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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Functional Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #348212
Research Project: Evaluation of the Chemical and Physical Properties of Low-Value Agricultural Crops and Products to Enhance Their Use and Value

Location: Functional Foods Research

Title: Eastern red cedar: critical fluid extraction and bioactivity of extracts

Author
item Eller, Fred

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/6/2018
Publication Date: 5/9/2018
Citation: Eller, F.J. 2018. Eastern red cedar: critical fluid extraction and bioactivity of extracts [abstract]. American Oil Chemists Society.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Eastern red cedar is an abundant natural resource in the United States. It is valuable for its lumber and cedarwood oil derived from the wood. Cedarwood is generally obtained by steam distillation; however, this process has several disadvantages, including relatively low yields and altered oil characteristics. Our laboratory has been investigating several alternative methods for extracting cedarwood oil from Eastern red cedar, including liquid and supercritical fluid carbon dioxide and pressurized solvent extraction. Carbon dioxide extractions have been demonstrated to give high yields of high quality oil. Pressurized hexane also gave high yields of cedarwood oil and pressurized polar solvents like ethanol and methanol gave high yields of polar compounds not extracted by CO2 or hexane as well high yields of flavonoids. The CO2-derived extracts have been tested for a variety of bioactivities. The extracts have been found to impart resistance to wood-decay and termites when they are impregnated into otherwise susceptible wood. The cedarwood oil has also been shown to be repellent to several species of ants, including red imported fire ants and little fire ants. The cedarwood oil is toxic to black-legged ticks, brown dog ticks, lone star ticks, houseflies and several species of mosquitoes. Cedarwood oil is a very safe material towards humans but has great potential for controlling a wide range of economically important pests.