GB810643A - A process for the simultaneous production of refined shark liver oil and vitamin a concentrates along with the recovery of other therapeutically active by-products - Google Patents

Abstract

Vitamin A concentrate and a refined shark liver oil containing Vitamin A are obtained from crude shark liver oil by allowing the crude oil to separate into solid and liquid phases, isolating the solid stearine phase from the liquid oil phase, refining the isolated oil phase to obtain refined oil containing Vitamin A; saponifying the isolated stearine phase, solvent-extracting the unsaponified matter, evaporating off the solvent and separating the cholesterol present in the extract to yield Vitamin A concentrate. The separation of stearine may be effected by stoving the oil at about 15 DEG C. The liquid oil phase may be alkali refined and deodorized with steam at a temperature not exceeding 115 DEG C. The refined oil thus produced may be diluted with cottonseed oil and other oil diluent. The saponification of the isolated stearine is preferably effected in alcoholic medium with the gradual addition of about twice the calculated amount of alkali, in aqueous solution, required for complete saponification and the unsaponified matter is extracted with peroxide-free ether. The soaps of the saponified stearine may be converted into calcium salts of fatty acids after the solvent extraction, by the addition of an aqueous solution of a calcium salt. An example describes the preparation of a Vitamin A concentrate from crude shark liver oil.