Methods of isolating dihydrochalcone compounds of Formula (I) from Balanophora harlandii are provided herein. Compositions and consumables comprising at least one sweetener and at least one dihydrochalcone compound described herein are also provided. Methods of enhancing the sweetness of a consumable, methods of making a consumable taste more like a sucrose-sweetened consumable and methods of preparing consumables are also detailed herein.

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The present invention relates to a process for purifying C1-esterase inhibitor (C1-INH), and more in particular a C1-INH concentrate.

Protein A chromatography is generally less effective in removing antibody aggregates under typical conditions. Provided is a combination and a method that can significantly improve Protein A's aggregate removal capability. The combination comprises polyethylene glycol (PEG) and a salt (chaotropic or kosmotropic) as wash and elution buffer additives. The synergistic effect of salt and PEG results in almost complete separation of monomer from aggregates. For the case used for demonstration, in comparison with the control run the optimized procedure reduces aggregates in elution pool from 20% to 3-4%. This new method, by facilitating aggregate removal at the capture step, improves the overall robustness of downstream process.

The invention concerns a process for the preparation of fish proteases from fish viscera, preferably from cod (Gadus genus) viscera. The fish proteases produced according to the invention have high specific enzymatic activity and are useful for food uses, for biomedical applications, in histology and tissue culture.

A method of isolating at least one sphingolipid portion selected from a sphingoid base portion, a ceramide portion, a glycosphingolipid portion or a phosphosphingolipid portion from Cordyceps, in particular from wild-type Cordyceps, allows for obtaining sphingolipid portions having an increased amount of one of sphingoid bases, ceramides, glycosphingolipids or phosphosphingolipids. The sphingolipid portions isolated contained significant amounts of sphingolipids not reported so far, and possess exceptional immunosuppressive activities. A method of treating a subject suffering from an inflammatory disease like an autoimmune disease or an allergic disease includes administering sphingolipids isolated from Cordyceps, in particular from wild-type Cordyceps. A method of treating a subject suffering from an inflammatory disease includes administering certain sphingolipids to the subject. Still further in accordance with the present invention is a composition, in particular a pharmaceutical composition comprising at least one sphingolipid portion.

Naphthenate deposition is formed from tetraprotic naphthenic acids having aliphatic chains and high molecular weight, provided with four carboxylic terminations, sometimes called ARN acids. Obtaining these species from their matrix of origin requires the prior use of sample preparation methods aiming at an efficient extraction of naphthenic acids. Obtaining ARN acids from naphthenate deposits is advantageous in the potential for reusing waste and reducing environmental damage. The process also adds value to waste materials from the oil production and exploration process.

The present invention relates to the field of laboratory-scale sample preparation, which describes a methodology for the specific isolation of tetraprotic naphthenic acids, called ARN acids, from residual naphthenate deposits from petroleum production.

The method consists of cleaning the naphthenate deposit, converting the naphthenate salts to naphthenic acids and isolating the ARN acids from the other organic acids, using a silica-based sorbent material with aminopropyl functional groups, previously selected for an efficient elution of different functional groups and polarities.

The results of ESI(−)-FT-ICR MS showed that the methodology is promising because it provided an excellent separation by difference in polarity and as a function of different molecular weight ranges, thus reducing the complexity of the organic acid extract obtained from the naphthenate deposit. Furthermore, it allowed the separation of the different acidic species that were present in the sample. The results of ESI(−)-FT-ICR MS also indicated that one of the fractions concentrated into ARN acids, including discharged species and especially ARN acids in the form of monocharged ions. The ESI(−)-Orbitrap MS data corroborated those obtained by ES(−)-FT-ICR MS, making consistent the statement that the extract obtained from the naphthenate deposit contains a mixture of acids and that the fractionation developed provided the isolation of ARN acids from naphthenate deposits. Furthermore, the integrations of the .sup.1H NMR spectra of acidic fractions as a function of molecular weight highlighted the expressive presence of alkyl compounds and absence of aromatic hydrogens in the fraction of interest.

A method for making a caffeoylquinic composition from a botanical source is disclosed. The method may include chromatographing an extract of biomass on an ion exchange stationary phase and obtaining an eluent comprising a caffeoylquinic composition. The biomass may be Stevia or yerba mate, for example. The caffeoylquinic composition includes one or more of monocaffeoylquinic acid, dicaffeoylquinic acid, and salts of the foregoing.

Methods of preparing highly purified steviol glycosides, particularly Rebaudioside D, are described. The methods include purification from the extraction stage of the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant, purification of steviol glycoside mixtures, Rebaudioside D and Rebaudioside A from a commercial Stevia extract, and purification of Rebaudioside D from remaining solutions obtained after isolation and purification of Rebaudioside A and a high purity mixture of steviol glycosides. The methods are useful for producing high purity Rebaudioside D, Rebaudioside A, and steviol glycoside mixtures. The high purity steviol glycosides are useful as non-caloric sweeteners in edible and chewable compositions such as any beverages, confectioneries, bakery products, cookies, and chewing gums.

The present invention relates to a process for producing an extract powder from a fruit material of e.g. berry fruits, wherein anthocyanins are enriched from the fruit material, and to the product obtainable by the process. In the process according to the invention, anthocyanins are enriched via a cation exchanger. By eluting the anthocyanins from the cation exchanger by means of L-arginine, the process has the advantage that no salt needs to be purified from the eluate to produce an extract powder suitable for use as a dietary supplement.

Processes are described for obtaining highly purified tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) from Cannabis. Solvent extraction is performed on plant material or extract, followed by removal of impurities using sequential liquid-liquid extractions to purify cannabinoid carboxylic acids therefrom based on chemical properties of carboxylate salts. The product liquor, comprising THCa in solvent, is largely free of impurities, and high in THCa. Further steps can be conducted to obtain a highly enriched solution using chromatography and subsequent crystallization of THCa in 99% purity. THCa can be used as starting material for other products that include THC by decarboxylation. Optionally, triglyceride extraction of a washed aqueous phase can be used to prepare a THCa composition without chromatographic purification. A pre-processing aqueous extraction with pH manipulations may be used to remove biomass prior to solvent extraction, while maintaining THCa and optionally other cannabinoid acids.