pharmaceutically active composition containing terpenoid - compounds from ferula hermonis can be extracted through the use of organic solvents . organic solvents , however , diffuse relatively slowly into and out of extractable substrates , rendering unduly long . furthermore conventional extraction techniques involving liquid organic solvents afford a waste stream of solute - contaminated solvent that must be either recycled or disposed of . due to these and other concerns supercritical fluid extraction of terpenoids from ferula hermonis is used as a replacement of conventional solvent extraction processes . a supercritical fluid is a fluid at a temperature above its critical value . a supercritical fluid has properties , which are intermediate between those of gases and liquids . it has a viscosity , which is higher than that of a gas . these properties allow supercritical fluids to penetrate matrices easily , while retaining reasonable dissolving power . the process of the invention involves the use of a supercritical fluid comprising supercritical carbon dioxide ( co 2 ) as a means of separating pharmaceutically active composition containing terpenoid - compounds from ferula hermonis . the process of the invention can be carried out in any environment suitable for containing the supercritical fluid in contact with ferula hermonis . operating parameters for a process of the invention are limited by the minimum temperature and pressure required for the supercritical phase for co 2 ( critical density is 470 kg / m 3 , critical pressure is 73 bar , critical temperature 30 . 1 degree . c .). suitable conditions ( time of contact between ferula hermonis and the supercritical fluid , temperature , and pressure ) can be readily selected by those skilled in the art . it is well known that supercritical fluids exhibit increasing solvent power with increasing pressure ( i . e . increasing fluid density ). the solvent power of supercritical co 2 can be readily tailored by adjusting the temperature and pressure of the supercritical phase such that the desired chemical compounds ( terpenoids ) be dissolved and removed from the ferula hermonis . according to the present invention , extraction is carried out in a pressure - resistant container by bringing a supercritical carbon dioxide fluid into contact with ferula hermonis powder to be extracted . any extraction temperature the same as or higher than the critical temperature of the supercritical fluid used can be used . for carbon dioxide , the extraction temperature is same as or higher than the critical temperature of carbon dioxide , i . e ., 31 . degree . c ., and usually up to 100 . degree . c ., more preferably up to 60 . degree . c ., and even more preferably up to 40 . degree . c . any extraction pressure is the same as or higher than the critical pressure of supercritical carbon dioxide , i . e ., 73 bar and usually up to 500 bar , and preferably 200 bar . numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the attendant claims attached hereto , this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically disclosed herein . as will be apparent to persons skilled in the art , modifications and adaptations to the above - described invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . the pharmaceutically active composition containing terpenoid - compounds obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction was analyzed by liquid chromatography / mass spectroscopy ( lc / ms ). lc / ms method was used for the determination and profiling of the daucane sesquiterpenes in ferula hermonis extracts . the lc / ms of the extract showed the presence of the sesquiterpenes jaeschkeanadiol benzoate ( teferdin , ( 2 )), 8 , 9 - epoxy jaeschkeanadiol benzoate ( epoxy ferutinol benzoate , ( 3 )), jaeschkeanadiol vanillate ( ferutinol vanillate , ( 4 )), jaeschkeanadiol ( ferutinol , ( 5 )), 14 -( 4 - hydroxybenzoyloxy ) dauc - 4 , 8 - diene ( 6 ), 14 -( 4 ′- hydroxy - 3 ′- methoxy - benzoyloxy ) dauc - 4 , 8 - diene ( 7 ), jaeschkeanadiol p - methoxy benzoate ( ferutidine , ( 8 )), 8 , 9 - epoxy jaeschkeanadiol m , p dihydroxy benzoate ( 9 ), 14 - benzoyloxy dauc - 4 , 8 - diene ( 10 ), and 8 , 9 - epoxy jaeschkeanadiol p - hydroxy benzoate ( 11 ). in a recent study on hplc analysis of ferula hermonis , compunds ( 1 ), ( 2 ), ( 3 ), and ( 4 ) were quantified as the marker daucane sesquiterpenes esters , with ( i ) and ( 2 ) as the major components [ 6 ]. lc / ms analyses were performed with a platform ii apci mass spectrometer ( micromass , inc ., beverly , mass .) interfaced with a gilson 215 liquid chromatograph with uv detection . the mass spectrometer was operated in a continuous scanning mode over a mass range of 120 to 1600 amu using an apci probe . the chromatographic separations were achieved with a genesis reversed c1 8 analytical column ( 15 cm , 2 . 