Patent ID: 7632530

Claim:
A process for the preparation of high purity phytosterols from deodourizer distillate from vegetable oils which comprises mixing deodourizer distillate from vegetable oils with a methanolic solution of sulfuric acid in a ratio of 1:1 to 1:1.5 (v/v), stirring the above said reaction mixture, at a temperature of 50-85° C., for a period of 2-4 hrs, distilling of the excess of methanol from the above said reaction mixture under vacuum, adding brine solution to the above said reaction mixture to separate sulfuric acid and removing the lower layer to obtain the ester layer, washing the above said ester layer with hot water till all of the acid and salts are removed, followed by crystallization at a temperature in the range of 0-25° C. for a period of 110 hrs, filtering and washing the resultant crystals obtained with chilled n-hexane, at a temperature of 0-10° C. to obtain the desired high purity phytosterols.