PROCESS FOR PRODUCING LYCOPEN

• Main Authors: ESTRELLA DE CASTRO, ANTONIO, GONZALEZ DE PRADO, EMILIANO, ESTEBAN MORALES, MANUEL, BERNASCONI, ERMANNO, COLLADOS DE LA VIEJA, ALFONSO J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 02.05.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; ENZYMOLOGY; FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIREDCHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERSFROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS ORMEDICINAL PREPARATIONS; SPIRITS; VINEGAR; WINE

Process of obtaining lycopene. The present invention relates to a new process of obtaining carotenoids, especially lycopene, starting from natural biosynthesis sources in general and, specifically, from submerged cultures of mucorales fungi such as Blakeslea, Choanephora or Phycomyces. The process described makes it possible to simplify the recovery process and obtain an increase in purity of the product. It comprises the following steps: 1) Direct treatment with alcohol on the natural source of biosynthesis (fermentation medium for example) and separation of a wet, purified biomass. 2) Conditioning of the purified biomass by drying plus disintegration or breakdown of the same. 3) Solid-liquid extraction of the lycopene with an organic solvent. 4) Concentration of the enriched extract. 5) Precipitation/crystallization by addition of alcohol. 6) Filtration. 7) Dryingin