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- Isolation of aflatoxin-free lutein from aflatoxin-contaminated plants and plant products
William Baumgartner, Benedict, Dirk, King, Joan M., Losso, Jack N.
King, Joan M.; Losso, Jack N.; Menelaou, Evdokia
Patent Status: Issued
Issue Date: 2/03/2010
Patent Number: 7,671,242
Abstract:
An efficient method is disclosed for extracting lutein from corn, sweet potato, and other plant products, and for extracting aflatoxin-free lutein from aflatoxin-contaminated plant grains and other plant products safely without any toxic by-products. The lutein is extracted using acetone, and either chilled or saponified to separate from the lipids. If contaminated with aflatoxin, the extracted aflatoxin-contaminated lutein is treated with lipoxidase. This method may be used in producing aflatoxin-free lutein from other contaminated grains or plant oils, or other plant products, including corn, cotton, soybean, rice, barley, wheat, maize, millet, and peanut.
Description:
This invention pertains to a new method using an acetone extraction to isolate lutein from plants, optionally followed by an enzyme treatment to isolate safe, aflatoxin-free lutein from plants or plant products that may be contaminated with aflatoxin (e.g., corn, sweet potato, cotton, peanut, soybean, rice, wheat, millet, maize, and barley).
The term “aflatoxin” usually refers to fungal metabolites produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus
Corn (Zea mays) is a popular and
widely consumed food and feed commodity in many communities throughout
the world. Corn susceptibility to aflatoxin contamination, however,
provides a potential health hazard to both human consumers and animals.
The available methods for the detoxification of aflatoxin-contaminated
corn currently involve the use of ammoniation or ozonation. Both methods
generate toxic compounds, and destroy the oil and protein in corn. More
importantly, the decontaminated corn product produced by ammoniation or
ozonation is not approved for use in human food. The instant invention
generates aflatoxin-free lutein and aflatoxin-free corn oil from a
contaminated corn oil sample.