PROCESS FOR EXTRACTING AND PURIFYING LIGNANS AND CINNAMIC ACID DERIVATIVES FROM FLAXSEED

摘要

A process is described for extracting secoisolariciresinol diglycoside (SDG) and cinnamic acid derivatives from flaxseed which comprises contacting a substantially oil-free flaxseed meal with an aliphatic alcohol solvent, e.g. a mixture of methanol or ethanol with water, to extract phenolics comprising SDG and cinnamic acid derivatives into the alcohol solvent and separating residual solids from the phenolic-rich alcohol solvent. The phenolic-rich alcohol solvent is concentrated by removing solvent therefrom and the phenolic-rich extract obtained is subjected to a base-catalyzed hydrolysis to liberate lignans and cinnamic acid derivatives therefrom in a non-complexed form. Thereafter, the hydrolyzed extract is fractionated into a fraction containing SDG and a fraction containing cinnamic acid derivatives. Either or both of these fractions are then subjected to chromatographic separation to thereby obtain SDG and/or cinnamic acid derivatives at a purity of greater than 95 %.