FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to carotenoid concentrates obtained by pro¬ cessing chromoplasts and chloroplasts isolated from plant material and to a pro¬ cess for preparing the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Carotenoids as referred to herein are a group of unsaturated hydrocar- bons containing isoprene units or their derivatives substituted by various func¬ tional groups and the lipid addition compounds of the same, i. e. prenyl-lipids.

It is well known that a healthy diet involves the consumption of appropriate amounts of high quality vegetables and fruits. Beside the different ingredients of these foodstuffs carotenoids are essential components for maintaining the health of the organism. Carotenoids, such as lycopene too, are highly efficient antioxi¬ dants, capturing the noxious free radicals continuously generated in the human organism. In addition, some carotenoids also possess provitamin functions.

Beyond the provitamin function ithe main task of carotenoids is to inactivate the free radicals formed in increasing amounts in the human organism due to in- creased environmental hazards such as smoking, enhanced ultraviolet irradiation, air pollution, etc. However, even the best diet is unable to provide a sufficient con¬ tinuous carotenoid supply which according to the data of various scientists may amount in the case of adults to a daily dose of 6-15 mg, so the need to apply carotenoid compositions as dietary supplements becomes ever more urgent. Epidemiological surveys and other experimental data demonstrate that the incidence of morbidity and mortality due to various forms of cancer is lower in re¬ gions and in populations where vegetable and fruit consumption is high. The data show that this diet provides a sufficient carotenoid supply suggesting that caro-

tenoids may have a prophylactic effect in preserving health.

As it is rather difficult, sometimes even impossible to provide a continuous carotenoid supply with the diet, there is an arising need to supplement the diet with carotenoid compositions prepared from various sources, and to ensure the required carotenoid supply in this way.

It has to be stressed that continuous carotenoid intake is a prerequisite of optimal efficacy. Free radicals are generated continuously in the organism thus they also have to be detoxicated continuously. This can only be achieved with a sufficient level of antioxidants in the organism. Carotenoids are not the only com- pounds which possess antioxidant properties, tocopherols are also antioxidants, anyway carotenoids are indispensable, and together with tocopherols they even exert synergistic activity.

As a conclusion, carotenoids should be present in the human organism continuously and in suitable plasma levels to protect the organism prophylactically against abnormal processes induced by free radicals. As this effect is prophylac¬ tic, he regimen has to be designed accordingly, i. e. the supplementation of the diet with carotenoids should be continuous.

Considering the above aspects the carotenoid compositions applied as continuous diet supplements, paramedicaments or eventually drugs (as vitamin preparations) should satisfy the following requirements: a) the carotenoid spectrum should be similar to that of the human blood plasma, which is the following according to literature data: alpha-carotene 0.12-0.15 μmol/l, beta-carotene 0.40-0.80 μmol/l, xanthophyll (lutein + zeaxanthine) 0.28-0.35 μmol/l, lycopene 0.49-0.74 μmol/l; b) the raw material used for preparing the composition should not rep¬ resent any toxicological hazard, i.e. it cannot cause any nutritional health problem;

c) the manufacturing process should be devised in a way to ensure that the final product excludes toxic contaminants (solvent residues for instance), as the composition will be used continuously as a cure; d) the composition should have sufficiently high active ingredient con- tent to avoid application of large amounts of the medicament or dietary supple¬ ment [accordingly the carotenoid concentration stated in point a) should be in¬ creased at least 10 to 10Of old. Consequently it is our aim to prepare a product with a concentration of 50,000-100,000 m/kg from carrots with a carotene content of 100-200 mg/kg). On the basis of the bioavailability of carotenoids to satisfy a daily caro¬ tenoid requirement of 10-15 mg/kg an adult would have to consume daily about 1 to 2 kg of carrots and tomatoes. Naturally this would induce adverse dietary side effects, such as excessive carbohydrate consumption, bad palatability and unbal¬ anced complex diet. Furthermore, independently from the aforementioned as- pects, to provide satisfactory carotenoid levels with adequate vegetable and fruit supplies would also be subject to regional and even more to financial limits.

Summing up the aforementioned aspects the manufacturing and use of a suitable carotenoid composition would ensure significant advantages.

