PROCESS FOR THE SELECTIVE ENRICHMENT OF A DELTA-6 AND DELTA-9 FATTY ACID CONTAINING MIXTURE WITH DELTA-6 POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS

摘要

For the selective enrichment with fatty acids, of which the first double bond is in the 6 position, of a starting material containing fatty acids of which the first double bond is in the 6 or 9 position, the starting material is treated with a saturated solution of urea in methanol with predetermined ratios of fatty acids to urea so as to separate the fatty acids, other than the DELTA 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the form of an insoluble inclusion complex. The enriched fractions obtained may be treated by high-performance liquid chromatography to isolate substantially pure gamma -linolenic acid. The enriched fractions, optionally recombined with glycerol, may be used in medicaments and in nutritive compositions or may even serve as starting product in the synthesis of dihomo- gamma -linolenic acid.