a half-liter glass bottle from ketchup. The glass is thick, that's what you need.
The resin must be crushed, for example with a hammer or pliers, but it is not necessary to grind much. Put in a bottle and fill with oil.
The ratio of resin to oil is 1:4, I took 50 g of resin and 200 g of oil.

You also need such kitchen utensils as a flame spreader.
I turn on the gas on the smallest fire, on top of the divider, and on it a bottle of resin and oil.
Gradually, the oil will heat up and begin to melt and dissolve the resin.
You need to wait until the oil starts to boil, keep it in a boiling state for 10 minutes. The oil should become cloudy, part of the resin will dissolve, and an insoluble precipitate with bark particles will remain.

Turn off the gas and leave the bottle on the divider to cool slowly. You can not remove the bottle immediately, with a sharp change in temperature, the glass may crack.

After the bottle has cooled to a temperature that you can take with your hand, carefully pour the finished gum oil into another bowl. It is desirable, at the same time, to filter the oil through a metal strainer.
The oil is obtained with a pronounced coniferous smell.

This oil can be used as an external body care product, taken orally 1/3 teaspoon 2-3 times a day. Use to make homemade soap.

St. John's wort and yarrow oil

Do everything as usual, take 2 parts of St. John's wort and 1 part of yarrow.

Grind into powder in a meat grinder, leave for 3 weeks.

This oil, when taken orally, can be recommended for various inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In violation of appetite, for rinsing the mouth with gingivitis and stomatitis.
Take 1/2 teaspoon three times a day before meals with a glass of warm water.

As an external agent for the treatment of various skin lesions, including the treatment of healing burns and small wounds.

Dry herb infused oil
cold method

1. Very finely (as far as possible) grind dry plants.

2. Place the powder in a jar with a tight lid and add base oil (olive, almond, sesame, etc.) The amount of oil should be sufficient to completely cover the plants.
3. Let the plants settle, then add more oil so that the oil is about 0.6 cm thick above the plant mixture. Some lighter plants will float first. In this case, the bottom layer of oil should be approximately 0.6 cm.
4. Many dried plants also absorb these 0.6 cm of oil. Check your mixture after 24 hours. If this happens, add more oil to cover the dry plants.
5. Close the jar tightly.
6. Place it in a paper bag or box to protect from light and leave it in the sun for 7 or 10 days (or in a warm place) to infuse.
7. Every day, every two hours (or at least several times a day), shake or stir the mixture.
8. When the process is over, strain the mixture, separating the oil from the plants, then squeeze out the remaining mass.
9. Let the infusion stand indoors for several days, then decant (carefully drain without raising the sediment) the oil and filter the sediment.
10. Pour the oil into tightly closed glass vials, label and store in a cool, dark place.

hot simmering method

1. Grind dry plants to a powder.

2. Add base oil in the following ratio: to one part by weight of powder - 5 parts of oil (or other suitable ratio depending on the properties of the powder). In fact, for this method, the quantitative ratio is not very important, since the properties of the resulting product do not depend on this.

3. Place in a water bath (you can use a yogurt maker, electric meat roaster, or any other device that will allow you to control the temperature around 36-38 C). Some people place the oil in the oven using a heat lamp to control the temperature, but this method is not desirable. Sometimes, instead of calmly languishing the oil mixture in the oven, spontaneous combustion of the oil occurs due to the accidentally turned knob for heating the oven to a higher temperature.

4. Mix the mixture well, put it in a thermostat (water bath) heated to 36-38 C and cover the oil-herbal mixture with a lid.

5. This process of languishing using low heat is called digestion. Ideally, if you manage to continue the heating process for 10 days and nights at a temperature of about 36-38 C, stirring the mixture every two hours. Use a thermometer to control the temperature.

6. When the infusion process is over, strain the mixture, separating the oil from the plant, then squeeze out the remaining mass. Do not filter warm or hot oil.

