Process for the production of alpha-tocotrienol and derivatives

A process for the production, enrichment and/or isolation of alpha-tocotrienol from a plant extract that comprises at least one non-alpha tocotrienol and that optionally comprises alpha-tocotrienol, optionally comprises alpha-tocopherol and optionally comprises other tocols, non-tocols and/or organic impurities, comprising the steps of:

• 1a.) reacting the plant extract with suitable reagents which react with the one or more non-alpha-tocols to introduce a functional group in the free 5 and/or 7 position of the one or more non-alpha-tocols;
• 1b.) separating the one or more non-alpha-tocols that have been functionalized in step (1a) from the alpha-tocotrienol and optional alpha tocopherol and other non-tocol compounds that may be present;
• 1c.) optionally further separating the alpha-tocotrienol in the mixture separated in step (1b), from the optional alpha tocopherol and from optional other non-tocols;
• 1d.) chemically reacting the separated one or more non-alpha-tocols that have been functionalized from step (1b) to give alpha-tocotrienol;
• and
• 1 e.) optionally combining the alpha-tocotrienol from step (1c) with the alpha-tocotrienol from step (1d) to give alpha-tocotrienol, wherein said alpha-tocotrienol has a purity of greater than about 80%.