Patent · US Expired

Production of d-alpha-tocopherol from natural plant sources

US4977282A · kind A · utility

29Cited by
1References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 13, 1989
Grant dateDec 11, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 13, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC07D311/72
  • WIPO fieldPharmaceuticals
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Quantities of natural tocopherol can be aminoalkylated to selectively introduce functional groups onto the 5 and 7 positions of the non-alpha-tocopherol homologues. Natural d-alpha-tocopherol can then be separated from the aminoalkylated non-alpha-tocopherols as salts. After separation the adducts can then be reduced by hydrogenolysis, thereby upgrading vitamin E activity by making d-alpha-tocopherol out of the intermediate tocopherol adducts. Salts of these adducts can be crystallized by contacting the adducts with phosphoric acid. Salts will form upon acetic acid addition, and the delta-tocopherol adduct acetate can be isolated as a crystalline solid. The adducts can also be regenerated from the salts and transformed to alpha-tocopherol by reduction of the adduct.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.