7. Let the oil sit for a few days, then decant (carefully drain without raising the sediment) and filter.

8. Pour the oil into tightly sealed glass vials, label and store in a cool, dark place.

Infusion oil from fresh plants
cold method

Since infusions of fresh plants are in many cases better than analogues obtained from dried plants, lotions, ointments and other types of drugs applied externally and made on the basis of oils infused on fresh plants are preferable to preparations made using dried herbs. Olive oil can be used as a base. But for cosmetic creams, it is better to choose a less fatty oil, such as sesame or macadamia. Remember, infusion oil from petals or flowers cannot be heated.
1. Fill the resealable jar with alternating layers of cotton and flowers. The thickness of each layer should not exceed 0.6 cm.

2. Layers should be light and loose, they should not be pressed down.

3. Fill the vessel with the selected base oil.

4. Close and screw cap tightly.

5. Leave the vessel in a cold dark place for 1 month.

7. Place them under the press, then squeeze out the oil slowly and strongly. Remove plants and cotton wool.

8. Filter the oil infusion, if necessary, remove impurities and dust.

9. Store the oil in a brown glass bottle.

hot simmering method

1. Wither fresh plants for 12 hours (but do not dry them) or take fresh plants.

2. Finely chop or crush fresh or wilted plants until soft. Place this mass in a steam bath, yogurt maker or other thermostatically controlled device that will maintain a constant temperature of about 36-38°C.

4. Mix well and smell the mixture (do an olfactory analysis of the quality of the aroma) and remember the smell.

5. Put the mixture in a thermostat heated to 36-38 ° C, and close the oil-herbal mixture with a lid. Sometimes I leave it uncovered for the first two days to let the moisture evaporate. Ideally, if you manage to boil the oil mixture for 10 days and nights at a temperature of about 36-38 ° C, stirring and smelling it every two hours. Use a thermometer to control the temperature.

6. If fresh plants in oil have begun to ferment (change their smell), this should serve as an alarm for you. Raise the temperature to 50-55°C and then immediately lower it to 36-38°C and continue the steeping procedure. (Sudden heating usually reduces fermentation activity.)

7. Now we have a problem to deal with. Juices of fresh plants released water into the infusion. The presence of water in fatty oil favors the fermentation process, which makes the oil spoil faster, becoming rancid. To avoid this, all water must be removed before long-term storage.

8. So, your oil infusion should stand in a clean glass dish for 4 or 5 days. During settling, the vessel must not be shaken.

9. After decanting, it is recommended to carry out the settling procedure again. The oil should be allowed to stand for a few more days, after which the water collected at the bottom should be removed.

10. Pour the water-free oil into tightly sealed glass bottles, label and store in a cool, dark place.

Storage rules

Oils do not change their properties for a long time if stored in the cold in an airtight glass vessel. When the oil goes rancid, it is not suitable for herbal medicine or food. Therefore, it is very important to protect oils from exposure to air, light, heat and moisture. Store all oils in a cool place (refrigerator or freezer) in tightly sealed dark-colored containers. Fill the vessel as completely as possible so that the air remaining in the vessel does not spoil the oil during storage.

Already in antiquity, mankind learned to use medicinal and aromatic substances contained in plants for medicinal purposes. For this, extracts were made from plants.

Decorative medicinal herbs: mullein, pink stockrose, chamomile, calendula, cuff, lavender, stonecrop, gravel, hyssop, yarrow.

herbal oil

You can easily prepare the most famous herbal oils, such as peppermint, St. John's wort, lavender, dill, thyme, rosemary and lemon balm. Essential oils dissolve in fatty oils such as olive, sunflower or almond to create a medicinal extract.

A handful of herbs is added to 1 liter of vegetable oil (preferably olive oil). The resulting mixture is exposed to the sun for 2-3 weeks and shaken regularly. At this time, the desired active substances of the herbs pass into the oil. Ripened St. John's wort oil turns dark red, as the flowers contain the coloring substance hypericin.

The finished oil is filtered through a hair sieve to remove grass and poured into decorative dishes. If fresh flowers are once again put into the finished oil, the concentration of active substances and the healing properties of the oil will increase.

Herbal oils from arnica, chamomile, lavender, rosemary, mullein, lemon balm and peppermint are commonly used for rubbing and massage. They are also added to baths and used for cosmetic purposes. for skin care(oils from calendula, St. John's wort, marshmallow, carob clover and rosemary).

