Patent ID: 8604187

Claim:
A method for preparing a fine powder of a polymannan extract comprising the steps of: weighing a specified quantity of a freeze-dried aloe powder, wherein the quantity is corrected for a moisture content; dissolving the freeze-dried aloe powder in deionized water to form a solution; adding a first volume of an organic solvent to the solution to form a first mixture; wherein the organic solvent to the deionized water ratio is at least 2.5:1; allowing the first mixture to settle for at least 8 hours; withdrawing a specified volume of a supernatant solution from the first mixture and adding a second volume of the organic solvent to the specified volume of the supernatant solution to form a second mixture; centrifuging the second mixture; observing for a presence of a precipitate in the second mixture; adding a third volume of the organic solvent to the first mixture if any precipitate is observed in second mixture; decanting the supernatant of the first mixture by siphoning, wherein the decantation is done only if no precipitate is observed in the second mixture; filtering the precipitate from the first mixture by using a filter paper and a suction funnel under vacuum; recovering the powder of the polymannan extract from the suction funnel by scraping; placing the powder of the polymannan extract in a capped lyophilization flask in a freezer for at least 8 hours; lyophilizing the frozen powder of the polymannan extract in a lyophilizer; and grinding the lyophilized powder of the polymannan extract in a grinder to a desired texture.