Development of novel process for efficiently separating and purifying tocotrienols

In this study, a novel process for efficiently separating and purifying tocotrienols from deodorizer distillate from rice bran oil were developed by combining adsorption and desorption with ionexchange resins and a simulated moving bed chromatography (SMB). In the vitamin E rich fraction obtained by adsorption and desorption with ion-exchange resins, only free fatty acid was detected as an impurity. The recovery ratios of tocotrienols and tocopherols were 73% and 100%, respectively and the mass fractions of tocotrienols and tocopherols were 21 wt% and 42 wt%, respectively. Those results were two times higher than those obtained by the conventional molecular distillation. Next, the purification of tocotrienols by SMB was performed using the vitamin E rich fractions obtained with ion-exchange resins and the conventional molecular distillation. The separation efficiency was improved by 20% and the required volume of eluent was reduced by 25% using the vitamin E rich fraction with ion-exchange resin. Thus, the proposed process was very effective to separating and purifying tocotrienols and can reduce the environmental impacts and production cost.