The Accelerated Solvent Extraction system (ASE) uses elevated temperature and pressure to increase the efficiency of the extraction process. ASE automates and improves solvent extraction by significantly decreasing solvent consumption and extraction time. This application note describes the use of the ASE system for solvent extraction of five marker compounds from herbal preparations followed by analysis by HPLC. The results are compared to traditional pharmacopoeia extraction methods.

The following compounds are listed by UNEP to be POPS: • Pesticides: Aldrin, Chlordane, DDT, Dieldrin, Endrin, Heptachlor, Mirex, and Toxaphene • Industrial chemicals: Hexachlorobenzene, and PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) • Chemical by-products (Dioxins): Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD and PCDF) This application note describes methods and results for extraction of the POPs listed above, with tables comparing ASE to traditional extraction methods.

This Application Note reports on the use of a coupled ASE-ASPEC system as an automated extraction and extract manipulation device for the determination of dianthrones in St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum). The results using the coupled system are compared to those obtained using a traditional sonication procedure followed by manual SPE cleanup.

This Application Note describes the extraction of fat from a variety of dried milk products. The samples range from very low-fat products such as skim milk powder to very high-fat products such as cream powder. The extraction of fat from these matrices is rapid and the results are equivalent to the referenced traditional methods.

This application note describes an accelerated solvent extraction method for determining the amount of fat in meat samples. The method provides a rapid means of extracting fat from all of the types of meat investigated. Fresh or processed meat, as well as high- and low-fat meat products can be extracted with accelerated solvent extraction very easily. The details of the accelerated solvent meat extraction method and how it compares with the traditional Soxhlet method are presented in this application note.