Extraction of berberine from rhizome of Coptis chinensis Franch using supercritical fluid extraction

Supercritical fluid was used to extract berberine from rhizome of Coptis chinensis Franch. The recovery of berberine was compared with various modifiers, i.e. methanol and 95% ethanol with and without surfactant Tween 80, and 1,2-propanediol. The results show that the yield obtained after 3 h extraction with 1,2-propanediol-modified supercritical carbon dioxide was the highest (from 6.91%, w/w at 200 bar to 7.53%, w/w at 500 bar), while that obtained with 95% ethanol modified-supercritical carbon dioxide was the lowest (from 0.15%, w/w at 300 bar to 0.19%, w/w at 600 bar). The recovery of berberine was not improved by adding 5% Tween 80 in supercritical fluid.