Its advantage can only be underlined if it is considered that the carotene content of prepared (processed or cooked) foods is rather low: 7,5-8,1 mg/100 g of alpha- and beta-carotene [M. S. Micozzi et al., J. Nat. Cancer. Inst., 82, 282- 285 (1990); and Heinonen et al., J. Agric. Food Chem., 37, 655-659 (1989)], while that of the raw, uncooked carrot amounts to 150-200 mg/kg. Significant losses in carotene can be avoided with this new preparation in addition to its much higher rate of absoφtion and bioavailability.

STATE OF THE ART. The properties of known products and the processes for manufacturing the same differ significantly from the product and process of the present invention.

U. S. Patent 3,206,316 discloses water soluble or water dispersable com¬ positions prepared most probably from synthetic carotenoids. Chlorinated solvents are used in the process which is precluded in the process of present invention.

WO 86/04059 refers to a process wherein the juice, obtained after mecha- nical milling and pressing of the carrots, is treated with pectin-degrading enzymes and concentrated by ultrafiltration. The residue is utilized in the form of a wet con¬ centrate or in dried form. Chromoplasts are not purified further, consequently the concentration in the final product amounts to 500-600 mg carotene/100 g product, while in the product according to the present invention the carotene content is 10-20fold higher, i.e.2500-5000-10,000 mg carotene/100 g product.

WO 92/18471 refers to the extraction of carotenoids from natural sources, mostly from carrots, to obtain a product practically identical to that referred to in WO 86/04059. In the chromoplasts (obtained as a final product) precipitated with calcium chloride as auxiliary material, the carotene concentration amounts to 12.44 mg/g dry material, while the process according to the present invention provides a tenfold concentration increase.

U. S. Patent 2,412,707 refers to an oily emulsion prepared by cooking (heating) a wet raw material in an edible (cooking) oil. Neither the process nor the product are comparable to the object of the present invention. U. S. Patent 2,412,707 discloses a process wherein plant chromoplasts were isolated in aqueous suspension and subsequently precipitated by coagula¬ tion. The chromoplasts were neither purified, nor processed, and no attempts were made to increase the carotene concentration.

Ind. Eng. Chem., 46. 2279 (1954) refers to a complex extraction process wherein carotenoids are selectively isolated from the raw material by using vari¬ ous solvents. In the course of this process undesirable solvents, such as hexane, heptane, acetone, etc. are used. This procedure is the reverse of our purification process according to which not the active ingredients are leached from the chro-

moplasts but the additional accompanying components are removed.

There is also a process wherein carotenoids are isolated from palm oil. Here carotenoids are dissolved in palm oil. The palm oil is heated (cooked) with alkalies, thereafter carotenoids are extracted with hexane. Hungarian Patent Application P 93 03605 refers to a process wherein the chromoplast fraction is made to flocculate in the press-liquid of mechanically pro¬ cessed (milled, pressed) carrots. Then a significant portion of the protein content is digested by a protease enzyme, and the precipitate formed at pH 3.5-4.5 and containing the carotenoids is dried. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.

In the course of experiments it was found that compositions with advanta¬ geous properties can be prepared by refining, i.e. concentrating the carotenoid content of chloroplasts and chromoplasts isolated from plant materials.

The process is based on the observation that the carotenoids in chromo- plasts, bound to lipoproteins or forming adducts with various lipids, form particles in the colloid range. If these lipids or a part of them are removed by a lipophilic solvent, thereby disrupting the lipoprotein/lipid system, the carotenoid concentra¬ tion in the residue can be increased severalfold without using undesirable or highly toxic solvents (hexane or chlorinated hydrocarbons), residues of which, even in trace amounts, are highly noxious, because their chronic consumption, to¬ gether with the carotenoids (as they are similarly lipophilic as carotene) results in a continuous migration to the target cells and tissues where they cause greatest damage by being accumulated and not eliminated.

In the process of the present invention no chlorinated solvents are used, as in the process according to U.S. Patent 3,206,316, nor aprotic, apolar solvents, such as hexane.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION. The present invention relates to a product with a chromoplast/lipoprotein

complex enriched to various carotenoid concentrations and having the following properties: a) the carotenoid concentration is increased 400-500fold compared to the carotenoid concentration of the raw material and 2-15fold compared to the carotenoid content of the crude chromoplast precipitate; b) the concentration is increased by cleaving the protein/lipid compo¬ nent of the lipoprotein complex and removing the salts of peptides, amino acids and fatty acids by dissolution from the side of carotenoids; c) the complex is cleaved by considering the solubilities of degradation products which are soluble at several orders of magnitude higher rate in a wa¬ ter/alcohol (ethanol, rectified alcohol, isopropyl alcohol) mixture, thus no toxic sol¬ vent residues having an LD ₅₀ higher than that of ethanol are retained in the final product ; d) the carotenoid spectrum of the product, obtained by processing chromoplasts isolated from appropriately selected raw materials, e.g. carrots or tomatoes, satisfies the general requirements, such as similarity to the carotenoid spectrum of the human blood plasma, in an optimal way.

