In a tincture, which statement is true about the solvent?

• A. Water is the solvent.
• B. Alcohol is the solute.
• C. Water is the solute.
• D. Alcohol is the solvent.

Answer: (D)

In a tincture, the liquid doing the dissolving is alcohol. The solvent is the substance that dissolves the other materials, and ethanol is that dissolving medium here, pulling out various plant compounds to form the extract. Water isn’t the primary dissolving medium in tinctures, though some water may be present as part of the alcohol solution or as a co-solvent. The substances dissolved from the plant material are the solutes, not the solvent. That’s why the statement that alcohol is the solvent is the true one.