Extraction and Purification of essential oils from Lime fruit (Citrus aurantifolia )(Christom) Swing), Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) (L) and Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citrates).

Abstract

The extraction and purification of essential oils were carried out from two citrus species: Citrus aurantifolia, (lime fruits), Citrus sinensis (orange fruits), as well as Cymbogogon citratus (lemon grass), by solvent extraction method using soxhlet apparatus. The oils so extracted from the samples were purified by separating with separation funnels. They were then analyzed by thin layer chromatography and other methods of qualitative analysis. An average of 2.8g of oil was extracted from the pool of 50g of lime fruit (Citrus aurantfolia) while 6.3g of oil was extracted from the peel of 50g of sweet oranges (Citrus sinensis) and 2.7g of oil was extracted from 28g of Cymbopogon citratus (lemon grass), respectively. The solvent extraction method yielded good quality essential oils from the three species