Vanilla Vanilla planifolia

Summary

Sample preparation

Fermented vanilla beans (Vanilla planifolia) were milled on a rotary cutter at 28,000 rpm to a particle size below 1 mm.

Extraction

Extraction ran on a SuperEx P-30 pilot-scale system — a 30 L vessel rated to 500 bar and 100 °C — using supercritical CO₂ at 400 bar and 40 °C in dynamic mode with a CO₂ flow of 2,700 g min^-1, continued until a solvent-to-material ratio of at least 65 was reached. The extract was sampled at intervals through the run rather than only at the end, so the progress of the extraction could be followed.

Analysis

Analytical aliquots were diluted in ethyl acetate for GC, or in a 1:1 methanol–ethyl acetate mixture. Vanillin was quantified by HPLC-DAD on a Shimadzu i-Series 2050-3D with a methanol–water mobile phase, isocratic elution at 1 mL min^-1 and detection at 275 nm. The volatile profile was run on Shimadzu GC-2030 (FID) and QP2020NX (MS) systems with a Restek Rxi-5SilMS non-polar column and hydrogen carrier gas at 1.2 mL min^-1, from a 60 °C start on a linear ramp.

Measured yields, compositions and chromatograms are reported in the full application note (PDF above).

At a glance

Plant material

Vanilla — Vanilla planifolia

Target compounds

Vanillin, full aroma profile

Compound class

Essential oils

Published

February 2026

Document

PDF, free download