GB622725A - Process of recovering sterols and like cyclopentanophenanthrene compounds - Google Patents

Abstract

Sterols and like cyclopentanophenanthrene compounds in their free form are extracted from waxes, oils or fats in which they occur in their ester form by subjecting the fatty material to a saponification with aqueous barium hydroxide. The free sterols and like compounds are preferably recovered from the insoluble residue of the saponification by extraction with a solvent such as low molecular alcohols or ketones. An alternative extraction process is to subject the insoluble residue to steam distillation to distill off the unsaponifiable residue. The barium hydroxide is preferably used in a concentration of not less than 20 per cent by weight of the reaction mixture. The compounds to which the present invention may be applied include in addition to sterols also hormones and vitamins which contain the cyclopentanophenanthrene nucleus. In examples: (1) wood grease is treated with barium hydroxide, and the dried insoluble residue of the saponification extracted with acetone at 60 DEG C. to give a yield of 30 per cent of cholesterol. The barium salts which are insoluble in acetone may be treated with hydrochloric acid to liberate the free fatty acids; (2) as in example (1), but extracting with boiling acetone and cooling to 10 DEG C. to give a precipitate of iso-cholesterol; (3) the filtrate from the iso-cholesterol of example (2) is evaporated to dryness and extracted with methyl alcohol to give pure cholesterol; (4) the fats obtained by solvent extraction of yeast or Aspergillis niger are saponified as in example (1) and worked up to give ergosterol; (5) the oil obtained by the extraction of pregnant mares' urine is saponified as in example (1) to give a yield of the female sexual p hormone; (6) cod liver oil is saponified as in example (1) to give a vitamin A and D concentrate.