Patent ID: 6072092
Filing Date: 2000-06-06
Classification: A23L,C07C,C09B

Abstract:
A process for the recovery of carotenes from carotene-containing natural oils and fats, said process consisting essentially of the steps of:(a) alcoholic esterification of the carotene-containing oils and fats with a monohydric lower alkyl alcohol without destroying the carotenes;(b) molecular distillation of an alkyl ester phase containing alkyl esters of fatty acids, carotenes, tocopherols and tocotrienols recovered from step (a) to remove the alkyl esters to give a carotene-rich concentrate, wherein the molecular distillation is carried out under conditions including a pressure of less than 60 mTorr and a temperature of less than 180.degree. C.;(c) adsorptively separating and concentrating the carotene-rich concentrate to give a carotene-rich fraction and a fraction rich in said tocopherols and tocotrienols by(i) admixing said carotene-rich concentrate with a non-polar solvent consisting of hexane, heptane, petroleum ether or a mixture of any two or more of said non-polar solvents in an amount sufficient to dilute the carotene-rich concentrate and to facilitate separation of the carotenes from said concentrate,(ii) introducing the admixture to a column having a length of 100 mm and an internal diameter of 30 mm which is wet-packed with said non-polar solvent and an adsorbent consisting of normal silica gel, and(iii) contacting said silica gel adsorbent with additional non-polar solvent in an amount sufficient to separate the carotenes from said carotene-rich concentrate and recover a carotene-rich fraction; and thereafter(iv) contacting said silica gel adsorbent with a solvent consisting of isopropanol, acetone, ethyl acetate or a mixture of any two or more of said polar solvents or a mixture of said polar solvent with said non-polar solvent in an amount sufficient to separate said tocopherols and said tocotrienols from said carotene-rich concentrate, and recover a fraction rich in tocopherols and tocotrienols.