Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract
Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract
Purity Levels
6% to 15% Carnosic Acid by HPLC
Extraction Technologies
Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey extraction plants for Rosmarinus officinalis (syn. Salvia rosmarinus), processing the dried leaf into a standardised extract at 6% to 15% Carnosic Acid by HPLC. Carnosic acid, together with its oxidation product carnosol, is the primary diterpene antioxidant pair responsible for rosemary extract's function as a natural free-radical scavenger — the basis of its major commercial use as a natural preservative in food and cosmetic formulations, a distinctly different market from rosemary essential oil. We supply the complete machinery — leaf cleaning, milling, oxidation-controlled solvent or CO2-based extraction, filtration, vacuum concentration, closed-loop solvent recovery, HPLC standardisation and protected drying — to process rosemary leaf into a consistent antioxidant extract for the food-preservation, cosmetic and nutraceutical industries. Candidate extraction technologies for rosmarinic acid, and carnosic acid and oil: Counter-Current Extraction (CCE), Supercritical CO₂ Extraction (SCFE), Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction (UAE) and Microwave-Assisted Extraction (MAE) (4 in total).
Mechotech's Rosmarinus officinalis plant is engineered around the specific chemistry of the leaf's diterpene fraction: carnosic acid is itself the antioxidant reserve compound, and it progressively oxidises to carnosol and other degradation products on exposure to heat, light and air — the same oxidative reactivity that makes the extract valuable as a preservative is also what threatens its own assay during processing. The line is therefore built around controlled-temperature extraction (solvent or supercritical CO2), inert-gas-blanketed concentration and protected drying to hold the carnosic acid fraction intact through to the declared 6%-15% specification, while allowing a documented, controlled carnosic-acid-to-carnosol ratio rather than uncontrolled oxidative drift. This antioxidant-extract line is a distinct product and process route from rosemary essential oil distillation, targeting the leaf's polar diterpene-acid fraction rather than its volatile terpene oil. Built in SS 316L with electropolished product-contact surfaces, PLC-SCADA automation and full batch documentation, each plant is delivered as a commissioned turnkey system.
Technical Specifications
| Product | Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract Plant |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name | Rosmarinus officinalis (syn. Salvia rosmarinus) |
| Feedstock | Rosemary leaves |
| Part / Feed Form | Leaves |
| Target Extract | Rosmarinic acid; carnosic acid and oil |
| Extract Type | Standardised dry extract (powder) or oil-soluble antioxidant concentrate |
| Standardisation | 6% to 15% Carnosic Acid by HPLC |
| Extraction Method | Counter-current, CO2, UAE, MAE |
| Technology Count | 4 |
| Extraction Conditions | Solvent extraction (ethanol/hexane-class) or supercritical CO2 extraction, closed jacketed SS 316L / pressure-rated vessels |
| Product-contact Material | SS 316L, electropolished, CIP-cleanable |
| Filtration System | Plate-and-frame filter press with cartridge polish filtration |
| Concentration System | Low-temperature falling-film / vacuum evaporator under nitrogen blanketing with closed-loop solvent recovery |
| Drying System | Vacuum tray dryer or spray dryer with oxidation-protected handling |
| Automation | PLC-SCADA with recipe management, batch traceability and production reporting |
| Utility Requirements | Steam, chilled/cooling water, compressed air, soft water, nitrogen, power (project-specific) |
| Compliance | GMP hygienic design; full documentation for qualification |
| Final Product Form | Free-flowing standardised extract powder or oil-dispersible antioxidant concentrate |
Plant Capacities
| Plant Scale | Leaf Throughput | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Configured to your feedstock and trial plan | Product development, parameter validation |
| Semi-Commercial | Configured to raw-material supply and buyer volume | Contract manufacturing, scale-up trials |
| Commercial | Configured to raw-material supply and confirmed buyer volume | Commercial production at confirmed buyer volume |
Capacity is configured to raw-material supply and confirmed buyer volume; we recommend a pilot plant to validate process parameters before scaling. No fixed throughput is quoted for this product.
Manufacturing Process
Each extraction method follows a different process — pick a method to see its steps.
Raw-Material Preparation
Rosemary leaves are cleaned and size-reduced so rosmarinic acid can be reached by the extraction medium; particle size and moisture are set during process development.
Counter-Current Loading
Prepared rosemary leaves are fed into a multi-stage solid–liquid counter-current extractor where fresh ethanol/water or a suitable food-grade solvent meets the most-depleted material.
Counter-Current Extraction
Solvent flows against the solids across stages to draw out rosmarinic acid; bed flow and fines management are verified during pilot work.
Extract (Miscella) Collection
The rosmarinic acid-bearing miscella is collected from the fresh-feed end while spent solids are discharged from the solvent-entry end.
Concentration & Solvent Recovery
Solvent is removed from the clarified rosmarinic acid-bearing extract under vacuum and returned through a solvent-recovery loop; recovery performance is confirmed at pilot scale.
Standardisation & Drying
The rosmarinic acid extract is assayed against the declared target specification and dried or supplied as a concentrate, according to the requirement.
Raw-Material Conditioning
Rosemary leaves are cleaned and conditioned so carnosic acid and oil is accessible to supercritical CO₂; moisture and particle size are set during process development.
Extraction Vessel Loading
Conditioned rosemary leaves are charged into the high-pressure extraction vessel.