The invention further relates to a process for preparing a product with the aforementioned properties which comprises isolating the chromoplasts containing the carotenoids by known methods, preferably from carrots or tomatoes, separat¬ ing them with sedimentation or centrifuging, then cleaving the lipoproteins by en¬ zymatic treatment of the chromoplast fraction. The partially purified crude caro¬ tenoid fraction is precipitated by acidifying the liquid phase retained after the re¬ moval of the accompanying substances, and the precipitate, after addition of an alkali solution is refluxed several times with fresh aqueous ethanol to remove al¬ kali salts of peptides, amino acids, fatty acids, etc. liberated during the cleavage of the complex. The suspension of the carotenoid concentrate is slightly acidified by addition of sodium dihydrogen phosphate and citric acid, and the sedimented or

centrifuged product is mixed with antioxidants and thereafter, if desired, dried.

The enzymatic cleavage is preferably performed by homogenizing the chromoplast and/or chloroplast fraction isolated from the plant material with a 3-5fold amount of water, calculated for dry material, the pH of the homogenizate is adjusted to about 8.5 with sodium hydroxide solution, then the mixture is sub¬ mitted to enzymatic digestion with a protein degrading enzyme (having preferably also some lipase activity), such as pancreatin, for 2-3 hours at 37-38 C°, while the pH is continuously readjused to the initial value by repeated addition of sodium hydroxide solution. After the enzymatic digestion the mixture is centrifuged at 1200 g, and the brown gelous precipitate is separated. The liquid phase or „super- natant" or „centrate" is then acidified to pH 3.5-4.0, preferably with an acid accept¬ able in the food industry. It is preferred to centrifuge the precipitated material at 3000 g.

The carotenoid fraction is further refined (purified, concentrated) by sus- pending the precipitate obtained by centrifuging the acidified mixture after enzy¬ matic digestion in a 60:40 to 80:20, preferably 70:30 v/v mixture of ethanol-water, adding 35 g of sodium hydroxide (calculated for 1 kg of dry material) preferably as a 10-35 % w/w solution in water or the above mixture and refluxing the mixture for 2 hours. The insoluble sediment is centrifuged, and the procedure is repeated by adding the same amount of sodium hydroxide solution.

At the first alkaline treatment preferably an δfold volume of 70:30 ethanol- water mixture, and at the second alkaline treatment a 5fold volume of 80:20 etha¬ nol-water mixture is used.

After the second 2-hour reflux centrifugation is repeated, the sediment is resuspended in a 4fold solvent mixture (without addition of alkali), and refluxed for a third time. Half an hour before completing the refluxing a solution containing 30 g of sodium dihydrogen phosphate (NaH ₂ PO ) and 200 g of citric acid (calculated for 1 kg of dry material) is added. The solution is prepared by dissolving said

compounds in a mixture of ethanol-water identical as used above [i.e. (80:20)].

After centrifuging usually 45-50 % of the starting dry substance is recov¬ ered, while the rest is leached as sodium salt of peptides, amino acids, fatty acids, etc. Loss in carotenoids is minimal, and is mostly dependent on handling skills at the separations.

By the end of the aforementioned operations the carotene content of the chromoplast fraction is twice as high or even slightly higher than that of the start¬ ing material.

In this way the processing of fresh carrots with a carotene content of 150 mg/kg results after completed work-up of the chromoplast precipitate in a dry material with a carotene content of 7.5-8.5 %.

By repeated alkaline treatment(s) the carotene concentration may be fur¬ ther increased over 10-15 %. Approaches to attain even higher concentrations is economically questionable due to high solvent, energy and manpower require- ments and even loss of carotenoids during the separations.

After the repeated alkaline treatments a 80:20 v/v ethanol-water solution is added in 6fold amounts, calculated for the dry material obtained after separation, and the mixture is refluxed under stirring for 2 hours.

