Composition of angelica root oils obtained by supercritical CO₂ extraction and steam distillation

Supercritical CO² extraction was used to isolate flavor compounds from angelica root (Angelica archangelica L.). The extractions were conducted at 40°C at pressures ranging from 80–400 bar. The extracts were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. For comparison, flavor compounds were also isolated from angelica root by steam distillation.

A total of 76 components were identified and determined quantitatively. α-Pinene, sabinene, myrcene, α-phellandrene, δ-3-carene, p-cymene, β-phellandrene, chrysanthenyl acetate, α-copaene, 15-pentadecanolide, 7-methoxy-8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-2H-l-benzopyran-2-one, and a furanocoumarin tentatively identified as oxypeucedanin were among the major volatile components in the supercritical extracts.

The total yield of volatiles obtained by supercritical CO² extraction at various pressures ranged from 0.13–0.55%. The highest yield was obtained at 200 bar, particularly because of the large amount of 7-methoxy-8-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-2H-l-benzopyran-2-one. For monoterpenoids, maximum yield was obtained already at 100 bar.