Patent ID: 8114447
Filing Date: 2012-02-14
Classification: A61K,B01D

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: combining wet-milled, destarched corn fiber with a green solvent to produce a mixture having a solvent fraction, wherein said green solvent comprises about 20% water and 80% ethanol, and said solvent fraction dissolves one or more phytosterols from said corn fiber; saponifying said solvent fraction with an amount of base that is about 1% weight/volume to produce a saponified material, wherein said saponifying occurs at a temperature of about 250° C. and at a pressure of up to about 1000 psi; removing said green solvent from said saponified material, wherein said saponified material has a volume after removal of said green solvent that is about 25% of the amount of said saponified material prior to removal of said green solvent; removing water soluble components from said saponified material by combining said saponified material with hexane, wherein the amount of said hexane is about 2 times the volume of the saponified material with which said hexane is being combined; and removing said hexane from said saponified material; and recovering said saponified material to obtain a composition comprising said phytosterols.