Optimization of Process Conditions for Extracting Litsea cubeba Kernel Oil by Microwave-Assisted Water Method

Abstract Litsea cubeba is a rich woody oil plant resource in China. The economic value of Litsea cubeba oil is high. In order to improve the resource utilization rate of Litsea cubeba, this study used microwave-assisted water method to extract Litsea cubeba kernel oil from the seeds of Litsea cubeba. The optimum process conditions were as follows: microwave time 60 min, extraction temperature 80.18 °C, liquid-to-liquid ratio 11.46:1, microwave power 587.44 W. Under this optimized condition, the extraction rate of Litsea cubeba kernel oil was 37.54%. It can be seen that the microwave assisted water generation method for extracting Litsea cubeba nucleolus oil is reliable and has certain utilization value.