For therapeutic mouthwash use oils from sage, mint, lemon balm and calendula. These oils are good for gum disease, tooth decay and bad breath.

herbal alcohol

Herbal spirits and liqueurs, home-made bitters, used in case of heaviness in the stomach, are among the well-established and therefore favorite recipes of traditional medicine. After a heavy meal, in indigestion, and in many other cases, herbal spirits show exceptional efficacy.

Bottles with a wide neck are filled with herbs (a handful of herbs per 1 liter) and filled with pure alcohol or vodka (minimum 30%). A corked bottle is placed for 2-3 weeks in a sunny place for maturation. It is advisable to shake the contents of the bottle frequently. At the end, the contents are filtered and the finished alcohol is poured into a dry bottle. Herbal alcohol can be made sweet and bitter. In both cases, it will keep well. When making herbal liquor, it is preferable to dissolve the sugar in boiling water. You can also use maple syrup.

For the preparation of herbal alcohol, a mixture of lemon balm, lovage, all types of mint, gentian roots, St.

Medicinal and spicy wines

For the preparation of homemade herbal wines, flawless white, red or other sweet wines are taken. For 1 liter of wine, a handful (about 30-40 g) of the selected herb is added. The grass is placed in a bottle, closed and placed in a dark place at room temperature. After a sufficiently long period of time, the wine is filtered and consumed. Medicinal and spicy wines with proper filtration last from several months when used as a base for dry red and white wines, and up to several years when using sweet wines.

For self-preparation of spicy wines, fragrant woodruff (in small quantities), rosemary, basil, lemon balm, bitter wormwood (in small quantities) and hyssop (limited), all types of mint, sage, lavender, chamomile, etc.

Fresh herbal juices

The most famous juice is nettle juice. In the spring, it is recommended to drink a course of juices from well watercress, verbena, femur and a wide variety of herbs, such as shepherd's purse, lamb, snapdragon. The cleaned plant mass should be as fresh as possible. It is also possible to temporarily freeze juices in ice cube trays. Vegetable juices are strongly diluted with mineral water, milk or yogurt before use. Juices squeezed from herbs are used only fresh.

Tinctures, herbal extracts

For the preparation of tinctures, fresh and dry (powdered or crushed) source material is used. Herbs are placed in a bottle and poured with wine alcohol, closed and left for a period of 10-14 days. Shake the bottle regularly. The tincture is then filtered and bottled. A few drops of tincture are added during treatment or as a preventive measure to cold or hot herbal teas, but more often they are used externally as compresses, for foot baths and hand baths. In this case, the tincture is added to the water.

Herbal ointments, balms and creams

Healing ointments are prepared from emollient bold or fatty substances. For their manufacture, both fresh and dried plants are used.

Ointments and creams can also be prepared from herbal oils and tinctures. As a basis, fatty substances are used, for example, lanolin, almond oil or pork lard, which are heated and filtered. Thickening of the ointment is achieved by using beeswax. The ointment is stored longer if, after filling the jars with ointment, pour paraffin on top of them. Self-prepared medicinal ointments, balms and creams are stored in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Herbal and vegetable compresses

Herbs such as psyllium, marjoram, thyme, garlic, as well as onions, carrots, potatoes, or cabbage leaves are kneaded, laid out on a clean handkerchief, and used to treat sprains or bruises. Never put compresses on open wounds!

Herbal Bath Supplements

Aromatic herb bath is one of the most pleasant uses of medicinal herbs. You can use one type of herb to achieve a specific result, or 100 g of a mixture of different dry herbs for the preparation of an infusion (for one bath). Herbs can also be used in the following way. Wrap the grass in gauze or other cotton material and tie it up to make a bag, which is then tied up under a running stream of water or placed directly in a bath filled with water. Put 50-100 g of dried herbs in a linen bag and lower it into the bath under running water. Thus, the grass will give all its healing properties and aroma, and plant particles will not fall into the water.

