Method of purifying eicosapentaenoic acid and its esters

摘要

A method of purifying eicosapentaenoic acid and esters of eicosapentaenoic acid comprising subjecting a mixture containing eicosapentaenoic acid or an ester of eicosapentaenoic acid to the following steps in either order: (1) urea treatment, where the treatment comprises contacting the mixture with a polar organic solvent containing dissolved urea whereby a solution containing the acid or ester is formed, precipitating urea crystals from the solution, and removing the urea crystals, and (2) fractional distillation.