GB531226A - Improvements in or relating to processes of producing or preparing a concentrate of naturally occurring vitamin e and antioxidant from a vegetable oil, and the concentrate resulting therefrom - Google Patents

Abstract

531,226. Glycerine; stabilizing fats. GENERAL MILLS, Inc. July 14, 1939, No. 20568. Convention date, July 18, 1938. [Class 91] [Also in Group IV] To produce an anti-oxidant for fats, the glycerol of the glycerides present in wheat-germ or like oil is replaced by methyl, ethyl or propyl alcohol by treatment with these alcohols and hydrogen chloride, the excess alcohol is distilled off, the glycerol layer is removed, and the esters are washed and cooled to separate sterols and then distilled under high vacuum, leaving a residue which is the anti-oxidant concentrate. Further concentration may be effected by saponifying the concentrate and extracting with a solvent such as ether, chloroform or ethylene dichloride or converting the saponified product to calcium soaps and extracting with acetone. In an example, wheat-germ oil is heated with hydrogen chloride in methanol under reflux and the ester layer is separated from the glycerol and washed with hot salt solution and chilled to 0-5‹ C. to separate sterols. The filtrate is distilled under high vacuum and the distillation residue is saponified with caustic soda in methanol and diluted with hot water. Calcium chloride is added to precipitate a calcium soap, which is separated and extracted with acetone, the extract being cooled to separate sterols, whereafter the residual solution is evaporated to remove water and acetone. The residue may be still further concentrated by extracting with petroleum ether, the extract being cooled to separate sterols and then evaporated. Instead of distilling the methyl esters and then saponifying the saponification may be effected first, the saponified product being treated with calcium chloride ; the calcium soap is then extracted with acetone as described above.