Herbal baths:

• Melissa helps to relax and relieve stress, helps to normalize sleep.
• Rosemary has a tonic effect, strengthens strength, energizes and energizes.
• Oregano and thyme help with colds, relieve muscle pain that occurs during the course of the disease.
• Valerian for insomnia and neuroses.
• Chamomile for skin diseases and hemorrhoids.
• Lavender for neurosis and as a sedative, as well as for low blood pressure.
• Melissa in neuroses and neurotic heart diseases.
• Rosemary for low blood pressure.
• Thyme in respiratory diseases.
• Often used yarrow, all varieties of mint, golden melissa.

Section "HERBS" - publication of the book "Greens and Herbs" from the series "Timiryazev Academy advises", EKSMO-Press and Lik-Press publishing house, 2001.

An extract is a semi-finished product obtained by concentrating a substance.

extracts are concentrated extracts from medicinal plant materials. There are liquid extracts, thick extracts - viscous masses with a moisture content of not more than 25%, dry extracts - loose masses with a moisture content of not more than 5 %.

Various methods are used to obtain extracts: maceration (infusion), percolation (displacement), repercolation, countercurrent and circulation extraction, etc.

For the extraction of medicinal plant materials, water, ethyl alcohol of various concentrations and other extractants are used, sometimes with the addition of acids, alkalis, glycerol, chloroform, etc.

In the manufacture of liquid extracts from one weight part of medicinal plant materials, one or two volume parts of the extract are obtained.

The resulting extracts stand for at least 2 days at a temperature not exceeding 10 ° C until a clear liquid is obtained and filtered.

Extracts for thick extracts are freed from ballast substances by precipitation with alcohol, the use of adsorbents, boiling and other methods, followed by filtration.

The purified extracts are concentrated by evaporation under vacuum to the proper consistency.

Dry extracts are obtained by drying thick extracts or directly from a purified extract using methods that ensure maximum preservation of active ingredients - spraying, lyophilization, sublimation, etc.

Extracts containing dry matter above the norms specified in private articles are diluted.

The extracts are stored in packaging that ensures the stability of the drug during the indicated expiration date, and, if necessary, in a cool, dark place.

It is allowed to prepare solutions of thick extracts in a ratio of 1: 1 in a solvent consisting of 6 parts of water, 3

parts glycerin and 1 part alcohol. Solutions of thick extracts are used in double quantities and stored for no more than 15 days.

Oil extracts from vegetable raw materials are obtained in two ways:

Direct extraction of raw materials with oil or preliminary extraction of raw materials with an organic solvent, followed by transfer of the extracted substances into oil.

St. John's wort oil extracts are obtained by the first method, however, due to the high viscosity of the extractant, the diffusion process during oil extraction proceeds very slowly and the active substances are not completely extracted. The process is somewhat accelerated when using heated oil.

A high yield of active substances is observed when oil extracts are obtained by the second method. According to this method, an oil extract of henbane is obtained by maceration of henbane leaves with 70 ° alcohol with the addition of 1% ammonia solution. The resulting extract is mixed with sunflower oil, then the alcohol is distilled off under vacuum. The concentrate is diluted with oil to pharmacopoeial concentration.

In addition to extracts from medicinal plants, tinctures, infusions and decoctions are obtained, the production of which is also based on the extraction process.

Tinctures are colored liquid alcohol or water-alcohol extracts from medicinal plant materials, obtained without heating and removing the extractant.

The degree of grinding of medicinal plant materials is indicated in private articles.

In the manufacture of tinctures from one weight part of medicinal plant materials, 5 volume parts of the finished product are obtained, from potent raw materials - 10 parts, unless otherwise indicated in private articles.

The obtained extracts stand for at least 2 days. at a temperature not exceeding 10 ° C until a clear liquid is obtained and filtered.

Infusions and decoctions are aqueous extracts from different parts of medicinal plant materials used for oral and external use. Various parts of medicinal plants (bark, roots and rhizomes, leaves, flowers, herbs, seeds, fruits and collections from them) are used as starting materials for obtaining aqueous extracts.

