Patent ID: 8329229

Claim:
A process for obtaining catmint oil from Nepeta cataria comprising: (a) contacting Nepeta cataria plant material with steam to form a volatilized mixture comprising catmint oil and water; (b) condensing the volatilized mixture formed in step (a) to form a liquid mixture comprising catmint oil and water in which catmint oil is dissolved in water; (c) contacting the liquid mixture formed in step (b) with a salt, selected from the group consisting of sulfate, nitrate and phosphate salts of the elements of Groups 1 and 2 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, to provide a mixture in which catmint oil and salt are both dissolved in water, and in which (i) the solubility of catmint oil in the solution of water and salt is at least about 50% less than the solubility of catmint oil in water, and/or (ii) the ratio [(ρ catmint oil -ρ aqueous solution )/μ aqueous solution ], where ρ is density, μ is viscosity and the aqueous solution is the solution of water and salt, is less than or equal to about −0.05, to provide in the mixture a catmint oil phase that is separated from an aqueous salt solution phase; and (d) recovering the catmint oil phase from the mixture to provide a separated catmint oil phase and a remaining aqueous salt solution phase.