Kavalactone Extraction at high heat and pressure with water.
Evidence showing kavalactones keep their integrity at high heat & pressure.
In 2001, a study was conducted on kava and various extraction methods. Kava was investigated with water at different temperatures in a 60 bar (870 psi) chamber. This is quite different from our normal method of water extraction. This does not extrapolate to our real-world results; however, it does speak to the ability of kavalactones to withstand heat and pressure for an extended period of time. In this study, the kava powder was subjected to water in a high-pressure environment for a range of times and temperatures. The powder material showed an increase in the kavalactone content when the temperature and extraction times increased (Figure 2). This lends evidence to the logic that with increased temperatures and times, any loss of kavalactone molecules due to degradation will be eclipsed by the overall increase in kavalactones when aided by higher extraction temperatures.
Kava powder was also held at 100 °C (212°F) for 1 h and then for 2 h. The results show a small increase in the level of kavalactones between the one- and two-hour results, indicating that if kavalactones are lost, they are lost at a lower rate than the added increase in efficiency. Note: while extraction efficiencies are increased in this scenario, boiling your kava at 100°C will result in a repulsive kava beverage; therefore, we suggest room temperature water for daily kava drinking.
Kubátová, A., Miller, D. J., & Hawthorne, S. B. (2001). Comparison of subcritical water and organic solvents for extracting kava lactones from kava root. Journal of Chromatography A, 923(1–2), 187–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9673(01)00979-7