Comparative Characterisation of Lavender Essential Oil Distillation Methods Using Low-Current Spark Discharge Pretreatment

Introduction: The intensity and depth of extraction from essential-oil-bearing plant materials, as well as the chemical composition of the resulting essential oils, determine overall process efficiency in the sector. Despite advances in ultrasound-, microwave-, and other electrophysical intensification techniques, the effect of low-current spark discharge pretreatment of essential-oil raw materials on distillation processes remains insufficiently studied. Existing evidence is limited to isolated studies that neither address lavender inflorescences nor compare different water-based extraction (distillation) methods. The current research gap concerns the lack of data on how low-current spark discharge influences distillation kinetics, the microstructure of internal tissues in lavender inflorescences, and the quality of the essential oil obtained via hydrodistillation and steam distillation. The novelty of this study lies in experimentally substantiating low-current spark discharge pretreatment as a preparatory stage for lavender raw material, accompanied by an integrated assessment of yield, extraction rate, and essential-oil quality.

Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of water based methods for extracting essential oil from lavender inflorescences when low current spark discharge treatment is applied at the raw material preparation stage. To assess extraction kinetics, microstructural changes in the processed material, and the quality of the resulting essential oil.

Materials and Methods: A comparative analysis of distillation methods—hydrodistillation and steam distillation—was conducted to extract essential oil from lavender inflorescences with preliminary electrophysical treatment of the raw material. Low-current spark discharge was used as the pretreatment modality. Treatment parameters were selected to ensure that local overheating of the material did not exceed 3 °C. The component composition of lavender essential oil was determined by gas chromatography. Microstructural changes in the essential-oil-bearing raw material were examined using scanning electron microscopy.

Results: In extracting essential oil from lavender inflorescences, the maximum yield was observed for direct steam distillation combined with low-current spark discharge pretreatment. Low-current spark discharge promoted deeper oil recovery from lavender inflorescences, while the concentration of the principal component, linalool, increased from 51.7% to 53.0%. Micrographs are presented showing the microstructure of internal essential-oil reservoirs in lavender inflorescences, modified as a result of electrophysical treatment.

Conclusion: Combining low-current spark discharge pretreatment with steam and water distillation reduces extraction time, increases the yield of the target product, and maintains high essential-oil quality. The findings may be applied to modernise existing and develop new energy-efficient technologies for essential oil production in the food, perfumery and cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as in small-scale manufacturing.

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