A detail procedure for extracting rutin and quercetin from Euonymus alatus(Thunb.) Sieb was developed with an obturated microwave-assisted extraction(MAE) device with pressure and temperature controlling units.The effects of solvent concentration,ratio of solution to solid,radiation time and microwave power were discussed in orthogonal experiments.Compared with Soxhlet extraction and ultrasonic extraction,microwave extraction was a rapid method with a higher yield and less solvent consumption.The mechanism of the microwave-assisted extraction was studied by scanning electronic micrograph.In the case of microwave heating,the build-up pressure within the cells could exceed their capacity for expansion,and caused their rupture more rapidly than that in conventional extraction.
