Process for extraction and concentration of liposoluble vitamins and provitamins, growth factors and animal and vegetable hormones from residues and by-products of industrialized animal and vegetable products

Abstract

A process for the extraction and concentration of unsaponifiable substances, containing liposoluble vitamins and provitamins, growth factors and animal and vegetable hormones, from residues of the industrialization of animal or vegetable products. This process does not require the use of solvents. Its main goal is to obtain the separation of these “valuable products”, by means of distillation/evaporation at high vacuum, and the production of fatty acids and other high quality organic acids, once the recovery of the unsaponifiable fraction of residues from the industrialization of animal or vegetable products, is of great commercial interest. This is due to the fact that the “valuable products”, have in many cases, vitamin activity, such as: tocopherols, sterols, carotenoids, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin D, while other products present cholesterol reducing properties, such as: sterols, tocotrienols, esqualene, etc; or even, anti-oxidant properties like: tocopherols, tocotrienols; as well as anti-carcinogenic properties such as: tocotrienols, sterols, lycopene, and alpha-carotene. Some other products are used as a structure for chemical-synthesis, like for example: sterols for hormone synthesis, vitamin D synthesis; and other products which have nutraceutic properties, apart from the commercial interest in some products, the cosmetic formulas of which present emulsifying properties, emulsion stabilizers and/or viscosity modifiers like for example sterols.