Purified phosphatidylcholine product made by a process employing magnetic nanoparticles

Abstract

A process for separation and purification of phosphatides, especially phosphatidylcholine, from vegetable lecithins, comprising deoiling with acetone, dissolved in alcoholic solvent and then treated with magnetic nanoparticles as sorbent, in order to adsorb non-choline phosphatides, and the purified phosphatidylcholine-rich composition derived therefrom.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A purified phosphatidylcholine produced by a process comprising:
 mixing a plurality of magnetic nanoparticles coated with hydroxyapatite into a phosphatide mixture, said phosphatide mixture containing phosphatidylcholine and non-choline phosphatides, said hydroxyapatite on said magnetic nanoparticles adsorbing said non-choline phosphatides;   applying a magnetic field to the resultant solution; and   separating, after application of said magnetic field, the magnetic nanoparticles coated with hydroxyapatite with the adsorbed non-choline phosphatides from the resultant solution,   whereby said process does not involve chromatographic solid phase extraction.   
     
     
         2 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 1 , wherein said phosphatide mixture is derived from a lecithin-containing material, said lecithin-containing material precipitated from a natural lipids solution using a ketone solvent. 
     
     
         3 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 2 , wherein said ketone solvent is acetone. 
     
     
         4 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 2 , wherein said precipitated lecithin-containing material is solubilized in an alcohol solvent, resulting in said phosphatide mixture. 
     
     
         5 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 4 , wherein said alcohol solvent is ethanol. 
     
     
         6 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 2 , wherein said lecithin-containing material comprises soybean gum. 
     
     
         7 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 1 , wherein, during said mixing, non-choline phosphatides are adsorbed by said magnetic nanoparticles coated with hydroxyapatite. 
     
     
         8 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 1 , wherein, during said mixing, cationic phosphatides in said phosphatide mixture are adsorbed onto said magnetic nanoparticles containing the hydroxyapatite. 
     
     
         9 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 1 , wherein said hydroxyapatite on said magnetic nanoparticles contains a coating of an amine. 
     
     
         10 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 9 , wherein said amine is selected from the group consisting of phosphatidylethanolamines, primary amines, polyamine, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 9 , wherein the amine-coated hydroxyapatite in the adsorbent constitutes about 60 percent to about 95 percent of the adsorbent by weight. 
     
     
         12 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 1 , wherein a solid phase of said plurality of magnetic nanoparticles coated with hydroxyapatite is selected from the group consisting of apatite powder, apatite nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles coated by apatite, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 1 , wherein the hydroxyapatite in the adsorbent constitutes about 40 percent to about 95 percent of the adsorbent by weight. 
     
     
         14 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 1 , the process further comprising:
 eluting the adsorbed non-choline phosphatides from the resultant solution,   whereby purified phosphatidylcholine remains.   
     
     
         15 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 1 , the process further comprising:
 extracting, after said separating, a supernatant from the resultant solution.   
     
     
         16 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 15 , the process further comprising:
 drying said supernatant under Argon.   
     
     
         17 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 1 , the process further comprising:
 decoupling, after said separating, the magnetic nanoparticles coated with hydroxyapatite from the adsorbed non-choline phosphatides, and   separating and recovering the magnetic nanoparticles,   thereby regenerating the magnetic nanoparticles for further use.   
     
     
         18 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 17 , the process further comprising:
 extracting a phosphatide from the decoupled non-choline phosphatides.   
     
     
         19 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 1 , wherein said purified phosphatidylcholine obtained by said process has a purity of at least about 85%. 
     
     
         20 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 19 , wherein said purified phosphatidylcholine obtained by said process has a purity in a range selected from the group consisting of 85-90, 85-95, 85-100, 90-95, 90-100, and 95-100. 
     
     
         21 . The purified phosphatidylcholine according to  claim 19 , wherein said purified phosphatidylcholine obtained by said process is part of a liposome.