The technical and economic feasibility of producing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-ethyl ester concentrates from transesterified tuna oil using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) was studied. A systematic experimental procedure was used to find the optimal values for process parameters and the maximal production rate. DHA ester concentrates up to 95 wt% purity were obtained in one chromatographic step with SFC, using CO 2 as the mobile phase at 65°C and 145 bar and octadecyl silane-type reversed-phase silica as the stationary phase. DHA ester, 0.85 g/(kg stationary phase · h) and 0.23 g EPA ester/(kg stationary phase · h) can be simultaneously produced at the respective purities of 90 and 50 wt%. The process for producing 1,000 kg DHA concentrate and 410 kg EPA concentrate per year requires 160 kg stationary phase and 2.6 tons/h carbon dioxide eluant recycle. The SFC operating cost is U.S. $550/kg DHA and EPA ethyl ester concentrate.

No abstract

In the hydrolysis of racemic 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)glycidic acid methyl ester by immobilized Mucor mlehei lipase in supercritical CO 2 the initial hydrolysis rate of the (2S,3R)-form was faster than the rate of the (2R,3S) -form. The stereoisomeric excess of the (2R,3S)-form reached 87 % at 53 % total conversion level. The water content of the reaction mixture and the initial concentration of the 3-(4-methoxyphenyl) glycidic acid methyl ester had no effect on isomeric purity. The reaction rate in supercritical CO 2 was considerably faster than in toluene/water -mixture.

Byl? F o r s s e l l , R. K e r v i n e n , M . A I k i o a n d K . P o u t a n e n *Polar lipids of crude oat oil were investigated. Oat oil was separated from oats by extraction with isopropanol. Polar Iipids were fractionated from crude oil by supercritical CO2-extraction, by ultrafiltration in hexane and by water degumming. The polar fraction from C02-extraction had the highest phospholipid and lowest tocopherol content. The polar fractions made by different methods possessed similar antioxidative properties. However, the polar lipids from oats were more powerful antioxidants than those made from soybean or rapeseed oil. Fat Sci. Technol. 94.lahrgang Nr.9 1992 PERCENT LECITHIN ADDED Fat sd.Technol. 94. Jabgang Nr.9 1992 * T.S. Kahlon, Cereal Foods World, 34,872 [1989].Cooperation of the following colleagues at VTT is gratefully acknowledged: Mr. 0. Aaltonen for valuable discussions, Ms. A . Rtisgnen for performing the lipid class analysis, Ms. Z Lup: Forssell, M. Cetin, G, Wirtanen and y Malkki, Fat sci.

The Nazarov reaction of trans,trans-dibenzylidene acetone in near-critical water with or without additional carbon dioxide produces 2,3-diphenyl-2-cyclopentenone instead of the conventional Nazarov product, 3,4-disubstituted 2-cyclopentenone. The use of organic solvents and strong mineral acids, generally required for this reaction, is avoided by using water and carbonic acid as a proton source. After an optimization procedure, 38% yield of 2,3-diphenyl-2-cyclopentenone was obtained. The presence of carbon dioxide had a clear positive effect on yield.