Cannabidiol (or CBD for short) is extracted from hemp plants through extraction or leaching. This is a common procedure for obtaining valuable substances from plant materials. All extractions require solvents. For the extraction of CBD from hemp, alcohol is usually the most commonly used solvent. However, there are other extraction methods, such as extraction with supercritical carbon dioxide CO2.
Extraction with alcohol or CO2
First of all, it is necessary to understand the main differences between solvents. While alcohol originates in plant material (comes from the fermentation of plants), CO2 – carbon dioxide – is a toxic gas. At concentrations of 8-10% CO2 in the air causes drowsiness, unconsciousness and death.
Another important difference is that CO2 only dissolves non-polar chemical bonds while alcohol dissolves both polar and non-polar chemical bonds. Simply put, alcohol dissolves large quantity substances. CO2 – less. Alcohol is a solvent formed from plants for plants.
What is the best way to extract CBD?
It follows from the above (and the sources mentioned) that alcohol extraction yields more complex cannabis components than CO2 extraction. In particular, it dissolves water-soluble substances, oils, polysaccharides, acids and other rare substances.
It must be emphasized here that the human body consists of 70% water. Therefore, substances dissolved in water naturally have the highest bioavailability, absorbability. The CO2 extract is completely devoid of these substances.
Absorption (absorption capacity) CBD / CBD
Since our body is 70% water, we must first digest all ingested oils and other substances with the help of acids and enzymes. Only then will they become active.
Thus, a secondary but very important product of alcohol extraction is the formation of esters. Esters are formed when organic plant acids (eg cannabonioic acid (CBDa/CBDa) and other acid forms of cannabinols) react with alcohol – hence also with alcohol extraction. The carboxylic acid (COOH) found in various more complex acids is esterified by extraction, making it more soluble in water. The resulting extract alcoholic extract of CBD is more absorbable – more bioavailable.
Sources:
http://www.zelenazeme.cz/konopny-magazin/konopne-produkty/581-cbd-extrakt-alkohol-nebo-co2
http://www.evolvedalchemy.com/co2-vs-alcohol-extractions/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_polarity
https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxid_uhličitý
https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extrakce
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carboxylic_acid
