Patent ID: 8350066

Claim:
A process for the extraction of bioactive lignans from sesame oil wherein said process comprising the steps of: (a) subjecting the sesame oil to sequential extraction up to 6-10 times with methanol in a 1:1 to 1:1.2 portion (w/v), at a temperature in the range of 60 to 80° C., for a period of 60 to 100 minutes, with each extraction of 9 to 10 minutes duration and extracting the first and subsequent oil phase with a fresh methanol and preserving the oil phase separately after the last extraction, (b) concentrating the separated methanolic phase obtained from the above said sequential extractions, under vacuum and dispersing it in petroleum ether in a ratio of 1:0.4-1:0.6 (v/v), (c) chilling the above said dispersion mixture, at a temperature of 4 to 10° C., for a period of 24 to 48 hours, followed by filtration and washing the resultant crystals with chilled petroleum ether till it gets free from oil and preserving the filtrate separately, (d) drying the above said resultant oil free crystals at a temperature less than 50° C., under vacuum, for a period of 30 to 60 minutes to obtain the desired bioactive pure lignan crystals, (e) desolventizing the filtrate obtained in step (c), under reduced pressure, to remove the petroleum ether and subjecting the resultant methanolic phase to saponification with 1:1 to 1:1.2 (v/v) of aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide (60:40, w/v) and 1:1 to 1:1.2 (v/v) of methanol or ethanol, for a period of 1 to 1.5 hours in a boiling water bath, adding water to the above said saponified resultant mixture in a ratio of 1:3 1:4 (v/v) followed by extraction with petroleum ether in a ratio of 1:9-1:11 (v/v) for at least 6-8 times and each time separating the petroleum ether phase, (f) washing the separated petroleum ether extract obtained in step (e) with 10 to 12% aqueous methanol or aqueous ethanol till it gets free from alkali, concentrating the resultant extract under reduced pressure followed by drying at a temperature less than 60° C. to obtain the sesame oil unsaponifiable matters (USM), (g) washing the above said resultant USM with petroleum ether in a ratio of 1:0.6 to 1:0.7 (v/v) for 8 to 10 times to remove impurities, followed by drying under vacuum, at a temperature less than 60° C. for 30 to 60 minutes to obtain the purified USM, (h) admixing the above said purified USM obtained in step (g) with pure lignan crystals obtained in step (d) to obtain the desired bioactive lignan enriched product.