Then the pH is adjusted to 7.0-7.2, in about the neutral range by adding necessary amounts of sodium dihydrogen phosphate and citric acid to the stirred mixture.

The centrifuged substance is mixed (kneaded) with tocopherols and ascor¬ byl palmitate and dried in this alcohol-wet form at a temperature not higher than under 60°C, but may be utilized also in wet form. The sieved dry powder is vacuum-packed.

Chloroplasts obtained from photosynthesizing plant organisms can be processed similarly. However, in this case the degradation products of chlorophyll, such as pheophitine and pheophorbide should be removed with utmost care if the

O 97/15554 PC17HU96/00057

9 product is designed for human consumption.

Significant new aspects of the process of the invention:

— cellular elements of chromoplasts and chloroplasts are transferred into liquid phase (press-liquid, decanter-separator liquid) by mechanical process- ing partly performed in alkaline medium;

— chromoplasts in the liquid phase or in the suspension are denatured by adjusting the pH or by heat-treatment, or by the combination of both, and as a result they are precipitated from the liquid phase;

— the precipitated flocculi are separated (decantation, separation), the water soluble components are removed, and the carotenoid concentration in the separated flocculi is already significantly increased compared to the starting ma¬ terial;

— chromoplasts and chloroplasts containing the coloured substances, including the carotenoids, are lipoprotein complexes with a very high lipid content which holds the carotenoids (which are practically insoluble in water and poorly soluble even in organic solvents) in colloid solution, and transport them within the organism. A part of the lipids in the complex is retained in the product, and pro¬ motes the bioavailability of carotenoids.

The new inspiration is, that not the carotenoids have to be removed from accompanying substances, but the accompanying substances should be removed from the carotenoids in largest possible proportions. This may be realized by cleaving the lipoprotein complex in alkaline medium, transferring the major part of the lipids in the form of their sodium salts into the aqueous ethanol solution and removing them. By choosing the appropriate raw materials, preparing crude carotenoid concentrates from them, then mixing the same, products may be obtained with a carotenoid spectrum which satisfies the requirements of the human organism and which is similar to the carotenoid spectrum of the human blood plasma.

The aforementioned advantages may be attained by avoiding the use of toxic solvents usually applied for the dissolution of carotenoids. As a consequence the by-products and wastes generated in the course of the process do not pollute the environment, are biodegradable and mostly may be utilized as food or feed additives.

The following examples illustrate the aforementioned product and the process for preparing the same in detail without limiting the scope of the invention. The % values, if not otherwise stated, relate to w/w.

The assay of carotenoids was performed according to the following meth- ods: a) beta-carotene was assayed by the modified spectrophotometric Booth method [M. A. van der Meer et al. (Wageningen), Z. Lebensmittel Unter- such. und Forschung, 185, 461-467 (1987)]; b) the carotenoid spectrum was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using Waters 600 Multisolvent Delivery System (Waters,

Milford, USA) with reverse-phase LiChrosorb RP-18 (10 μm, 250 x 4.6 mm) and Spherisorb ODS (5 μm, 250 x 4,6 mm) columns, acetonitrile-methanol-tetrahyd- rofuran (75:15:10 v/v) mixture as eluent and a photodiode sensor (Photo Diode Array Detector 990 (DAD), Waters, Milford, USA) as detector in the wavelength range of 190-800 nm. Pure reference substances were used as internal stan¬ dards.

EXAMPLES

Example 1 Preparation of a concentrate with 5 % carotenoid content from carrots (Daucus carota)

1000 kgs of defoliated carrots (carotenoid content 180-200 mg/kg carrot body) were processed by a method known in the art according to the scheme shown on Figure 1. The purified and washed carrot bodies were milled,

pressed, the residual cake was again milled, homogenized with water and re¬ peatedly pressed, then the repeatedly milled and pressed fibrous cake was ex¬ tracted in a third step with sodium hydroxide solution at pH 8.5, and the residue was separated from the extract (decanter centrate) on a decanter centrifuge. The press liquids and the decanter centrate were pooled, and the pooled solution was acidified with 10 % citric acid solution to pH 4.0. The chromoplasts were floccu¬ lated, and left to settle.

