Definition: Extraction may be defined as the treatment of the plant or animal tissues with solvent, whereby active constituents are dissolved, and most of the inert matter remains undissolved.
Reserve percolation:
• In this process a part of percolate, generally 3/4th volume of the finished preparation is reserved.(contains high solute concentration)
• Then the percolation process is continued till the drug is completely exhausted.
• The percolate is subjected to evaporation or distillation to convert in to soft extract.
• Distillation will help to recover the costly solvent.
• Hence the major portion of active constituents of the drugs are saved from deterioration
• This soft extract is dissolved in reserve portion of percolate and sufficient menstruum is added to make up the volume.