Table 1.

A brief summary of various extraction methods for natural products

Method	Solvent	Temperature	Pressure	Time	Volume of organic solvent consumed	Polarity of natural products extracted
Maceration	Water, aqueous and non-aqueous solvents	Room temperature	Atmospheric	Long	Large	Dependent on extracting solvent
Percolation	Water, aqueous and non-aqueous solvents	Room temperature, occasionally under heat	Atmospheric	Long	Large	Dependent on extracting solvent
Decoction	Water	Under heat	Atmospheric	Moderate	None	Polar compounds
Reflux extraction	Aqueous and non-aqueous solvents	Under heat	Atmospheric	Moderate	Moderate	Dependent on extracting solvent
Soxhlet extraction	Organic solvents	Under heat	Atmospheric	Long	Moderate	Dependent on extracting solvent
Pressurized liquid extraction	Water, aqueous and non-aqueous solvents	Under heat	High	Short	Small	Dependent on extracting solvent
Supercritical fluid extraction	Supercritical fluid (usually S-CO2), sometimes with modifier	Near room temperature	High	Short	None or small	Nonpolar to moderate polar compounds
Ultrasound assisted extraction	Water, aqueous and non-aqueous solvents	Room temperature, or under heat	Atmospheric	Short	Moderate	Dependent on extracting solvent
Microwave assisted extraction	Water, aqueous and non-aqueous solvents	Room temperature	Atmospheric	Short	None or moderate	Dependent on extracting solvent
Pulsed electric field extraction	Water, aqueous and non-aqueous solvents	Room temperature, or under heat	Atmospheric	Short	Moderate	Dependent on extracting solvent
Enzyme assisted extraction	Water, aqueous and non-aqueous solvents	Room temperature, or heated after enzyme treatment	Atmospheric	Moderate	Moderate	Dependent on extracting solvent
Hydro distillation and steam distillation	Water	Under heat	Atmospheric	Long	None	Essential oil (usually non-polar)