Patent ID: 7964755

Claim:
A process for the preparation of curcumin by condensation of acetylacetone with vanillin in a highly polar, aprotic solvent, in the presence of boric acid and of an aliphatic or araliphatic amine, and subsequent work up, comprising reacting vanillin in the presence of an equimolar or nearly equimolar amount of boric acid and a catalytic amount of a primary amine of the formula R—CH2-NH2, wherein R is C1-19-alkyl or phenyl, optionally substituted with methyl, methoxy or halogen, in DMF, DMA or diglyme as solvent and, optionally, of an entrainer, with acetylacetone at a temperature of 50-85° C. and at reduced pressure of 10-500 mbar, under concomitant removal of the reaction water by distillation.