Patent ID: 8921615

Claim:
A process for preparing xanthophyll crystal, comprising the following steps: a) dissolving a plant extract containing a xanthophyll ester in n-hexane, then filtering the mixture; b) adding acetone to the filtrate, standing still, then filtering and collecting a filter cake; c) dissolving the filter cake with soybean oil and ethanol in order to obtain a mixed solution; d) saponifying the mixed solution with an alkaline aqueous solution; e) adding an acidic solution to the saponified solution until the mixed solution becomes acidic, and maintaining the temperature between 40-60° C. during the process of adding the acidic solution; f) recovering the solvent and obtaining a pasty saponified product; g) adding n-hexane to the pasty saponified product, maintaining the temperature between 40-60° C., stirring the mixture for 0.5-2 hours, reducing the temperature to 10-15° C., standing still for 0.5-1.5 hours, and conducting a solid-liquid separation to obtain solid substance; h) washing the resulting solid substance with deionized water at a temperature of 80-90° C.; i) adding a mixed solvent of n-hexane, ethanol and acetone to the washed solid substance, and dissolving the solid substance with stirring; j) adding n-hexane to the mixture solution obtained in step i), and standing still at a temperature between 0-10° C. to obtain crystalline product.