In accordance with the requirements of the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR X and XI editions for the preparation of infusions and decoctions, plant parts are crushed: leathery leaves - to particles no more than 3 mm, fruits and seeds - no more than 0.5 mm and prepared in different ways. The flowers are brewed in porcelain dishes, pouring boiling water over them. The leaves are poured with boiling water and kept on fire for 3-5 minutes, or simply insisted for 15-20 minutes. The roots and stems are poured with water and brought to a boil over low heat and boiled for 10 minutes. All teas are infused for 15-20 minutes in enameled or porcelain dishes.

The preparation of an aqueous extract from non-potent plant materials is prepared at the rate of 10 weight parts of plant materials per 100 volume parts of infusion or decoction.

Water infusions from Adonis herb, lily of the valley herb, rhizomes with valerian roots are prepared 1:30. Infusions and decoctions from groups of potent plant materials are prepared in a ratio of 1:400.

Syrups- concentrated aqueous solutions of sucrose, which may contain medicinal substances, fruit food extracts.

Syrups are thick, transparent liquids, which, depending on the composition, have a characteristic smell and taste.

Syrups are prepared by dissolving sugar when heated in water or in extracts from plant materials. Medicinal syrups are also obtained by adding medicinal substances (tinctures, extracts) to sugar syrup.

The resulting syrups are filtered and poured into dry sterile vessels.

If necessary, preservatives (alcohol, nipagin, nipazol, sorbic acid) or other preservatives approved for medical use are added to syrups.

Currently widely used extraction way extraction of biologically active substances from medicinal raw materials. Previously existing methods of extraction, such as percolation and maceration, have reached their natural limit and do not make it possible to increase the rate of processing of medicinal plant materials and increase the yield of the target product. Therefore, there is a search for new methods and equipment for the extraction process.

Thus, the dissolution of the components of vegetable raw materials in alcohol in a rotary apparatus operating in the mode of pulsed cavitation excitation was studied. The use of a rotary apparatus in a similar mode intensifies the process of extractive substances extraction from plants (cooking time is reduced by more than 2 orders of magnitude). This reduces the loss of alcohol, there is no need to heat the mixture. In general, the technological scheme for obtaining alcohol extracts from plants is simplified.

In the USA, a method has been proposed for the rapid extraction of valuable components from dried plant materials by extracting with water at a temperature of 40-60 C and creating ultrasonic vibrations in the mixture with a frequency in the range of 100-150 kHz. This method provides an extract of high transparency without loss of flavor compounds and without components with an unpleasant bitter or astringent taste. At the same time, the sterilization of the extract is carried out due to the action of ultrasonic waves.

To intensify the extraction process, a cavitation-rotation method is used to obtain extracts from spicy-aromatic plant raw materials, based on the use of a cavitation generator, which makes it possible to increase the degree of dispersion of raw materials, while simultaneously carrying out accelerated extraction of dissolved substances from it. As a result, extracts were obtained with significant biological value due to the increased content of phenolic compounds, amino acids, and minerals.

Thus, from the methods of processing plant raw materials, extraction is the most preferable.

The method of maceration comes from the Latin word maceratio, from macero - soften, soak. Maceration is a method of extracting active beneficial substances from a plant (as a whole or separately: petals, roots, inflorescences) by infusion (extraction) in a liquid. Sometimes macerates are also called infusion oils or infusions. For maceration, you can use different types of extractants: vegetable oil, water with glycerin, alcohol with water and others. Steeping can take several weeks with regular stirring.

Maceration can be done at room temperature, with little heat, for example, solar ("solar infusion"), as well as with constant heating (languishing). The prepared mixture is filtered to obtain a clear solution without small plant particles. The resulting infusion is used for cosmetic and medicinal purposes on its own (massage oil or base for aroma mixture) or to enrich creams, ointments, serums, lotions, etc.

Also, macerates are a good alternative to some very expensive or dangerous essential oils. For example, arnica essential oil is poisonous, while maceration extracts only valuable substances without toxic ones.

To prepare a macerate (or infusion) is taken dried or raw materials. Dry plants give more predictable results as they dry out. the moisture contained in the plant can produce mold in the final product. Herbs for maceration must be taken of good quality: pharmacy, collected in the forest (ecologically clean areas and away from roads) or grown in their own beds without the use of fertilizers.