220 litres of sediment, which could be pumped, was separated by decan- taion, the pH was adjusted to 8.5 with 10 % sodium hydroxide solution and the proteins were digested at 37°C under vigorous stirring by adding a suspension of 100 g of pancreatin in 10 litres of water to the stirred mixture and readjusting con¬ tinuously the decreasing pH with 10% sodium hydroxide solution. Treatment was continued for 3 hours, then the mixture (pH 8.5) was separated by a decanter centrifuge from the insoluble particles which were not in colloid solution. The sedi- ment separated by the decanter centrifuge can be mixed to a feed fraction before drying.

The decanter centrate, containing also the carotenoids, was acidified to pH 4.0 with 10 % citric acid solution, and the precipitated flocculi were isolated by separation. The separator sludge containing 16-18 % of dry substance with 2.5 % of carotenoid content (calculated for the dry material) and having a wet weight of 45-50 kg, was mixed with 90 litres of a 80:20 v/v ethanol-water mixture, then 3 li¬ tres of 10 % sodium hydroxide solution were added. This mixture was refluxed for 2 hours under vigorous stirring. The hot mixture was separated and the separator sediment (having a wet weight of 28-30 kg) was subjected to repeated alkaline treatment by adding 50 li¬ tres of aqueous ethanol (80:20) and 2 litres of 10 % sodium hydroxide solution, then refluxing the mixture for 2 hours. The separation was repeated to yield 16-20

kgs of wet precipitate.

The wet precipitate was first refluxed for one hour with 40 litres of aqueous etanol as used above. During this procedure a 3:1 mixture of 10 % aqueous solu¬ tions of citric acid and sodium dihydrogen phosphate were added in amounts to obtain an approximately neutral pH (7.0-7.2). This requires usually 300 g of citric acid and 100 g of sodium dihydrogen phosphate.

After separation 14-16 kg of sediment with a dry material content of 3.2 kg, including 0.19 kg of carotenoids was obtained.

To this sediment 150-300 g of an antioxidant mixture (2:2:1 w/w mixture of alpha-tocopheryl acetate, alpha-tocopherol and ascorbyl palmitate) was added. The mixture was thoroughly mixed (kneaded) and dried in vacuum at a tempera¬ ture not higher than 50°C.

Specification of the dried final product: mass 3.4 kg, carotenoid content 5.5 %, drying loss max. 5% (at 105°C; 3 hours), colour reddish-brown, carotenoid spectrum: 60-65 % beta-carotene,

28-30 % alpha-carotene and 5-10 % other carotenoids.

Stable in vacuum or under a protecting gas for min. 1 year.

Example 2 Preparation of a concentrate with a carotenoid content of 7-8 %. The procedure described in Example 1 was applied, however carrots with a carotenoid content of 220-250 mg/kg were used as raw material, and the protein cleavage was performed with a bacterial (B. subtilis) protease.

Final product: 3 kg of reddish-brown dry powder or particles with a caro¬ tenoid content of 7.5-8.0 %, having similar carotenoid spectrum as in Example 1.

Example 3 Preparation of a concentrate with a carotenoid content of about 10 %. A raw material as used in Example 2 was processed. The two alkaline treatments were supplemented with a third one, using identical amounts of solvent and alkali as in the second alkaline treatment. Then, according to Example 1, the wet precipitate was refluxed with 40 litres of an 80:20 ethanol-water mixture for one hour, thereafter the mixture was neutralized according to Example 1, the sediment was separated, mixed with the antioxidant mixture and dried in vacuum. Final product: 1.6 kg of reddish-brown dry product; drying loss max. 6 %, carotenoid content min. 10.5 % (0,17 kg), the carotenoid spectrum is as in the former Example. Example 4 Preparation of a Ivcopene-rich concentrate from carrots and tomatoes The chromoplasts containing the carotenoids were isolated separately from carrots and tomatoes, thereafter the pooled material was processed (refined).

500 kgs of washed and defoliated carrots (carotenoid content 220 mg/kg carrot body) were processsed. The juice was obtained according to the scheme shown on Figure 1. The chromoplasts flocculated at pH 4.0 (10 % citric acid solu- tion) were permitted to settle and were separated by decantation. The dilute sludge with a dry material content of approximately 8 % was concentrated in a separator yielding a sediment with a dry material content of 16-20 %. This is sub¬ jected to alkaline treatment without prior protein cleavage. To 20-25 kg of the wet sediment a 3fold (about 75 kg) ethanol-water (80:20) mixture and 1.5 litres of 10 % sodium hydroxide solution were added. The mixture was refluxed for 2 hours, the hot mixture was separated, then the treatment of the sediment was repeated. Af¬ ter two alkaline treatments the precipitate obtained by separation or centrifugation was washed with aqueous ethanol and neutralized according to Example 1. The

precipitate separated after 2 hours of reflux is the first component of the final product.

