Patent ID: 8481769

Claim:
A process for isolation of carotenoids crystals consisting essentially of trans-lutein and trans-zeaxanthin in a weight ratio of about 10:1, said process comprising: contacting a plant source rich in lutein with hexane and extracting at a temperature of about 40° C. to 60° C. to obtain an oleoresin rich in lutein; contacting a plant source rich in zeaxanthin with hexane and extracting at a temperature of about 40° C. to 60° C. to obtain an oleoresin rich in zeaxanthin; mixing the oleoresin rich in lutein and the oleoresin rich in zeaxanthin in a ratio ranging from about 80:20 (w/w) to 90:10 (w/w) and homogenizing to obtain a mixed oleoresin; hydrolyzing the mixed oleoresin with an alcoholic alkali at a temperature of about 70° C. to 80° C. to obtain a reaction mixture; and precipitating carotenoids crystals by adding hot water at a temperature of about 55° C. to 80° C. to the reaction mixture to form a precipitate, the precipitate being carotenoids crystals consisting essentially of trans-lutein and trans-zeaxanthin in a ratio of about 10:1 wherein rich in lutein comprises more than 65% of lutein and rich in zeaxanthin comprises more than 55% of zeaxanthin.