In order to properly prepare plants for infusion, you need to know that flowers do not need to be crushed, leaves and grass (depending on density) need to be crushed from 3 to 7 mm, stems, bark and rhizomes - 7 mm.

How to decide what we will insist on our plant and what part of it we use for this (petals, rhizome, etc.)?

First we need to study what active ingredient we want to get, because each extractant can extract (dissolve) only certain substances from the raw material. For example, rhizomes, bark, and thick-skinned plants infuse better in heated oil, while flower petals should not be heated at all (essential oils, as a rule, contained in them evaporate).

Oil maceration

Active substances that can be extracted with this type of maceration: Aromatic compounds (for example, linalool), 1,8-cineol, alpha-pinene, resinous substances, carotenoids (provitamin A), tocopherols (vitamin E) and others.

Plants

Flowers: orange, rose, wild rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine, mock orange, St. John's wort, calendula, immortelle (cumin sand), cornflower, violet, linden, etc.

Herbs: parsley, lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, thyme, horsetail, chamomile, oregano, yarrow, bergenia, birch (buds, leaves, bark), white and green tea, lingonberry, verbena, oak (bark), nettle, mate, coltsfoot, lemon balm, peppermint, pine (buds), hops, echinacea, laurel, vanilla (pods), etc.

Rhizomes: calamus, angelica, carrots, ginger, pink radiola, peony, valerian, horseradish, white cinquefoil, celery, etc.

In order to get a quality infusion, you need unrefined and refined vegetable oils cold pressed without additives. A prerequisite is the stability of oils(resistance to sunlight and heat), as unstable ones can go rancid quickly and shorten the shelf life of macerate. You also need to pay attention to the smell of the oil, as some oils can drown out the smell of your plant.

Good fit:

How to make butter macerate

I. Classic way

5 or 10 parts of oil are added to 1 part of the prepared herb. Infused with daily periodic stirring at room temperature for 7 days. Plants must be carefully squeezed out, drain the infusion. Pour the pressed grass with the missing volume of clean oil, squeeze again. Combine both oils. After 4-8 days, the macerate is filtered and bottled for storage.

II. Fractional maceration (remaceration)

This method is based on the separation of oil or raw materials and oil into parts. The total amount of oil is divided into 3-4 parts, after which the raw material is infused sequentially with the first part of the oil, then with the second, third and fourth, draining the extract each time. The extracts are pooled and bottled for storage. The infusion time depends on the properties of the plant (up to 7 days). This type of maceration makes it possible to quickly obtain a more concentrated infusion.

III. Hot languishing of herbs or extraction with heating, "solar" maceration

Slightly heated raw materials (possible in the oven) are poured with warmed oil (40-50 degrees). The mixture is mixed, placed in a water bath (on a battery, in the sun, covered with a black cloth or a thick paper bag). The mixture is heated for 3 hours, stirring or shaking every 20 minutes. Then it cools completely, then heats up again for 3 hours. For complete extraction of active substances - terms from 3 to 10 days. The herb is pressed, filtered, and the finished infusion is bottled. Some sources recommend to produce "solar" maceration, infusing raw materials in direct sunlight, which is not entirely true, because. essential oils (the most valuable asset) evaporate in the light.

IV. Maceration of fresh petals (home method)

The oil is heated to 30-50 degrees. A fabric soaked in warm oil (gauze or linen) is laid out in a glass jar at the bottom. Flower petals 2-3 mm thick are scattered on it. Petals with fabric are poured with oil until a “mirror” is formed (so that the petals are completely covered with oil). So lay out 3-4 layers. The jar is closed and placed in a dark place for 1 week. A cloth with petals is placed on a colander or sieve to glass the oil, then wring out. The oil is filtered, blended and bottled for storage.

Storage rules

1. The finished filtered oil extract must be poured into a dark-colored jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid.

2. Make a label with date of manufacture, base oil and plant name.

3. Keep the infusion only in the refrigerator and away from light.

4. Shelf life will depend on the oil used, how stable it is. To extend the shelf life, vitamin E can be added to the oil extract.

