Process for the purification of sterols from hydrocarbon extracts using evaporative fractionation

摘要

A method for separating sterols from neutral substances comprising the sterols, the method comprising: (a) providing a hydrocarbon fraction containing in the neutral substances; (b) optionally washing the hydrocarbon fraction with water; (c) optionally separating the neutral substances from the hydrocarbon; (d) evaporation fractionating the neutral substances from step (c), to obtain a sterol-rich fraction; (e) dissolving the sterol-rich fraction in a solvent and crystallizing the sterols from the solvent; and (f) separating the obtained sterol crystals from the solvent.