A New Approach to the Production of Chamomile Extracts

Abstract

Extracts from fresh flower heads of Chamomilla recutita were prepared for the first time. The stability of those extracts was compared in tests to that of extracts from dried plant material with regard to lipophilic and hydrophilic compounds. Whereas extracts based on dried flower heads showed a considerable decrease in matricine content within 10 months, extracts of fresh plant material were stable in every respect. Frozen flower heads could be stored without any loss of volatile substances. Even matricine and the spiro-ethers proved to be stable. In contrast, dried chamomile flowers lost about 70% of their matricine content within two years even when stored under controlled conditions. Furthermore, freezing the chamomile flowers resulted in higher yields of essential oil and its compounds than any of the various drying procedures tested.