Water-glycerine maceration

Saponins, furocoumarins, vitamins C, K, P, PP, tannins, polysaccharides, anthocyanins, organic acids, salts, sugars, mucus, etc.

Plants: Cucumber, blackcurrant, hibiscus, licorice root, nettle, peony root, kelp, fucus, marshmallow, grape leaves, green and white tea, butcher's needle, horse chestnut, clover, leuzea (maral root), dandelion, ivy, plantain, centella , smooth hernia and many others.

The water must be clean and free of salts and impurities. At home, you can apply the thermal method (distillation) and the freezing method for desalting. Glycerin, be sure to use vegetable origin from a trusted manufacturer to avoid harmful substances. In water-glycerin macerates, different percentages of glycerin can be used from 10 to 70%. If the glycerin content is higher than 50%, then it is not necessary to add a preservative. But 50% water-glycerin infusion should be introduced into preparations from 5 to 10% to avoid the opposite effect (dryness instead of moisturizing) and stickiness on the skin. The percentage of macerate input will vary depending on the product you want to prepare (creams and emulsions - less percentage, washable emulsions - more percentage).

How to make water-glycerin macerate

The crushed plant is mixed with a water-glycerin solution (1 part of the plant and up to 5 parts of water with glycerin). Some plants swell a lot and will need more liquid than others. The plant is stirred every day and infused from 24 hours to 1-2 weeks away from light and heat.

Storage rules

1. Pour the prepared strained water-glycerin infusion into a dark-colored bottle or bottle with a tight-fitting lid.

3. Water-glycerin extracts are sensitive to bacterial contamination, so it is very important to maintain sterility at all stages. The infusion must be prepared before use, so as not to store or be sure to add a preservative. No preservative, shelf life up to 3 weeks.

4. Store the extract in the refrigerator.

Alcohol and water-alcohol maceration

Tinctures (tinctures)- These are liquid alcohol or water-alcohol extracts from plant materials, which are obtained without heating and removing the solvent. Tinctures can be simple, obtained from a single plant, or complex, a mixture of several plants. To obtain tinctures, dried plant material is more often used, in some cases fresh raw materials. Extraction cannot be carried out with pure alcohol, because it can extract unwanted substances and only partially dissolve the necessary ones.

For some reason, it is believed that alcohol tinctures are good to use only for oily and combination skin, but this is not so. You can partially or completely evaporate the alcohol to obtain a concentrated mixture or dry extract. For ease of use, a thick extract or powder can be dissolved in another liquid medium (water or glycerin).

Active substances that can be extracted with this type of maceration: Carotenoids (provitamin A), tocopherols (vitamin E), aromatic compounds, phytosterols, flavonoids, tannins, dyes, alkaloids, and many others.

Plants: All kinds of plants that dissolve oil and water. Alcohol dissolves them better, and a more diverse range of necessary substances is extracted.

How to prepare a water-alcohol tincture

For 1 part of the crushed plant, such an amount of liquid is taken to make 5 parts of the finished tincture. A jar or bottle is filled with fresh crushed raw materials, filled with 40-75% alcohol (alcohol + water) or vodka, tightly closed with a lid and infused. As a rule, fresh plants insist 3-5 days, dry - 8-15 days. The tincture is drained, squeezed and filtered. Regardless of the color of the plant, the tincture should remain clear.

Storage rules

1. Pour the finished strained infusion into a dark-colored bottle or bottle with a tight-fitting lid.

2. Make a label with the date of manufacture and the name of the plant.

3. Store the extract in the refrigerator (up to several years). Monitor sedimentation. This means that insoluble biologically active substances have formed. In industry, the tincture is filtered and re-standardized. At home, we cannot do this and consider the extract unsuitable for use.

There are many ways to obtain extracts from plant materials, but most of them cannot be used at home. We tried to introduce you to the easiest ones to perform.

References:

1. State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR. Issue 2. Author M.D. Mashkovsky, E.A. Babayan, A.N. Oboimakova, V.M. Bulaev and others.

