Compositions that contain lipophilic plant material and surfactant, and related methods

Abstract

Described are liquid compositions that contain a desired (e.g., extracted) plant material such as cannabinoid, terpene, terpenoid, or the like, contained, e.g., dissolved, suspended, or emulsified, in the liquid, which contains surfactant; methods of preparing these types of liquid compositions; and methods of processing this type of liquid composition to collect, isolate, concentrate, or purify a desired target material contained in the liquid composition.

1 . A plant extract composition comprising:
 at least 15 weight percent surfactant,   at least 5 weight percent plant material, based on total weight plant extract composition.   
     
     
         2 . A plant extract composition of  claim 1  comprising:
 from 15 to 70 weight percent surfactant, 
 at least 20 weight percent extracted lipophilic plant material that is dissolved, suspended, or emulsified within the plant extract composition, based on total weight plant extract composition. 
 
     
     
         3 . A plant extract composition of  claim 1  comprising at least 5 weight percent cannabinoid, based on total weight plant extract composition. 
     
     
         4 . A plant extract composition of  claim 1  comprising not more than 20 weight percent water based on total weight plant extract composition. 
     
     
         5 . A plant extract composition of  claim 1  comprising:
 less than 5 weight percent exogenous organic solvent, 
 less than 5 weight percent exogenous oil, 
 or both, 
 
       based on total weight plant extract composition. 
     
     
         6 . A plant extract composition of  claim 1  wherein the surfactant is selected from:
 non-ionic surfactant having the formula R1NR2R3, wherein R1 is a hydrocarbon-containing group, and R2 and R3 are independently selected from groups comprising both oxygen and carbon atoms, 
 amide-based surfactant having the formula R4C(O)NR5R6, wherein R4, R5, and R6 are independently selected from saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon-containing groups, and R4, R5, and R6 have a total number of carbon atoms in the range from 6-16, and 
 an amphiphilic, detergent-type surfactant. 
 
     
     
         7 . A liquid extraction medium comprising water, surfactant, and base, the medium comprising:
 at least 0.1 weight percent pH-dependent surfactant,   at least 1 weight percent amide-based surfactant,   at least 0.001 weight percent amphiphilic, detergent-type surfactant, or   two or more of these,   
       based on total weight liquid extraction medium, the liquid extraction medium having a basic pH. 
     
     
         8 . A medium of  claim 7  wherein the liquid extraction medium is an emulsion. 
     
     
         9 . A medium of  claim 1  comprising:
 from 0.1 to 40 weight percent pH-dependent surfactant, or 
 from 1 to 20 weight percent amide-based surfactant, 
 amphiphilic surfactant, or 
 a combination of two or more of these, 
 and optional hydrotrope, optional solubilizing agent, or both, based on total weight liquid extraction medium. 
 
     
     
         10 . A medium of  claim 9  comprising:
 less than 5 weight percent exogenous organic solvent, based on total weight liquid extraction medium, 
 less than 5 weight percent exogenous oil, based on total weight liquid extraction medium. 
 
     
     
         11 . A medium of [[any]]  claim 1  wherein
 the pH-dependent surfactant is an alkylamine alkoxylate, and 
 the amide-based surfactant has the formula R4C(O)NR5R6, wherein R4, R5, and R6 are independently selected from saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon-containing groups, and R4, R5, and R6 have a total number of carbon atoms in the range from 6-16. 
 
     
     
         12 . A method of extracting material from solid plant material, the method comprising contacting solid plant material with liquid extraction medium of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         13 . A method of  claim 12  wherein the liquid extraction medium comprises pH-dependent surfactant, and the method comprises, after contacting the solid plant material with liquid extraction medium, lowering the pH of the liquid extraction medium to cause the liquid extraction medium to de-emulsify and form multiple phases, including an aqueous phase and a non-aqueous phase. 
     
     
         14 . A method of  claim 13  wherein the non-aqueous phase comprises:
 at least 15 weight percent surfactant, 
 at least 1 weight percent cannabinoid, and 
 not more than 20 weight percent water, 
 
       based on total weight non-aqueous phase. 
     
     
         15 . A method of  claim 14  comprising processing the liquid extraction medium to form a plant extract composition comprising:
 at least 15 weight percent surfactant, 
 at least 1 weight percent cannabinoid, and 
 not more than 20 weight percent water, 
 
       based on total weight non-aqueous phase, and separating the cannabinoid form the plant extract composition by forming a liquid (e.g., oil) or solid (e.g., crystal) phase that contains a concentrated amount of the cannabinoid. 
     
     
         16 . A method of  claim 13  comprising compressing the solid plant material using a two-stage auger. 
     
     
         17 . A method for extracting a lipophilic plant material from a plant, comprising steps of:
 a) obtaining a plant or portion thereof comprising a lipophilic plant material;   b) processing the plant in an aqueous composition, wherein the aqueous composition has a basic pH and comprises at least one surfactant;   c) lowering the pH of the aqueous composition wherein the surfactant i) partially or fully loses its ability to emulsify lipophilic and hydrophilic components in the processed plant composition, ii) partially or fully disassociates with the lipophilic plant material, iii) is chemically cleaved into two or more surfactant by-product, or any combination of i) - iii); and   d) partially or fully separating the surfactant from the lipophilic plant material.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , where, in step b):
 the pH of the aqueous composition is greater than about 9, and   processing comprises processing the plant using pressure, such as by using an auger, a sonicator, a macerator, a grinder, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the surfactant is a non-ionic surfactant. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled)