초록 ▼

The present invention relates to processes for the treatment of liquors derived from oil-bearing fruit, for example from oil palm fruit, and to products therefrom. Typically a process involves removal of undissolved solids, oleaginous parts, colloids and higher weight molecules from the vegetation l

The present invention relates to processes for the treatment of liquors derived from oil-bearing fruit, for example from oil palm fruit, and to products therefrom. Typically a process involves removal of undissolved solids, oleaginous parts, colloids and higher weight molecules from the vegetation liquor to give an aqueous fraction containing phytochemicals, for example, flavonoids, phenolic acids and hydroxy acids. Subsequently, pH adjustment and solvent extraction upon said aqueous fraction realise an extract rich in hydroxy acids or phenolic acids or flavonoids or any combination thereof Applications of the substances subject of this invention are to be found in drinks, edible products, tonics, health supplements, antioxidant additives, cosmetics, soaps, shampoos, detergents, drugs or medicinal products.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A process for extraction of phytochemicals from vegetation liquor derived from palm fruit comprising: filtering said vegetation liquor with a membrane filter, wherein said membrane filter is configured to remove molecules above 41,000 Daltons in molecular weight; wherein the

What is claimed is: 1. A process for extraction of phytochemicals from vegetation liquor derived from palm fruit comprising: filtering said vegetation liquor with a membrane filter, wherein said membrane filter is configured to remove molecules above 41,000 Daltons in molecular weight; wherein the membrane filtration yields an aqueous permeate comprising phytochemicals. 2. The process of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a colloidal fraction from the retentate by: prior to the membrane filtration: a) contacting the vegetation liquor with a material that preferentially adsorbs or absorbs substantially all oleaginous parts; and b) filtering out substantially all solids; wherein the retentate yielded by the membrane filtration is a colloidal fraction containing substantially all colloidal particles are solutes, substantially all of which molecules are above 41,000 Daltons in molecular weight. 3. The process of claim 1, further comprising obtaining an oleaginous fraction and a colloidal fraction by: prior to the membrane filtration: a) filtering the vegetation liquor to yield an oleaginous retentate containing substantially all the oleaginous parts and substantially all the solids; b) filtering the oleaginous retentate to remove substantially all solids, giving the oleaginous fraction as filtrate; wherein the retentate yielded by the membrane filtration is a colloidal fraction containing substantially all colloidal particles and solutes, substantially all of which molecules are above 41,000 Daltons in molecular weight. 4. The process of claim 1, further comprising obtaining an oleaginous fraction and a colloidal fraction by: prior to the membrane filtration: a) filtering the vegetation liquor to remove substantially all solids, to yield an oleaginous fraction containing substantially all the oleaginous parts as retentate, and an aqueous substance containing substantially all the colloidal particles and substantially all the solutes as permeate; b) filtering the aqueous substance of step a) to yield a colloidal fraction as retentate, the colloidal fraction containing substantially all colloidal particles and solutes, substantially all of which molecules are above 41,000 Daltons in molecular weight. 5. The process of claim 1, wherein the vegetation liquor is derived from palm oil mill effluent. 6. The process of claim 1, further comprising removing part of the water content from the aqueous fraction to give a concentrated aqueous fraction, or a residue. 7. The process of claim 6, wherein substantially all of the water content is removed from the aqueous fraction to give a concentrated aqueous fraction, or a residue. 8. The process of claim 1, wherein the vegetation liquor is derived from one or more sources selected from the group consisting of palm oil fruitlets, oil palm fruit bunch, hot sterilizer condensate collected immediately on discharge from the horizontal sterilizers at a palm oil mill, and discharge from the sludge centrifuge at a palm oil mill. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein said aqueous permeate is substantially free of oleaginous parts, colloidal substances, and solids. 10. The process of claim 1, wherein said membrane filter is configured to remove molecules above 30,000 Daltons in molecular weight. 11. The process of claim 1, wherein said membrane filter is configured to remove molecules above 10,000 Daltons in molecular weight. 12. The process of claim 1, wherein said membrane filter is a part of a Centriprep system. 13. The process of claim 1, wherein said membrane filter is a hollow fibre cartridge. 14. An aqueous fraction containing phytochemicals obtained by the process of claim 1. 15. The aqueous fraction of claim 14, which has been concentrated by removing water content. 16. A residue containing phytochemicals produced by removing substantially all of the water content from the aqueous fraction obtained by the process of claim 1. 17. A process for extraction of phytochemicals from vegetation liquor derived from palm fruit comprising: a) centrifuging the vegetation liquor to give a light phase, a sediment phase and an aqueous phase, b) recovering the aqueous phase; and (c) filtering said aqueous phase with a membrane filter, wherein said membrane filter is configured to remove molecules above 41,000 Daltons in molecular weight; wherein the membrane filtration yields an aqueous permeate comprising phytochemicals. 18. The process of claim 17, wherein step (a) is conducted at a temperature below 13�� C. 19. A process for obtaining palm extract comprising hydroxy acids, phenolic acids or flavonoids from vegetation liquor derived from palm fruit, said process comprising: (a) filtering said vegetation liquor with a membrane filter, wherein said membrane filter is configured to remove molecules above 41,000 Daltons in molecular weight; b) adjusting the pH of the permeate of step (a) to effect separation of hydroxy acids, phenolic acids or flavonoids or any combination thereof into either an aqueous phase or a solvent phase; and c) recovering the phase containing the hydroxy acids, phenolic acids or flavonoids or any combination thereof, thereby obtaining the extract. 20. The process of claim 19, wherein the aqueous fraction has been concentrated or reconstituted from a residue prior to step (a). 21. An extract comprising hydroxy acids, phenolic acids or flavonoids obtained by the process of claim 19. 22. The extract of claim 21, which has been dried by removing substantially all of the water or substantially all of the solvent. 23. The extract of claim 21, wherein the vegetation liquor is derived from palm oil mill effluent.