Influence of Temperature, Flow Rate and Extraction Time on Subcritical Water Extraction of Eugenol and Hydroxychavicol from Piper Betel Leaves: A Comparative Study with Soxhlet Extraction
Zuhaili IDHAM, Mohd Sharizan MD SARIP, Noor Azwani MOHD RASIDEK, Siti Alyani MAT, Aishah ROSLI, Nik Zetti Amani NIK FAUDZI
Abstract. Piper betel leaves are rich in phenolic compounds such as eugenol and hydroxychavicol, which possess notable antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. This study evaluated the influence of temperature (120 °C and 180 °C), flow rate (1, 3, and 5 mL/min), and extraction time (10, 20, and 30 min) on the extraction of these compounds using subcritical water extraction (SWE), and compared the results to Soxhlet extraction using ethanol at varying concentrations (25–100%). The SWE results showed that eugenol yield increased from 0.52% at 120 °C to 0.83% at 180 °C, while hydroxychavicol increased from 2.53% to 4.77%, indicating strong temperature dependence. Flow rate significantly influenced hydroxychavicol, with the highest yield (13.75%) at 3 mL/min, whereas eugenol increased steadily with higher flow rates. Extended extraction time (20–30 min) enhanced yields for both compounds, with maximum hydroxychavicol (5.17%) and eugenol (0.74%) observed at 30 min. In contrast, Soxhlet extraction required longer time (6 h) and yielded lower amounts: eugenol ranged from 0.03–0.23%, and hydroxychavicol from 0.48–2.29%, with the best result at 75% ethanol. The study demonstrates that SWE is a faster, solvent-free, and more efficient method for extracting high-value phenolics from piper betel compared to conventional extraction, highlighting its promise for sustainable phytochemical recovery.
Keywords
Subcritical Water Extraction (SWE), Piper Betel Leaves, Eugenol, Hydroxychavicol, Green Extraction
Published online 1/15/2026, 7 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Zuhaili IDHAM, Mohd Sharizan MD SARIP, Noor Azwani MOHD RASIDEK, Siti Alyani MAT, Aishah ROSLI, Nik Zetti Amani NIK FAUDZI, Influence of Temperature, Flow Rate and Extraction Time on Subcritical Water Extraction of Eugenol and Hydroxychavicol from Piper Betel Leaves: A Comparative Study with Soxhlet Extraction, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 59, pp 138-144, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644903957-18
The article was published as article 18 of the book Separation Technology
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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