Method and system for production of zein and/or xanthophylls using chromatography
First Claim
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1. A process for producing zein and xanthophylls from corn, the process comprising:
- extracting soluble compounds from a corn-based material with wan alcohol solvent to provide a corn-solvent mixture, the soluble compounds comprising at least zein and xanthophylls;
first separation of the corn-solvent mixture into two streams, of which one stream is an extract containing substantially the zein, impurities, xanthophylls and solvent, wherein the impurities comprise substantially all components in the extract other than solvent, zein and xanthophylls, and another stream containing the remaining corn solids and solvent, said first separation comprising at least one of centrifugation, filtration, and membrane microfiltration;
second separation of a zein fraction and a xanthophylls fraction from the extract containing substantially the zein, impurities, xanthophylls and solvent to provide an eluted zein fraction and an eluted xanthophyll fraction, said second separation comprising chromatography based on a size-exclusion mechanism;
concentrating the separated zein fraction eluted from said second separation by removing the solvent; and
concentrating the separated xanthophylls fraction eluted from said second separation by removing the solvent.
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Abstract
Methods and systems for obtaining zein and/or xanthophylls in highly pure form. Zein is first extracted from corn using aqueous ethanol. Suspended corn solids are separated, and the resulting extract is purified in a single size-exclusion chromatography step to separate impurities and produce substantially purified zein. The chromatography step may simultaneously produce substantially purified xanthophylls.
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28 Claims
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1. A process for producing zein and xanthophylls from corn, the process comprising:
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extracting soluble compounds from a corn-based material with wan alcohol solvent to provide a corn-solvent mixture, the soluble compounds comprising at least zein and xanthophylls; first separation of the corn-solvent mixture into two streams, of which one stream is an extract containing substantially the zein, impurities, xanthophylls and solvent, wherein the impurities comprise substantially all components in the extract other than solvent, zein and xanthophylls, and another stream containing the remaining corn solids and solvent, said first separation comprising at least one of centrifugation, filtration, and membrane microfiltration; second separation of a zein fraction and a xanthophylls fraction from the extract containing substantially the zein, impurities, xanthophylls and solvent to provide an eluted zein fraction and an eluted xanthophyll fraction, said second separation comprising chromatography based on a size-exclusion mechanism; concentrating the separated zein fraction eluted from said second separation by removing the solvent; and concentrating the separated xanthophylls fraction eluted from said second separation by removing the solvent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 26, 28)
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22. A process for producing zein and xanthophyll from corn, the process comprising:
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extraction of soluble compounds from a corn-based material with an aqueous ethanol solvent to provide a corn-solvent mixture, the soluble compounds comprising at least zein and/or xanthophylls; first separation of the corn-solvent mixture into two streams, of which one stream is an extract containing substantially the zein, xanthophylls, impurities, and solvent, and another stream containing the remaining corn solids and solvent, said first separation comprising at least one of centrifugation, filtration, and membrane microfiltration, wherein the impurities comprise substantially all components in the extract other than solvent, zein, and xanthophylls; second separation of a zein fraction and a xanthophylls fraction from the extract comprising the impurities in a single step, said second separation comprising chromatography based on a size-exclusion mechanism, wherein said second separation uses a mobile phase comprising aqueous ethanol; concentrating the separated zein fraction eluting from the column by removing the solvent; concentrating the separated xanthophyll fraction eluting from the column by removing the solvent; and recycling the aqueous ethanol from the mobile phase. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 27)
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Specification