Optimized process for extraction of ferulic acid with pretreatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016145183-A1
Application number	US-201414892790-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 19, 2014
Priority date	May 21, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process for extraction of ferulic acid present in an aqueous phase, obtained by treatment of at least one plant material, and also containing polysaccharides, is described, said process comprising at least the following steps:
1) the treatment of said plant material followed by a solid/liquid separation to recover a solid phase and an aqueous liquid phase comprising the ferulic acid and said polysaccharides, 2) the treatment of said liquid phase to selectively separate, on the one hand, the polysaccharides and, on the other hand, the ferulic acid present in an aqueous fraction, 3) the concentration of said aqueous fraction containing the ferulic acid so as to recover a ferulic acid-concentrated stream, 4) the recovery of the ferulic acid in solid form.

First claim

1 . A process for extraction of ferulic acid from at least one plant material containing ferulic acid and-polysaccharides, comprising:
1) treating said plant material to form a solid phase and an aqueous liquid phase, said aqueous liquid phase comprising ferulic acid and/or salt thereof and polysaccharides, 2) selectively separating polysaccharides from the liquid phase and recovering a polysaccharide-depleted aqueous liquid fraction that comprises ferulic acid and/or salt thereof, 3) optionally, concentrating the aqueous liquid fraction to recover a concentrated ferulic acid stream that comprises ferulic acid and/or salt thereof, and recovering ferulic acid, in solid form, from the aqueous liquid fraction or concentrated ferulic acid stream.

2 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said plant material is selected from wheat bran, rice bran, corn bran, oat bran, spent corn grains, bagasse, beetroot pulp and the residue from refining rice bran oil, and mixtures thereof.

3 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the step of treating said plant material to form the aqueous liquid and solid phases comprises subjecting the plant material to an alkaline decoction and/or enzymatic treatment.

4 . The process as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the alkaline decoction comprises heating said plant material in an alkaline solution or an alkaline suspension.

5 . The process as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the treatment by alkaline decoction is carried out in a twin-screw extruder or a grinder homogenizer.

6 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said aqueous liquid phase formed in step 1 comprises mainly water, sugars, and ferulic acid.

7 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said step of selective separation of the polysaccharides is carried out by liquid chromatography, by liquid/liquid extraction, by selective adsorption of the polysaccharides, or by ultrafiltration.

8 . The process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the ultrafiltration is carried out by means of an organic or inorganic ultrafiltration membrane.

9 . The process as claimed in claim 8 , wherein said membrane has a cut-off threshold of between 50,000 g/mol and 300,000 g/mol.

10 . The process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the ultrafiltration is carried out at a pH of between 5 and 12.

11 . The process as claimed in claim 8 , wherein at least 90% by weight of the polysaccharides initially present in the aqueous liquid phase are retained by the ultrafiltration membrane.

12 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said concentration step consists in carrying out either an evapoconcentration step, or a membrane separation step by nanofiltration or by reverse osmosis.

13 . The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the membrane separation step is carried out at a pH of less than 9.

14 . The process as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the concentration of ferulic acid and/or salt thereof is at least doubled after said step 3) has been carried out.

15 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said recovery step according to step 4) comprises crystallization of ferulic acid.

16 . The process as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the crystallization of the ferulic acid is preceded by acidifying said concentrated ferulic acid stream or adsorption of said concentrated ferulic acid stream.

17 . A process for producing natural vanillin, comprising biofermenting ferulic acid obtained by the process claimed in claim 1 .

18 . A process for producing natural vanillin, comprising:
extracting ferulic acid from at least one plant material as claimed in claim 1 , and converting the ferulic acid thus obtained into natural vanillin by biofermentation in the presence of microorganisms.

Assignees

• Rhodia Operations

Inventors

• Revelant Denis
• Foucher Stephanie
• Horbez Dominique
• Marion Philippe

Classifications

• C12P7/62

  Carboxylic acid esters · CPC title

• C07C51/47 Primary

  by solid-liquid treatment; by chemisorption · CPC title

• C07C51/43

  by change of the physical state, e.g. crystallisation · CPC title

• C07C51/48

  by liquid-liquid treatment · CPC title

• C07C51/00

  Preparation of carboxylic acids or their salts, halides or anhydrides (of acids by hydrolysis of oils, fats or waxes C11C) · CPC title