Microwave-assisted Extraction and GC-MS Analysis of Volatile Oil from Tagetes erecta L. Flowers

The microwave-assisted extraction of volatile oil from the residue left over after lutein extraction Tagetes erecta L.was optimized by one-factor-at-a-time and orthogonal array design methods.Oil yield was investigated with respect to solvent-to-material ratio,extraction time and microwave power(low,medium and high fire).The optimal extraction conditions were petroleum ether as the extraction solvent at a solvent-to-material ratio of 6:1 for 60 s extraction under the assistance of high-fire microwave power.Under the optimal extraction conditions,an oil yield of 1.575% was achieved.The chemical composition of the volatile oil was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MC) and 19 compounds were identified.