Separately from the carrots 1000 kgs of tomatoes were processed. The juice was separated by known methods with straining, and the juice containing 7 % of dry material was concentrated to obtain a concentrate with a dry material content of 20 %. The concentrate was treated three times with ethanol. First it was refluxed for two hours with a 2fold volume of 96 % pure ethanol (about 500 litres), then the alcoholic phase was separated, and the treatment was repeated twice with aque¬ ous ethanol (80:20). During the third treatment 3 litres of 10 % sodium hydroxide solution were added to the stirred refluxed mixture. The residue obtained after the third treatment, consisting mainly of pectin, polysaccharide and fibers, was added to a feed composition before drying. The alcoholic extracts were pooled, the pH was adjusted to 7.0-7.5 with a mixture of citric acid/sodium dihydrogen phosphate solutions as described in Example 1 , and the mixture was evaporated. The alco- hol was recovered, and 10 litres of a concentrate were obtained, which was mixed as the second component to the wet sediment obtained by the processing of car¬ rots (7-8 kg), homogenized with 5 % antioxidants and dried in vacuum. Final product: 3.6 kg of reddish-brown dry material, drying loss max. 5 %, carotenoid content min. 5.5 %, carotenoid spectrum: lycopene 1.8 %, beta-carotene 2.0 %, alpha-carotene 1.2 %, lutein + others 0.5 %. The product is characteristic for its high lycopene content.

Example 5 Preparation of a product with high lycopene content Carrots were processed as described in Example 4.

3000 kgs of tomatoes were processed, the pectin content of the tomato juice was digested with pectinase, isolated from an Aspergillus culture, at pH 4.0 by a method known in the art. After pectin digestion the dilute juice was concen¬ trated in vacuo from a dry material content of 7 % to 30 % to yield 540 kg of a concentrate, which was treated with ethanol. The first treatment was performed with 3fold volume of 96 % pure ethanol, the next two ones with an 80:20 ethanol- water mixture. Each alcohol treatment was performed by refluxing for 2 hours. During the third alcoholic treatment 8 litres of 10 % sodium hydroxide solution were added to the stirred and refluxed solution. In the course of the alcoholic treatments the alcoholic solutions were separated from the insoluble parts. (Alco¬ hol was removed from the lycopene-free material obtained after the third alcoholic treatment, dried and added to a feed composition).

The pH of the pooled alcoholic solutions was adjusted to 7.0-7.5 by addi¬ tion of a mixture of citric acid/sodium dihydrogen phosphate solutions as de- scribed in Example 1, the neutralized mixture was concentrated to 20 liters, and the alcohol was recovered. The concentrate was homogenized with the wet sedi¬ ment of the carrot procedure, then mixed with 5 % of antioxidants (calculated for dry material) and dried in vacuum.

Final product: 6.2 kg of reddish-brown dry material, drying loss max. 5 %, carotenoid content min. 5.5 %, carotenoid spectrum: lycopene 3.0 %, beta-carotene 1.2 %, alpha-carotene 0.6 %, other carotenoids 0.7 %.

The product is characteristic for the similar content of lycopene:carotene.

Example 6 Carotenoid concentrate from carrots and broccoli

16

1000 kgs of carrots and 1000 kgs of broccoli were processed, and juices were prepared according to the scheme shown on Figure 1.

The juices were heated to 56° C, the pH was adjusted to 4.0 with 10 % cit¬ ric acid solution, then the solutions were cooled to 20-25° C and the precipitated chromoplast and chloroplast flocculi were settled.

The sediment was concentrated in a separator to yield a wet sediment with a dry material content of 20 %. To 22 kg of dry material (about 90 kg of wet sedi¬ ment) 180 litres of aqueous ethanol (80:20) were added under vigorous stirring, the pH was adjusted to 9.5 by the addition of 6 litres of 10 % sodium hydroxide solution and the mixture was refluxed for 2 hours. The hot mixture was separated. This treatment was repeated three times. After each treatment the volume of the sodium hydroxide solution and the solvent was reduced proportionally to the de¬ crease of the dry material content. Tentative amounts (calculated for dry material): 8-10fold volumes of aqueous ethanol (80:20) and 2.25-3.5 % of sodium hydrox- ide.

