Patent ID: 7943804

Claim:
A process for extracting lutein from a plant source containing free and bound lutein, said process comprising the consecutive steps of: (a) Exposing the plant source to ozone in a concentration for a time sufficient to release bound lutein but insufficient to substantially degrade the lutein; (b) Grinding the plant source; (c) Treating the ground plant source with a base in a concentration and for a time sufficient to saponify the mixture; (d) Cooling the saponified mixture below ambient temperature; (e) Adding a nonpolar solvent to the saponifed mixture at a sufficiently low temperature and for a sufficiently long time to dissolve most of the lutein into the nonpolar solvent; (f) Collecting the solution with dissolved lutein; and (g) Evaporating the solvent to leave a residue of lutein.