ICAR-NISA Microwave Assisted Improved Process for Extraction of Aleuritic Acid from Lac

Technology Details:

 Lac resin is the only natural source of aleuritic acid. It is extracted from the same commercially using a very inefficient and costly method due to its high demand in the fragrance and pharmaceutical industries. The current commercially used technology takes up to 15 days and produces 14-16 % yield with 70-94% purity. The perfumery industry does not consider this purity level as a superior starting. As a result, it requires additional purification by multistage recrystallization or repeated dissolution and re-precipitation. The step cause 40-50% aleuritic acid losses, imposes additional processing costs on the manufacturer and ultimately results in environmental pollution.

The developed microwave-assisted extraction process is a single process for extraction and purification of Aleuritic acid, addressed the disadvantages of existing production technology like the developed method used microwave in place of traditional heating for alkaline hydrolysis of Lac has reduced the hydrolysis time from 7-10 days to 30 minute. Further the production was increased from 14-16 % to  23-24%  and purity from 70-94%  to  >98-99% in a cleaner way without using organic reagents or subsequent refining operations in a single process, unlike the other known processes. Therefore, the developed technology is rapid, cost-effective, efficient in production and energy consumption.

Unique characteristics: