Pilot-scale isolation of simmondsin and related jojoba constituents

Simmondsin and several related compounds are present in jojoba meal at about 13% concentration. Industrial scale processes have been developed to extract the meal with water to yield a simmondsin concentrate that contains 43% simmondsin and analogues. This research was undertaken to develop a practical process to purify further the active constituents. Acetone, acetonitrile, chloroform, ethanol, isopropanol, methanol, and water, alone and in various combinations and at various solvent:solids ratios were tested. Extraction with absolute ethanol followed by 80:20 ethanol-water increased the concentration of simmondsins from 42 to 75% in the ethanol extract, recovered the remaining simmondsins in the second extract and left a sugar and protein residue low in residual simmondsins. Subsequent preparative chromatography gave fractions greater than 95% purity. From the preparative HPLC, 77% of the recovered fractions was of pharmaceutical grade and 20% was acceptable for further refinement or recycling into the feed solution. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.