The residue of the fourth alkaline treatment was suspended in 45 litres of aqueous ethanol (70:30), refluxed and neutralized according to Example 1. After separation 4.1 kg of sediment was obtained, which was mixed with 5 % of antioxi¬ dant mixture, dried in vacuo at a temperature not higher than 50° C. After drying 3.5 kg product was obtained containing significant amounts of dihydroxycaro- tenoids (luteine, zeaxanthine).

Final product: greenish-brown dry material, drying loss max. 5 %, carotenoid content: min. 6.5 % , carotenoid spectrum: beta-carotene 3.2 %, alpha-carotene 1.5 %, lutein + zeaxanthine 1.0 %, lycopene 0.4 %,

other carotenoids 0.4 %. Example 7 Preparation of a concentrate with a carotenoid spectrum similar to that of blood plasma The products of Examples 4, 5 and 6, mixed with antioxidants, are ho¬ mogenized in alcohol-wet form in a proportion of 1:2:1, then the mixture is dried in vacuum.

Final product: greenish-brown dry material, drying loss max. 5 %, carotenoid content: min. 6.2 %, carotenoid spectrum: lycopene 32.9 %, beta-carotene 30.5 %, alpha-carotene 21.7%, lutein + zeaxanthine 11.6 %, other carotenoids 3.3 %.

The lycopene and dihydroxy-carotenoid (luteine and zeaxanthine) contents of the product are in good agreement with desirable blood plasma levels. The product can not only ensure a satisfactory alpha- and beta-carotene supply, but with the presence of lycopene and dihydroxy-carotenoids, both having high anti- oxidant properties, further improves the advantages of the product.

Example 8 Preparation of a concentrate with a carotenoid spectrum similar to that of blood plasma

The dried products of Examples 4, 5 and 6 were mixed in mass proportions of 1 :2:1, as given in Example 7. The carotenoid spectrum of the product is similar to that of the product obtained in Example 7.

Example 9 Processing of Dunaliella or Blakeslea spp.

The biomass of Dunaliella or Blakeslea spp., obtained from natural sources or from fermentation cultures, was concentrated to a dry material content of 8-10 % by sedimentation or centrifugation. The carotenoid content of the dry material in the concentrate amounted to 2 %. The mass was heated to 100°C by blowing saturated steam of 3 bar into it. The temperature was maintained for 10 minutes sby a continuous steam flow, when the mass was plasmolyzed.

The pH of the plasmolysate was adjusted to 11 by addition of sodium hy¬ droxide in an amount corresponding to about 5 % of the dry material dissolved in a 20fold volume of an isopropanol-water (70:30, v/v) mixture, the mixture was re- fluxed under stirring for 2 hours, then the hot mixture was subjected to separation, isolating the sediment and the liquid phase.

To the wet sediment 2 volumes of an isopropanol-water (80:20) mixture and 0.08 volumes of 10 % sodium-hydroxide solution were added, then the mix¬ ture was refluxed for 2 hours and the separation was repeated. This teatment was repeated two more times.

To the wet sediment obtained after the fourth treatment 2 volumes of an isopropanol-water (80:20) mixture were added, and after refluxing for one hour the hot sludge was neutralized, then filtered or centrifuged as described in Example 1.

The filter cake or centrifuge sediment, obtained after neutralization and separation was mixed with antioxidants as described in Example 1 and finally dried in vacuum.

The dry, reddish-brown product has the following specification: dry material content 94-96%, crude protein (N x 6.25) 18-22 %, crude fibers 5 - 6 %, sulfated ash 20-25 %, non-protein accompanying components 8-10 %, lipids* ^} 32-46 %,

carotenoid content of them 20-25 %.

* lipid-like substances soluble in mixtures of chloroform and metha¬ nol (non-saponifyable lipid fraction).

The carotenoid spectrum of the product depends on environmental factors of the starting cultures or fermentation conditions, but the carotenoid content of the product is not less than tenfold of the carotenoid content of the dry material in the starting plasmolysate, i. e. the enrichment is at least tenfold.