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BR-102024018292-A2 - PROCESS FOR CONCENTRATING PHYTONUTRIENTS FROM DEODORIZED VEGETABLE OIL DISTILLATE

BR102024018292A2BR 102024018292 A2BR102024018292 A2BR 102024018292A2BR-102024018292-A2

Abstract

The following invention achieves the concentration of phytonutrients (tocopherols, phytosterols and squalene) from a novel mixture of deodorized distillates using only molecular distillation steps.

Inventors

  • ELUIZE VAYNE MAZIERO
  • DANIEL ASSUMPÇÃO BERTUOL
  • EDUARDO HIROMITSU TANABE
  • CRISTIANO AUGUSTO BALLUS

Assignees

  • UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE SANTA MARIA
  • BIOESANS PRODUTOS BIOTECNOLOGICOS S.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260317
Application Date
20240905

Claims (6)

  1. 1. A process for concentrating plant-derived phytonutrients characterized by using only molecular distillation steps and being obtained from deodorized distillates.
  2. 2. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the product is composed of tocopherols, phytosterols and squalene.
  3. 3. Process, according to claims 1 and 2, characterized by having three molecular distillation steps: a- DM1, where the distillate stream (D1) and the residue stream (R1) are formed; b- DM2, molecular distillation step, to form the distillate stream (D2) and residue stream (R2); c- DM3, molecular distillation step, to form the distillate stream (D3) and the residue stream (R3); in stream D3, the product with an enriched composition of phytonutrients is obtained.
  4. 4. Process according to claim 3, characterized in that the steps are carried out under a vacuum of 0.1 Pa.
  5. 5. Process, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by having: a- feed flow rate of 21 to 25 mL/min; b- condenser temperature of 58 to 65 °C; c- agitation of 380 RPM; d- evaporation area of 0.06 m2
  6. 6. Process, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by exhibiting temperature variations in the three stages, being: a- DM1: 138 to 142°C; b- DM2: 160 to 164°C and for stage c- DM3: 190 to 194°C.

Description

Field of Invention [0001] The present invention belongs to the area of plant biotechnology, more specifically in the area of waste management and refers to a method of concentrating three phytonutrients (tocopherols, phytosterols and squalene) from a new mixture of deodorized vegetable oil distillates (DDOV) using only molecular distillation steps. Fundamentals of the Invention [0002] Phytonutrients are bioactive compounds naturally present in plants that offer significant health benefits due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective properties. These compounds help neutralize free radicals, reduce LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein), and provide essential nutrients such as vitamin E. The incorporation of phytonutrients from vegetable oils has been widely applied in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries, enhancing their nutritional and therapeutic values. [0003] Phytonutrients can be predominantly extracted from various plant sources such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, seeds, and vegetable oils. Among the most common phytonutrients are polyphenols, carotenoids, phytosterols, and tocopherols, which are frequently obtained from plants such as soy, sunflower, olive, flaxseed, corn, and palm. [0004] The most commonly used methods for extracting phytonutrients are liquid-liquid extraction with pairs of polar and non-polar solvents, transesterification to form methyl esters followed by fractional distillation, crystallization, neutralization, and washing. However, these methods have several operational steps, making them laborious and disadvantageous on an industrial scale, for example. [0005] The disadvantages of more conventional extraction methods are related to costs, number of steps, and degradation or contamination of the compounds of interest. Solvent extraction, for example, is widely used due to its simplicity and effectiveness, but raises environmental and public health concerns due to the use of chemicals. Extraction using the transesterification method can degrade phytonutrients, which would hinder their use. [0006] The choice of the most suitable extraction method depends on the specific objectives of the process, preferably with lower costs and that are environmentally sound. Optimizing these methods is crucial to maximize the benefits of phytonutrients, ensuring high-quality products that are safe for human use and consumption. [0007] The molecular distillation process does not use solvents and utilizes milder temperatures (between 138 and 194°C) compared to conventional distillation due to the use of high vacuum, which avoids problems related to toxicity and preserves phytonutrients. Therefore, molecular distillation is considered the most suitable method for separating and recovering heat-sensitive phytonutrients such as tocopherols, phytosterols, and squalene. [0008] Deodorized distillate (DDOV) is a byproduct derived from the refining of vegetable oils, specifically in the deodorization stage. It contains free fatty acids, acylglycerols, and phytonutrients, and its composition varies according to the conditions of the refining process. In industries that use mixtures of vegetable oils in manufacturing, such as in margarine production, mixtures of deodorized distillates are obtained. This byproduct is then concentrated in phytonutrients, allowing for its valorization. Another important point is that it does not need to be treated as effluent, which has a high cost. [0009] The following invention achieves the concentration of three types of phytonutrients, tocopherols, phytosterols and squalene, from a novel mixture of deodorized distillates using only molecular distillation steps. [0010] The invention seeks to define processing conditions for the raw material using only three molecular distillation steps with temperatures that prevent the degradation of phytonutrients and in a configuration that allows concentrating tocopherols together with phytosterols. Phytosterols prevent the oxidation of tocopherols, which makes it interesting to obtain this characteristic in the phytonutrient concentrate. Description of the state of the art [0011] Document IN201503116(I3) refers to a process for the preparation of tocopherols from by-products of the vegetable oil industry, such as deodorized distillates. The proposed invention uses milder temperature conditions, which favors the non-degradation of phytonutrients, and a different molecular distillation sequence, which makes it possible to concentrate phytosterols together with tocopherols, in addition to not using solvent extraction, which does not cause toxicity problems in the final product. [0012] Document CN101445498 (A) refers to a method for producing high-purity natural vitamin E and a method for separating tocopherol homologs from deodorized soybean oil distillate. The method involves suction filtration to obtain crude sterols, two-stage molecular distillation to remove low-boiling-point components and