METHOD FOR PREPARING COMPOSITION HAVING HIGH LUTEIN CONTENT AND LUTEIN

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a composition useful as a raw material for a health food and a medicine by efficiently extracting lutein much contained in tea leaves, in order to make good use of heat-treated tea leaves, especially used tea leaves.;SOLUTION: The method for preparing a composition having a high lutein content comprises drying tea leaves, especially used tea leaves having been treated with hot water, into a powder, extracting the powder with acetic acid to remove a component unnecessary for lutein extraction, and carrying out the extraction using an organic solvent composed of a ketone and/or an alcohol. Since the resultant composition contains a high-concentration lutein and can be used as a raw material for a health food and a medicine derived from lutein, the method is a measure for effective utilization of used tea leaves as a waste.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT