Industrial Processing of Medicinal Plants

Sharif Fanavaran Company, in its industrial processing of medicinal plants division, has established a specialized process group with a deep understanding of the fact that Iran is one of the richest sources of medicinal plants in the world, boasting a high plant diversity. However, in the Iranian medicinal plant market, processing is not carried out professionally. A significant portion of these plants is exported in raw form, while their processed derivatives—used in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic products—are imported back into the country.

Recognizing this critical issue, the industrial processing division of Sharif Fanavaran Company has extensively studied various technologies for processing medicinal plants. It has taken a specialized approach in market analysis, processing and utilization planning, as well as the development and implementation of supercritical fluid technology.

Industrial processing of medicinal plants can be carried out using various methods and devices, each differing in extraction efficiency (quantitative yield) and product quality (active ingredients, essential oils, and extracts). Over time, traditional processing systems have been optimized, and advanced technologies with higher capabilities have been adopted in the medicinal plant processing industry.

Supercritical Extraction Technology

The supercritical extraction system is an advanced technology that utilizes supercritical fluid to extract essential oils and active compounds from plant materials as well as oilseeds.

The diagram below illustrates the process of converting raw material into the final product in a supercritical system.

Some of the advantages of the supercritical extraction system include:

High extraction speed
High product quality
High efficiency in extracting the target product
Low energy consumption to reach the supercritical state
The obtained product is solvent-free and highly pure
No damage to temperature-sensitive compounds due to the low critical point temperature
High control capability for extracting the target product (selective extraction)
High flexibility for extracting from various raw materials (Feed)
High efficiency in extracting different compounds

One of the advantages of the supercritical extraction system is the processing of waste from various factories to extract valuable active compounds. The diagram below highlights some of these applications.

The range of activities of the Industrial Processing Division of Medicinal Plants at Fanavaran Sharif Company in Supercritical Fluid Technology includes:

Sizing of various capacities for supercritical extraction systems for medicinal plant processing.
Technical planning for single-product and multi-product processing using supercritical fluid technology.
Designing workshops and industrial plants for medicinal plant processing with supercritical fluid technology.
Providing feasibility studies for setting up workshops and industrial plants with supercritical fluid technology.
Collaborating with foreign companies to establish processing workshops and plants using supercritical fluid technology.
Utilizing domestic potential to supply equipment and components needed for setting up supercritical fluid processing lines.
Partnering with investors for the establishment and operation of medicinal plant processing lines using supercritical fluid technology.
The supercritical extraction system is an advanced technology where supercritical fluid is used to extract essential oils and active compounds from plant materials and oilseeds.

Below are two pilot workshop and industrial designs developed by the Industrial Processing Group of the Process Systems Department at Fanavaran Sharif Company.

Supercritical Medicinal Plant Processing System