The effects of the addition of non-toxic entrainers (ethanol, water, and acetic acid) in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extractions from andrographolide raw material were investigated. The extraction efficiency was improved by the addition of any of the three entrainers. Various temperatures (40, 55, and 70 degrees C) and pressures (8, 16, and 24 MPa) for the modified extraction processes were also compared. The highest purity was achieved at the highest temperature (70 degrees C) and highest pressure (24 MPa). For the three single entrainers, purities increased with increasing amounts (from 5% to 10%) of the entrainers. The highest purity was obtained with 10% acetic acid at 70 degrees C. SEM results showed that the crystal is the shortest and thinnest and XRD results showed that the highest crystallinity crystals were obtained when acetic acid was used as entrainer. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.