| abstract |
A process for the manufacture of an extract of Goji berries containing zeaxanthin and/or its esters is provided, comprising the following steps: a) obtaining dried Goji berries or size reduced pieces thereof; and b) treating the dried Goji berries or the size reduced pieces thereof with an alkali solution; and c) extracting the Goji berries or the size reduced pieces thereof obtained in step b) with a solvent selected from the group consisting of ethyl acetate, hexane, heptane, petroleum ether, acetone, butane, ethyl methyl ketone, methanol, propan-2-ol and mixtures thereof; and d) removing the solvent from the extracts obtained in step c); and e) optionally cleaving the esters in the dried extracts obtained in step d); and f) optionally crystallizing the dried extracts obtained in step d) or e) in an aliphatic straight or branched C 1-4 alcohol. Preferably the process consists only of the steps a) to f) given above. |