Extraction and winterization of lipids from oilseed and microbial sources

• Main Authors: ZELLER SAMUEL G, DRIVER ROBERT H, DUEPPEN DANIEL G, DILTZ SANDRA I
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.04.2010
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE OILS, FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES AND WAXES; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CANDLES; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CULTURE MEDIA; DETERGENTS; ENZYMOLOGY; ESSENTIAL OILS; FATTY ACIDS THEREFROM; FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIREDCHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERSFROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PERFUMES; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PROCESSES USING MICROORGANISMS; PRODUCING (PRESSING, EXTRACTION), REFINING AND PRESERVINGFATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES (e.g. LANOLIN), FATTY OILS AND WAXES,INCLUDING EXTRACTION FROM WASTE MATERIALS; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SEPARATION; SPIRITS; TRANSPORTING; VINEGAR; WINE

A process for purifying a lipid composition having predominantly neutral lipid components having at least one long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid is disclosed. The process employs contacting the lipid composition with a polar solvent, such as acetone, wherein the solvent is selected such that contaminants are less soluble in the solvent than is the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid. The process is typically conducted at cooler temperatures, including about 0° C. Upon precipitation of the contaminants from the lipid composition, a separation is conducted to remove the precipitated material from the lipid composition. The long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids can include ARA, DPA, EPA, and/or DHA. The process of the present invention effectively winterizes lipid compositions, thereby reducing the tendency of such compositions to become hazy.