Ajwain Oleoresin Extraction Plant
Ajwain Oleoresin Extraction Plant
Mechotech designs and manufactures industrial solvent extraction plants for Ajwain Oleoresin, derived from Carum copticum (Trachyspermum ammi). The oleoresin is rich in thymol (35–55%), carvacrol, and p-cymene, making it highly valued for pharmaceutical, food preservation, and antimicrobial applications. Our plants deliver consistent potency with controlled extraction temperatures that protect heat-sensitive phenolic compounds.
Mechotech's Ajwain Oleoresin extraction plants employ food-grade hexane or ethanol percolation extraction at controlled temperatures below 60°C to preserve thymol integrity and prevent phenolic degradation. The closed-loop solvent recovery system achieves over 95% solvent recycling, while multi-effect vacuum evaporation concentrates the oleoresin to specification. All systems are engineered to ATEX/IECEx standards for flammable solvent environments and comply with WHO-GMP, FSSAI, and cGMP guidelines.
Manufacturing Process
Raw Material Preparation
Dried ajwain seeds (Trachyspermum ammi) are cleaned using destoners and air classifiers to remove foreign matter. Seeds are ground to 20–40 mesh in a hammer mill with controlled temperature to avoid premature volatilization of thymol before extraction.
Solvent Extraction
Ground ajwain meal is loaded into stainless steel percolators. Food-grade hexane or food-grade ethanol is circulated through the bed in a counter-current or percolation arrangement at 40–55°C, selectively dissolving thymol, carvacrol, p-cymene, and fixed oils into the miscella.
Miscella Filtration
The crude miscella (solvent + dissolved oleoresin) is filtered through a sparkler pressure-leaf filter to remove suspended seed particles, then polished through a 5-micron cartridge filter to yield a clear, particle-free extract ready for evaporation.
Evaporation & Concentration
Filtered miscella is fed into a falling-film evaporator operating under vacuum (50–65°C, −0.08 MPa) to evaporate the bulk solvent. A final wiped-film evaporator strips residual solvent to below 25 ppm. Recovered solvent is condensed and recycled, achieving 95%+ recovery efficiency.
Standardization
The concentrated oleoresin undergoes HPLC analysis to quantify thymol and carvacrol content. Batches are blended to meet customer-specified thymol levels (typically 35–55%) and diluted with a food-grade carrier oil if required for free-flowing pumpability.
Packing & Storage
Finished ajwain oleoresin is filled into food-grade aluminium tins or HDPE drums under nitrogen blanketing to prevent oxidation. Containers are sealed, labelled with batch number, COA reference, and stored in a cool, dark warehouse at 10–20°C pending dispatch.
Applications
- Food preservative in bakery, snack, and meat products due to thymol's strong antimicrobial action
- Digestive health supplements and Ayurvedic formulations for flatulence and colic relief
- Pharmaceutical antimicrobial preparations — thymol is an active ingredient in antiseptic mouthwashes and topical creams
- Natural flavouring in ethnic spice blends, seasoning mixes, and ready-to-eat foods
- Animal feed additive to replace antibiotic growth promoters with natural thymol-based bacteriostats
- Aromatherapy and personal care products leveraging carvacrol's antimicrobial and antifungal properties
- Biopesticide formulations for organic agriculture — thymol is EPA-approved as a minimum-risk pesticide active ingredient
Key Features
High Thymol Yield
Optimised percolation parameters (solvent-to-material ratio, temperature, contact time) consistently deliver oleoresin with 35–55% thymol content, minimising yield loss from phenolic adsorption onto spent meal.
Explosion-Proof Design
All electrical equipment within solvent-handling zones is ATEX Zone 1 / IECEx certified. Closed extraction vessels, nitrogen padding, and flame-proof motors eliminate ignition risk when processing with hexane or ethanol.
Solvent Recovery System
Multi-stage falling-film and wiped-film evaporators with refrigerated condensers recover over 95% of solvent per batch. A dedicated desolventiser-toaster treats spent meal, reducing meal solvent residue to <300 ppm for safe disposal.
GMP Compliant Construction
All product-contact surfaces are SS 316L with mirror-polish finish and crevice-free, hygienic welds. The plant layout separates raw material, extraction, and finished-product zones to meet WHO-GMP and FSSAI audit requirements.
Multi-Spice Platform
The modular extraction system can be reconfigured for other spice oleoresins (cumin, coriander, fennel) with minimal changeover. Quick-release clamp connections and CIP (clean-in-place) capability ensure rapid product changeovers with no cross-contamination.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the typical oleoresin yield from ajwain seeds?
Which solvents are suitable for ajwain oleoresin extraction?
Can the plant process multiple spices in addition to ajwain?
What certifications and compliance standards does the plant meet?
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