Process to extract quassinoids
AssigneeThe University of the West Indies
InventorsTrevor Herbert Yee, Helen Marjorie Jacobs
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A means for the extraction and crystallization of quassinoids such as quassin and neoquassin from natural sources containing these compounds, using compounds that are Generally Recognized As Safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is provided. In particular, a means for extraction that does not require use of lead acetate, chloroform, methanol, or diethyl ether is provided. The process includes a means of removing non-polar and very polar substances from an extracted residue to enhance crystallization of quassinoids from the residue.
Claims15
A method of processing quassinoid(s) from Picrasma excelsea plant material comprising:
- adding a first solvent to said Picrasma excelsea plant material;
- mixing said first solvent and said Picrasma excelsea plant material;
- evaporating said first solvent to yield a residue;
- adding water to said residue and washing with a second solvent, to yield an aqueous fraction;
- saturating said aqueous fraction with a polarity increasing agent;
- and extracting with ethyl acetate to yield an ethyl acetate fraction;
- subjecting said ethyl acetate fraction to crystallization to yield crystalline quassinoid(s) and mother liquor;
- separating said mother liquor with column chromatography;
- and
- subjecting said separated mother liquor to crystallization to yield additional crystalline quassinoid(s).
A method of processing at least one quassinoid from Picrasma excelsea plant material comprising:
- mixing said Picrasma excelsea plant material in an ultrasonic bath with a water/alcohol mixture;
- evaporating alcohol from said water/alcohol mixture to yield an aqueous phase, and
- washing said aqueous phase with a first solvent to yield a first solvent fraction and an aqueous fraction;
- saturating said aqueous fraction with a polarity increasing agent, and extracting with ethyl acetate to yield a residue;
- adding a second solvent to said residue;
- adding charcoal and stirring to yield an at least partially decolorized mixture;
- filtering said at least partially decolorized mixture and evaporating said second solvent to yield a second residue;
- adding a third solvent to said second residue and seeding with crystals of said at least one quassinoid to form a seeded solution;
- allowing said seeded solution to crystallize.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.