1 mm i . d ., 4 pm particle size , genesis , jones chromatography ). samples ( 50μ ) were eluted using a gradient of water containing 1 % ( by volume ) formic acid to acetonitrile containing 1 % ( by volume ) formic acid at a flow - rate of 0 . 5 ml / min , over 16 minutes . quantification was carried out at 254 un . development of accurate quantitative profile of analysis for specific marker compounds in herbal manufacturing is critical for determining the quality and consistency of raw materials and finished products , to ensure the desired health benefit and to reliably examine their efficacy in clinical studies . to identify the individual peaks in the hplc chromatogram of the ferula hermonis extract , lc - atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in both the positive and negative mode ms analyses were employed . tables ( 1 ) shows the pertinent parameters of the lcims analyses . in accordance with previous phytochemistry studies , the mass spectrum of the ferula hermonis extract showed peaks in the positive ion mode at m / z 341 and 371 corresponding to compounds ( 6 ) and ( 7 ), respectively ; and peaks in the negative mode at m / z 341 , 357 and 387 corresponding to compounds ( 2 ), ( 3 ) and ( 4 ), respectively . the peak at m / z 357 could also be assigned to compound ( 1 ), both ( 1 ) and ( 3 ) were previously observed by galal and coworkers , who reported ( 1 ) as the minor and ( 3 ) as the main components in the ferula hermonis extract ; ( 3 ) was eluted at a longer time than ( 1 ) on a reversed phase c18 column . on the basis of these observations , we assigned the peak at m / z 357 to compound ( 3 ). in addition , ions not previously reported for ferula hermonis were also observed at m / z 325 in the positive mode ; and 373 , 371 and 389 in the negative mode , which we tentatively assigned to the sesquiterpenes ( 10 ), ( 11 ), ( 8 ), and ( 9 ), respectively . this class of sesquiterpenes has been previously reported in the genus ferula . an unknown peak at m / z 373 ( positive mode ) was also observed . all the peaks at m / z 341 , 371 and 325 in the positive mode showed m / z 203 corresponding to m - ester , 122 for benzoate , 168 for vanillate , and 138 for p - hydroxybenzoate , respectively . in a recent study , ferutinin ( 1 ), ferutidin ( 8 ), and tenuferidin ( 11 ) were found to increase cation permeability of lipid bilayers and mitochondria in a dose dependent manner , suggesting that these sesquiterpenes may increase hormone levels . preferred methods involve extraction at a pressure of 100 to 310 bars ( 1500 to 4500 psi ), preferably about 200 . bar ( 3000 psi ) and at a temperature in the region of 31 to 80 degrees c ., preferably 40 degrees c . the invention is further described by means of an example but not in any limitative sense . roughly ground roots of ferula hermonis were packed into a pressure vessel . a volume of liquid carbon dioxide at the ratio of approximately 30 ml of liquid carbon dioxide per 1 g of ferula hermonis roots was allowed to pass through the raw material . the residual extract in the collection vessel was gummy . the following extraction conditions were employed : this process allows not only for custom blends to meet specific consumer demands , but also for a great degree of standardization of the product . the invention provides a ferula hermonis composition preferably for nutritional supplementation . the invention allows for nutritional supplementation ingesting a composition comprising essentially no solvent residue . al - 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3393 abramov ay , zamaraeva mv , hagelgans al , azimov rr , krasilnikov ov . influence of plant terpenoids on the permeability of mitochondria and lipid bilayers . biochimica et biophysica acta 2001 ; 1512 : 98 - 110 .
the present invention is directed toward a pharmaceutically active composition extracted from ferula hermonis by a process comprising contacting ferula hermonis with a supercritical carbon dioxide fluid at conventional supercritical fluid extraction temperatures and pressures , and for a time sufficient to remove the active composition from ferula hermonis , and recovering the pharmaceutical active composition from the supercritical fluid .