Isolation and purification of cartenoids from marigold flowers

[0071]25 Kgs of Marigold Oleoresin having 92.19 gm / Kg or 9.22% of Xanthophylls is taken in 100 litres capacity reactor with an agitator. The Oleoresin is homogenised for 10 minutes under stirring at a temperature of about 40° C. with either steam or hot water in the jacket of the reactor as heating medium. Ethanolic KOH is prepared by taking 5 Kgs of KOH with purity of 95% and dissolving it in 35 litres of Ethyl alcohol (1:1.4 volumes). The prepared ethanolic KOH is added into reaction vessel slowly, containing the homogenised mass. The saponification reaction is carried out at a temperature of about 75° C. for 30 minutes. After ensuring the degree of saponification to be more than 99% by HPLC, 40 litres of demineralised hot water maintained at a temperature of 70° C. is added to the reacted mass and the stirring is continued for 10 minutes. The diluted mass with carotenoid crystals is then pumped into a filter press to recover the crystals. Around 250 litres of additional hot water

[0074]25.5 Kgs of Marigold Oleoresin having 102.18 gm / Kg or 10.22% of Xanthophylls is taken in 100 litres capacity reactor with an agitator.

[0075]The Oleoresin is homogenised for 10 minutes under stirring at a temperature of about 45° C. with either steam or hot water in the jacket of the reactor as heating medium. Ethanolic KOH is prepared by taking 5.1 Kgs of KOH with purity of 95% and dissolving it 40 litres of Ethyl alcohol (1:1.56 volumes).

[0076]The prepared Ethanolic KOH is added into reaction vessel slowly, containing the homogenised mass. The saponification reaction is carried out at a temperature of 73° C. for 30 minutes. After ensuring the degree of saponification to be more than 99% by HPLC, 45 litres of demineralised hot water maintained at a temperature of about 65° C. is added to the reacted mass and the stirring is continued for 10 minutes. The diluted mass with carotenoid crystals is then pumped into a filter press to recover the crystals. Around 275 litres of additio

[0080]20 kg of lutein rich Marigold meal having 8.99 gm / Kg (0.89%) of total carotenoids (with a carotenoids profile of 74.58% trans-lutein (T-lutein), 4.28% trans-zeaxanthin, 1.94% of beta-carotene, 1.02% of cryptoxanthin and 18.08% cis-isomers & epoxides measured by HPLC) was taken in a 200 Litres capacity extractor with circulation facility. 120 Litres of Food grade hexane with a Gas chromatographic purity of more than 98%, was added to the extractor and circulated. The temperature was raised to about 55° C. and maintained for 1 hour, under circulation. After 1 hour the extract was drained and collected in a miscela tank. The extraction was repeated for two more times each with 120 Litres of Hexane under the same conditions of temperature and time. The extracts obtained were collected in the miscela tank. The fourth and fifth extractions were carried out using 100 Litres of hexane in each extraction under circulation and at a temperature of 58° C. 512 Litres of miscela collected fr