Training and Experimentation of Extraction and Purification of Bioactive Compounds and Essential Oils using Supercritical Microfluidic System

Component 2: Improving Research in STEM and Agriculture Higher Education Improvement Project

HEIP-ITC-SGA#18 “Valorization of Cambodia agricultural by-products through extraction and formulation of essential oils and bioactive compounds” is a sub-research project in Component 2: Improving Research in STEM and Agriculture, Higher Education Improvement Project granted by the Royal Government of Cambodia. HEIP-ITC-SGA#18 aims to obtain scientific results about optimized processes for extraction and purification of essential oils/bioactive compounds from Cambodia agricultural herbs/spices and wastes, to investigate the applicability of the extracted compounds as active ingredients in cosmetics and foods through investigation its effects on anti-microbial and antioxidant activities, to observe the possibility of using modern extraction/purification processes towards the practical stage in SME, and to promote the institutional Chemical Engineering Field through university-SME scientific results sharing.
To evaluate a suitable extraction technique that can preserve the quality and stability of extracted essential oils, the extraction should be done through other advanced extraction techniques (e.g supercritical carbon dioxide extraction method) and compare the essential oil quality to those obtained from conventional methods. The herbal and spicy extracts for essential oil should be purified prior to further applications in SME and Industries. Therefore, the Training and Experimentation of Extraction and Purification of Bioactive Compounds and Essential Oils using Supercritical Microfluidic System was held at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, from June 01 to July 01, 2022. Dr. Houng Peany, Principal Investigator, received the training from Prof. Prof. Yusuke Shimoyama, Assistant Prof. Yasuhiko Orita, and Japanese researchers, Chemical Science and Engineering Department, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. Meeting came up with a concrete research idea toward joint research publications and essential oil quality improvement.
The objectives of training and experimentation are:

Project discussion on research progress, novel research ideas, and quality improvement for commercial need.
Extraction of essential oils from Cambodia herbs and spices using supercritical carbon dioxide extraction technique.
Preliminary experimentation on purification of ethanolic extracts of Cambodia herbs and spices using supercritical carbon dioxide extraction technique.

PI of HEIP-ITC-SGA#18 had a research discussion with Prof. Yusuke Shimoyama and Japanese researchers, Chemical Science and Engineering Department, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. Meeting came up with a concrete research idea toward joint research publications.

PI of HEIP-ITC-SGA#18 joint laboratory guide by Assistant Prof. Yasuhiko Orita and Mr. Thossaporn Wijakmatee (PhD student), at laboratories of partner university, Prof. Yusuke Shimoyama, Chemical Science and Engineering Department, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. The laboratory guides were on advance analytical equipment for identification of chemical structures, materials surface property, chemical composition, and whatnot.

PI of HEIP-ITC-SGA#18 was conducting research experiments at laboratory of partner university, Prof. Yusuke Shimoyama, Chemical Science and Engineering Department, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. The experiments on purification of curcumin from turmeric extracts using advance technology, supercritical carbon dioxide combined with micro-fluidic system.

PI of HEIP-ITC-SGA#18 had research meeting discussion with students of a laboratory of partner university, Prof. Yusuke Shimoyama, Chemical Science and Engineering Department, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. The meeting allowed the PI understand the advancement of research in the Chemical Engineering field.