GC-MS Comparison of Lavindin Grosso Oil Obtained by Steam Distillation and SFE

Flowers like lavender has been used for scenting lotions, perfumes, and soaps dating back to the Egyptian era. Their essential oils have been used in applications as diverse as medicine and the culinary arts. The essential oil industry continues to grow with the popularity of aromatherapy; the market for quality lavender oil remains in demand. Lavindin Grosso was harvested by hand at Peaceful Acres Lavender Farm in Martinsburg, OH. Oil was extracted by traditional steam distillation at Miami University Middletown and by supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide at The Ohio State University in Susan Olesik’s laboratory. Extracts were analyzed by GC/MS to compare the oils obtained and to compare them to commercially-available essential oils from France, Spain, and South Africa. No major differences were seen due to the extraction techniques; differences occurred due to the source of lavender. Oil yield will be determined with the next harvest. This work was performed to investigate a possible new agricultural endeavor in Ohio; SFE with carbon dioxide could be used to extract oils from several different crops.