Editing Glycerol (section)

===Botanical extracts===
When utilized in tincture method extractions, specifically as a 10% solution, glycerol prevents tannins from precipitating in ethanol extracts of plants ([[tincture]]s). It is also used as an "alcohol-free" alternative to ethanol as a solvent in preparing herbal extractions. It is less extractive when utilized in a standard tincture methodology. Alcohol-based tinctures can also have the alcohol removed and replaced with glycerol for its preserving properties. Such products are not "alcohol-free" in a scientific or FDA regulatory sense, as glycerol contains three hydroxyl groups. [[Fluid extract]] manufacturers often extract herbs in hot water before adding glycerol to make [[glycerite]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Long |first1=Walter S. |title=The Composition of Commercial Fruit Extracts |journal=Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science |date=14 January 1916 |volume=28 |pages=157–161 |doi=10.2307/3624347 |jstor=3624347 }}</ref><ref>[https://www.newhope.com/nutritionsciencenews/NSN_backs/Apr_99/backtalk.cfm Does alcohol belong in herbal tinctures?] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012040650/https://newhope.com/nutritionsciencenews/NSN_backs/Apr_99/backtalk.cfm |date=12 October 2007}} newhope.com</ref>

When used as a primary "true" alcohol-free botanical extraction solvent in non-tincture based methodologies, glycerol has been shown to possess a high degree of extractive versatility for botanicals including removal of numerous constituents and complex compounds, with an extractive power that can rival that of alcohol and water–alcohol solutions.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.aciscience.org/docs/Glycerine_-_an_overview.pdf |website =aciscience.org|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190601153919/http://www.aciscience.org/docs/glycerine_-_an_overview.pdf |archive-date=1 June 2019 |title = Glycerine: An Overview |publisher = The Soap and Detergent Association|date = 1990|url-status = live}}</ref> That glycerol possesses such high extractive power assumes it is utilized with dynamic (critical) methodologies as opposed to standard passive "tincturing" methodologies that are better suited to alcohol. Glycerol does not denature or render a botanical's constituents inert as alcohols ([[ethanol]], [[methanol]], and so on) do. Glycerol is a stable preserving agent for botanical extracts that, when utilized in proper concentrations in an extraction solvent base, does not allow inverting or [[Redox|reduction-oxidation]] of a finished extract's constituents, even over several years.{{citation needed |date=September 2014}} Both glycerol and ethanol are viable preserving agents. Glycerol is [[bacteriostatic]] in its action, and ethanol is bactericidal in its action.<ref>Lawrie, James W. (1928) ''Glycerol and the glycols – production, properties and analysis''. The Chemical Catalog Company, Inc., New York, NY.</ref><ref>Leffingwell, Georgia and Lesser, Miton (1945) ''Glycerin – its industrial and commercial applications''. Chemical Publishing Co., Brooklyn, NY.{{page needed |date=December 2019}}</ref><ref>''The manufacture of glycerol'' – Vol. III (1956). The Technical Press, LTD., London.{{page needed |date=December 2019}}</ref>