In this work a process, aimed at supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction of rotenone from Derris elliptica (Wallich) Benth., was optimized. Rotenone extraction yield and extract purity were measured as a function of the following process parameters: pressure (9, 15, 20, 30 and 44 MPa), and temperature (40 and 60 degrees C). The most efficient conditions of extraction turned out to be 60 degrees C and 44 MPa. Both rotenone yield and extract purity of this extract were higher, when compared with Soxhlet extract. Finally, more experiments were carried out, at the assessed optimal extraction conditions, using five different CO2 to feed mass ratio (10, 30, 50, 70 and 100g/g). These additional data were deemed to be necessary to asses the opportunity to transfer the set process to industrial scale. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.