ginkgolide (English name: ginkgolide) is a class of important active ingredients, mainly found in the leaves of Ginkgo biloba. They are composed of sesquiterpene lactones and diterpene lactones, including several compounds such as ginkgolides A, B, C, M and J. The main difference between these compounds is the number of hydroxyl groups and the location of hydroxyl groups. Ginkgolide has a unique 12-carbon skeleton structure and is embedded with a tert-butyl group and six five-membered rings, including a spirononane, a tetrahydrofuran ring and three lactone rings. These structural characteristics make ginkgolide have a wide application prospect in medicine and food fields.

Ginkgolide has a strong specific inhibitory effect on platelet activating factor (PAF) receptor, especially ginkgolide B, which is considered to be the most promising natural PAF receptor antagonist in clinical application. PAF is a kind of endogenous phospholipid secreted by platelets and various inflammatory tissues. It is the most effective inducer of platelet aggregation found so far, and is closely related to the generation and development of many diseases. Therefore, ginkgolide has significant effects on anti-platelet aggregation, anti-inflammation, anti-atherosclerosis and neuroprotection.

However, the extraction process of ginkgolide is relatively complex, and the content is low, usually about 1% or even lower, which is mainly related to the origin and growing environment of ginkgolide. In order to improve the extraction efficiency and purity of ginkgolide, a variety of extraction methods have been studied and applied, among which centrifugal extractor, as a new, fast and efficient liquid-liquid mixing separation equipment, has shown great potential in the extraction process of ginkgolide.

The centrifugal extractor uses the motor to drive the drum to rotate at high speed, so that the two liquids with different densities and non-mismixing complete mixed mass transfer under the action of shear force, and then rapidly separate under the action of centrifugal force. The equipment has the advantages of small volume, large processing capacity, low power consumption, high degree of automation, simple operation, etc. It can adapt to intermittent or continuous operation, and can realize the closed operation of the extraction system, providing a good operating environment.

In the extraction process of ginkgolide, the centrifugal extractor can optimize the extraction effect by adjusting the rotation speed, mixing strength, contact time and temperature. First of all, increasing the speed can increase the mixing strength, so that the two-phase dispersed particles are smaller and the contact area is larger, which is conducive to mass transfer. At the same time, increasing the speed can also speed up the separation speed of the two phases in the rotating drum, reduce the two phase entrainment, and improve the processing capacity of the equipment. Secondly, increasing the two-phase contact time is conducive to mass transfer, but after reaching a balance, increasing the contact time will not continue to improve the mass transfer effect. Therefore, it is necessary to reasonably control the circulation to obtain appropriate contact time. In addition, temperature also affects the mass transfer effect, so it is necessary to select the appropriate extraction temperature according to the characteristics of the specific system.

When using a centrifugal extractor to extract ginkgolide, the appropriate organic solvent is usually selected as the extractant, the extract of ginkgo biloba leaves is mixed with the extractant, and the extraction is separated by the centrifugal extractor. During the extraction process, the type, concentration and extraction conditions of the solvent can be adjusted according to the need to obtain the best extraction effect. After extraction, high purity ginkgolide products can be obtained through subsequent processing steps such as purification and drying.

Centrifugal extractor has significant advantages in the extraction process of ginkgolide, which can improve extraction efficiency and purity, reduce production cost, and provide strong support for industrial production of ginkgolide. With the continuous progress of science and technology and the increasing market demand, the application prospect of centrifugal extractor in the extraction field of ginkgolide and other natural products will be broader.