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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #93109
Title: PILOT-SCALE ISOLATION OF SIMMONDSIN AND RELATED JOJOBA CONSTITUENTS

Author
item Abbott Dr, Thomas
item Holser, Ronald
item PLATTNER, BRIAN - FORMER ARS
item Plattner, Ronald
item PURCELL, HAL - PURCELL JOJOBA INTL LLC

Submitted to: European Symposium on Industrial Crops and Products
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/5/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Simmondsin and several related compounds are present in jojoba meal at about 13% concentration. Industrial scale processes have been developed to extract the meal with water to yield a simmondsin concentrate that contains approximately 42% simmondsin and structurally related constituents. In order to develop a practical process to further purify the active constituents, acetone, acetonitrile, chloroform, ethanol, isopropanol, methanol, and water in various combinations were tested. Extraction with absolute ethanol followed by 80/20 ethanol/water increases the concentration of simmondsins from 42 to 71% in the ethanol extract, recovers the remaining simmondsins in the second extract, and leaves a sugar and protein residue low in residual simmondsins. Subsequent preparative chromatography gave simmondsin and simmondsin ferulate fractions with greater than 95% purity. From the preparative HPLC, 77% of the recovered fractions are of marketable purity and 20% acceptable for further refinement or recycling into the feed solution. The chromatographic separation was scaled up to kilogram quantities using a 20 cm diameter reversed phase column and a water/ethanol gradient. A patent application for the process and materials has been filed.