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.
Claims33
A method of processing quassinoid(s) from natural substance(s) comprising:
- adding a first solvent to said natural substance(s);
- mixing said first solvent and said natural substance(s);
- evaporating said first solvent to yield a residue;
- adding water to said residue and washing with a second solvent, to yield a fraction of the second solvent and an aqueous fraction;
- saturating said aqueous fraction with a polarity increasing agent and extracting with ethyl acetate to yield a second residue;
- subjecting said second residue to crystallization to yield quassinoid(s) and said mother liquor;
- separating 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 natural substance(s) comprising:
- mixing said natural substance(s) 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 containing a quassinoid to be isolated;
- saturating said aqueous fraction with a polarity increasing agent and extracting with ethyl acetate to yield a quassinoid containing residue;
- adding a second solvent to said quassinoid containing residue;
- evaporating said second solvent to yield a second residue;
- and
- adding a third solvent to said second residue
- crystallize a quassinoid from the second residue.
A method of processing a quassinoid-containing extract from a natural source comprising:
- a) providing an aqueous dispersion of said quassinoid-containing extract;
- b) extracting nonpolar contaminants from said aqueous dispersion with a nonpolar, water-immiscible solvent to yield an aqueous phase containing a quassinoid material;
- c) establishing an increased polarity in said aqueous phase from step b) by dissolving therein a quantity of a non-toxic salt;
- d) extracting said quassinoid material from said aqueous phase from step c) with a water-immiscible organic solvent from said quassinoid material to yield an organic phase containing said quassinoid material substantially devoid of polar contaminants.
A method of processing an extract derived from natural sources containing at least one quassinoid comprising:
- extracting nonpolar contaminants from a dispersion of said extract in a first solvent, with a second solvent, wherein said second solvent is immiscible in said first solvent and wherein said second solvent has a lower polarity than said first solvent, to yield a first phase containing a quassinoid material;
- adding a polarity increasing means to said first phase to yield a yield a second phase having a polarity greater than said first phase;
- extracting said second phase with a water immiscible organic solvent to yield a second residue;
- subjecting said second residue to crystallization to yield crystalline quassinoid(s).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.