Evaluation of Supercritical Fluid Extraction in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Abstract

Various steroids precipitate from supercritical CO₂ as very small particles but still retain their crystallinity. This suggests that SCFE in this industry could be utilized as a size reduction method as an alternative to milling. The application of SCFE as a separation technique is demonstrated by the simultaneous extraction and reaction of mevinolin, a metabolite of the fungus Aspergillus terreus.