2. Electronic textbook. National Pharmaceutical University, Department of Factory Drug Technology. City of Kharkov.

3. A.A. Margolin, E.I. Hernandez. New cosmetology. Volume 1

4. Blog site aroma-zone

3.1. Tinctures - These are liquid alcoholic or alcoholic-water extracts from VP, which are obtained without heating and removing the extractant.

For the preparation of tinctures, ethyl alcohol of various concentrations is used: 95, 90, 70, 60, 45, 40, 30, 20%. The concentration of the extractant is selected in such a way that it extracts the maximum active and minimum - ballast substances. The advantage of this dosage form is microbiological security. In alcohol, most mechanical impurities are insoluble and in tinctures a longer shelf life than in aqueous extracts. However, alcohol does not extract many valuable biologically active substances - pectins, mucus, inulin, etc.

Tinctures are prepared in various ways: maceration, percolation, dissolution of extracts, etc.

Maceration (infusion) is the easiest way to prepare extracts. Dried and properly crushed raw materials are poured into enameled, glass or stainless steel dishes with a calculated amount of extractant, infused at a temperature of 10-15 ° C, stirring occasionally, for at least two days (if the infusion period is not specified). The resulting tincture is drained, the residue is carefully squeezed out, filtered through several layers of gauze, washed with a small amount of alcohol and squeezed again. The pressed extracts are combined with the main one. The method of fine maceration is also used. In this case, the calculated amount of alcohol is divided into portions, pouring LRS in these portions sequentially.

Percolations - straining, displacement of BAR by continuous filtration of the extractant through a layer of raw materials. This method is carried out in special percolators equipped with devices that ensure a continuous supply of the extractant and leakage of the extract. Both methods of preparing tinctures are carried out in a mass-volume ratio: the raw material is taken by mass, and the solvent by volume.

The preparation of tinctures from extracts is carried out by dissolving the required amount of the extract in alcohol of the appropriate concentration.

3.2. Elixirs - this is a kind of tinctures, which are combined solutions of extracts with other medicinal substances (for example, breast or liquorice elixir).

Storage. Tinctures are stored in well-corked glassware in a cool place protected from light. The precipitate falls out, filtered before use.

3.3. Extract preparations from fresh plants

It is necessary to grind the slightly dried MSR from dust, since the living cell is in a state of turgor, the protoplasm is tightly pressed against the cell wall and has the property of being penetrated. At the same time, substances dissolved in the cell sap do not seep out. Therefore, to extract biologically active compounds, cell walls must be destroyed.

Tinctures from fresh plant materials are obtained by maceration or bismaceration. Usually, from 1 part by weight of a non-strong raw material, 5 parts by volume of a tincture are obtained, and 10 parts by volume of a strong dichoic raw material. But there may be another ratio of raw materials and finished tincture: 1: 4.1: 2, etc.

When obtaining tinctures by maceration, the crushed raw materials are poured with ethyl alcohol (usually 90%), infused for 14 days, the infusion is separated and the raw material is squeezed out. The tincture is settled for 7 days at a temperature not exceeding 8 ° C and filtered.

When using the method bismaceration crushed raw materials are first poured with 96% ethyl alcohol and infused for 7 days. The second time - 20% ethyl alcohol for 3 days. The combined extracts are settled, filtered and tinctures containing 40-50% ethanol are obtained.

For example, a liquid extract is prepared by the bismaceration method. onions or green onions which is called allylchep. Apply it inside 15-20 drops for intestinal atony, atherosclerosis. To obtain an extract, onions are cleaned of external films and crushed. The mushy mass is poured with 70% ethanol in a ratio of 1.0: 1.5 and infused at room temperature for 7 days. The tincture is poured. Then the raw materials are suddenly macerated, for which they are poured with 60% ethyl alcohol (1: 1) and infused for 24 hours. After the specified time, the tincture is attached to the first.

In folk medicine, tinctures from various plants are used. Tincture blood red hawthorn flowers prepared on 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1:10. Insist at room temperature for 14 days and filter. Apply 15-20 drops per 30-50 ml of water 3 times a day as a cardiotonic, antispasmodic, antihypertensive and sedative.