Extraction of Eugenol from Cloves Using an Unmodified Household Espresso Machine: An Alternative to Traditional Steam-Distillation

This laboratory experiment describes the extraction of natural products from plant material in line with recent research advances in this field. Specifically, an unmodified household espresso machine is used to extract the essential oil components of cloves (eugenol and acetyleugenol). This straightforward and uncomplicated method expedites the extraction of clove oil and requires simple and relatively inexpensive equipment. Moreover, this technique is successfully used to replace the steam-distillation of cloves experiment that has traditionally been part of a second-year undergraduate laboratory program.