Process for the production of a natural antioxidant obtained from tea leaves
AssigneeMitsui Norin Co., Ltd.
InventorYukihiko Hara
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Abstract
A process for producing a natural antioxidant from tea leaves comprising treating said tea leaves with a solvent selected from the group consisting of hot water (preferably 80.degree. C.-100.degree. C.), a 40-75% aqueous solution of methanol, a 40-75% aqueous solution of ethanol and a 30-80% aqueous solution of acetone to obtain an extract-containing solution; washing the extract-containing solution with chloroform to obtain a washed extract; combining the washed extract with an organic solvent to transfer said washed extract into said organic solvent; removing the organic solvent; and drying the resulting extract. The invention also provides the natural antioxidant produced by the aforesaid process.
Claims18
A process for producing a natural antioxidant composed primarily of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, (-)-epicatechin gallate, (-)-epigallocatechin and (-)-epicatechin from tea leaves selected from the group consisting of unfermented tea and half-fermented tea comprising:
- treating said tea leaves with a solvent selected from the group consisting of hot water having a temperature of at least 40.degree. C., a 40-75% aqueous solution of methanol, a 40-75% aqueous solution of ethanol and a 30-80% aqueous solution of acetone to obtain an extract-containing solution;
- washing the extract-containing solution with chloroform to obtain a washed extract;
- combining the washed extract with an organic solvent to transfer said washed extract into said organic solvent;
- removing the organic solvent to provide an extract;
- and
- drying said extract which is said natural antioxidant comprising said mixture of gallate compounds.
A process for producing a natural antioxidant from tea leaves comprising:
- treating tea leaves selected from the group consisting of unfermented tea and half-fermented tea for at least five minutes with a solvent selected from the group consisting of water having a temperature of at least 80.degree. C., a 40-75% aqueous solution of methanol, a 40-75% aqueous solution of ethanol and a 30-80% aqueous solution of acetone to thereby obtain an extract-containing solution;
- washing the extract-containing solution with an amount of chloroform approximately equal to the amount of the extract-containing solution to thereby obtain a washed extract;
- combining the washed extract with an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of ethyl acetate, n-butanol, methyl isobutyl ketone and acetone to thereby transfer said washed extract into said organic solvent;
- distilling away the organic solvent;
- and
- drying the resulting extract.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.