A hydrodistillation-based essential oils extraction: A quest for the most effective and cleaner technology

Hydrodistillation methods have been used to extract essential oils from medicinal and aromatic plants for decades. This article provides a cutting-edge review of the hydrodistillation methods used for essential oil extraction to assess their efficacy. Ten medicinal and aromatic plants were chosen for this evaluation. This investigation found the highest essential oil concentration in Clove buds (11.6%) and the lowest in Basil (1.1%). Hydrodistillation is the most effective method for extracting spices such as Cloves, Cumin, Ginger, Mentha, Dill seeds, Lemongrass, and Basil. Instead, steam distillation proved to be the most effective technique for extracting Lavender, Orange peels, and Eucalyptus. It has been revealed that ohmic-assisted hydrodistillation is the most effective and successful technique for essential oils extraction. Compared to other hydrodistillation techniques, ohmic-assisted hydrodistillation uses the least energy. Consequently, it is the cleaner technology for essential oils extraction. Many researchers have successfully extracted essential oils using solar energy. Clove produced the most excellent yield, 55 mL/kg, while Peppermint produced the lowest yield, 0.49 mL/day, utilising solar energy-assisted hydrodistillation. Based on the study results, it is evident that the ohmic-assisted hydrodistillation system must be optimised for essential oils extraction since it can offer a higher yield in the shortest time.