Abstract: The extraction methods of volatile oil from traditional Chinese medicine include steam distillation, squeezing, supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide and microwave extraction. On the basis of analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of various extraction methods of volatile oil from traditional Chinese medicine at present, this paper compares them, and thinks that different extraction methods should be adopted according to different situations to ensure the maximum extraction rate without losing the efficacy.

Key words: volatile oil of traditional Chinese medicine; Green extraction; Supercritical fluid extraction