Claims
- 1. A process for the extraction of a carotenoid from a biomass carotenoid source comprising treating the biomass at an elevated temperature with a solvent mixture comprising water, a hydrophobic carotenoid solvent and a water miscible co-solvent so as to form an aqueous phase and a non-aqueous phase containing the hydrophobic solvent and to extract the carotenoid from the biomass into the hydrophobic solvent wherein the process is carried out at a temperature of from 50° C. upwards.
- 2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process is carried out at a temperature of from 50 to 80° C.
- 3. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process is carried out at a temperature of from 60 to 70° C.
- 4. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biomass source and solvent mixture are agitated during the treatment.
- 5. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extraction is carried on for at least 30 minutes.
- 6. A process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the extraction is carried on for from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
- 7. A process as claimed in claim 6, wherein the extraction is carried on for about 1 hour.
- 8. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic solvent is an edible oil, methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, a C5 or above alkane or chloroform.
- 9. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the water miscible co-solvent is an alcohol, a ketone, an ether, or a cyclic ether.
- 10. A process as claimed in claim 9, wherein the water miscible co-solvent is methanol, ethanol, n-propanol or iso-propanol, or is a monoalkyl ester of ethylene glycol (cellosolve) or is 1,3-dioxane or 1,4-dioxane.
- 11. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic solvent is not an edible oil and wherein following said extraction, the hydrophobic solvent is mixed with edible oil and is evaporated therefrom.
- 12. A process as claimed in claim 11, wherein the evaporated hydrophobic solvent is re-used in a said extraction process.
- 13. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carotenoid is astaxanthin, lycopene or beta-carotene.
- 14. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the biomass is a yeast of the genus Phaffia, shell fish, shell fish waste, krill, algae, fungi, vegetable, or tomato.
- 15. A process for producing a feed material comprising carrying out a carotenoid extraction process as claimed in claim 1, so as to provide a solution of carotenoid in edible oil, and adding said solution to feed ingredients.
- 16. A process for preparing a solution of a carotenoid in an edible oil, comprising mixing a solution of said carotenoid in a volatile, water immiscible solvent with said edible oil and evaporating the water immiscible solvent from said mixture.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
9930194 |
Dec 1999 |
GB |
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation of PCT/IL00/00846, filed on 18 Dec. 2000, which claims convention priority from United Kingdom Patent Application No. 9930194.7 filed 21 Dec. 1999. PCT/IL00/00846 published under No. WO 01/46133 on 28 Jun. 2001; the publication is in English. A Demand for Chapter II was filed in PCTIL00/00846.
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
PCT/IL00/00846 |
Dec 2000 |
US |
Child |
10/172747 |
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US |