Supercritical CO₂ Extraction
Supercritical CO₂ passes through the charge and dissolves carnosic acid and oil; an ethanol modifier can be evaluated where polar fractions are also required, and operating pressure and temperature are set in process development.
Separator Collection
Pressure is reduced in separator stages so the extracted carnosic acid and oil drops out of the CO₂ and is collected.
CO₂ Recycle
Gaseous CO₂ is re-liquefied and recirculated to the extractor, limiting make-up gas demand.
Finishing & Packing
The collected carnosic acid and oil is polished by filtration as needed and packed to the required specification.
Raw-Material Preparation
Rosemary leaves are cleaned and size-reduced so rosmarinic acid can be reached by the extraction medium; particle size and moisture are set during process development.
Slurrying
Prepared rosemary leaves are slurried with ethanol/water or water in the extraction vessel.
Ultrasonic Cavitation
Ultrasound creates cavitation that disrupts the plant matrix and speeds release of rosmarinic acid; probe intensity, temperature and filtration behaviour are piloted.
Separation
Spent solids are separated by filtration or centrifugation and the extract is clarified before concentration.
Concentration & Solvent Recovery
Solvent is removed from the clarified rosmarinic acid-bearing extract under vacuum and returned through a solvent-recovery loop; recovery performance is confirmed at pilot scale.
Standardisation & Drying
The rosmarinic acid extract is assayed against the declared target specification and dried or supplied as a concentrate, according to the requirement.
Raw-Material Preparation
Rosemary leaves are cleaned and size-reduced so rosmarinic acid can be reached by the extraction medium; particle size and moisture are set during process development.
Medium Mixing
Prepared rosemary leaves are mixed with ethanol/water or water in the microwave extraction vessel.
Microwave Heating & Extraction
Controlled microwave heating drives rosmarinic acid out of the prepared feed in a short cycle; heating, moisture, solvent safety and temperature-sensitive targets are controlled, with limits set during process development and pilot validation.
Separation
Spent solids are separated by filtration or centrifugation and the extract is clarified before concentration.
Concentration & Solvent Recovery
Solvent is removed from the clarified rosmarinic acid-bearing extract under vacuum and returned through a solvent-recovery loop; recovery performance is confirmed at pilot scale.
Standardisation & Drying
The rosmarinic acid extract is assayed against the declared target specification and dried or supplied as a concentrate, according to the requirement.
Major Plant Equipment
- Leaf cleaning system
- Hammer mill / cutting mill (size reduction)
- Stainless-steel jacketed solvent extraction vessels (SS 316L) or supercritical CO2 extraction unit
- Solvent storage tanks
- Solvent transfer pumps
- Plate-and-frame filter press / pressure leaf filter
- Cartridge polish filters
- Nitrogen blanketing system
- Falling-film / low-temperature vacuum evaporator
- Closed-loop solvent recovery system
- Condensers & vacuum pumps
- HPLC quality-control laboratory setup
- Standardisation/blending vessel
- Vacuum tray dryer / spray dryer
- CIP (clean-in-place) system
- PLC-SCADA control panel, electrical MCC & instrumentation
Plant Output
Applications
- Natural food-preservative applications (oxidative rancidity control in oils, fats and meat products)
- Cosmetic and personal-care antioxidant actives (natural preservative systems)
- Nutraceutical capsule, tablet, and supplement manufacturing
- Functional food and beverage antioxidant fortification
- Animal feed and pet-food oxidation-stability applications
- Export to regulated-market ingredient buyers requiring HPLC-verified carnosic acid content
Key Features
GMP Hygienic SS 316L Construction
Electropolished SS 316L product-contact surfaces use GMP hygienic design, with CIP operation between batches.
Oxidation-Controlled Processing
Extraction, concentration and drying stages run under moderated temperature and nitrogen blanketing throughout, since carnosic acid's own antioxidant reactivity makes it prone to oxidising into carnosol during processing.
Closed-Loop Solvent Recovery
Integrated recovery returns the majority of solvent per batch.
HPLC-Verified Standardisation
In-process and batch-release HPLC assay are used to check the finished extract against its declared 6%-15% Carnosic Acid specification.
Distinct from Essential-Oil Distillation
The plant targets the leaf's polar diterpene-acid antioxidant fraction through solvent/CO2 extraction — a separate process route and product from rosemary essential oil steam distillation.
Scalable Batch Capacity
Plants are configured to raw-material supply and confirmed buyer volume, with modular expansion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mechotech supply the complete machinery for Rosmarinus Officinalis extraction?
Does the carnosic acid convert to carnosol during processing, and is that a problem?
Why does this process run under nitrogen blanketing and controlled temperature?
Is this the same as a rosemary essential oil plant?
What is Rosmarinus officinalis extract mainly used for?
What production capacities are available for the Rosmarinus Officinalis plant?
Which plant part or feed form does the rosemary leaf plant process?
Which extraction technologies are suitable for rosemary leaves?
Why do the candidate technologies target rosmarinic acid, and carnosic acid and oil when the specification on this page is 6% to 15% carnosic acid by HPLC?
How does the rosemary leaf extraction process work?
What equipment does the rosemary leaf extraction plant include?
Which related Mechotech extraction pages cover the same material or target?
Which industries use Rosmarinus Officinalis extract, and does the plant support GMP qualification?
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