Process for the catalytic hydrogenation of vegetable oils wherein the oil is placed in contact with molecular hydrogen in the presence of a metal catalyst, and the process is performed in the absence of water or in the presence of a quantity of water equal to or less than 5:1 with respect to the weight of the metal catalyst and at a temperature equal to or less than 50° C.

This disclosure provides methods for the chemical modification of triglycerides that are highly enriched in specific fatty acids and subsequent use thereof for producing functionally versatile polymers.

This disclosure provides methods for the chemical modification of triglycerides that are highly enriched in specific fatty acids and subsequent use thereof for producing functionally versatile polymers.

The present disclosure is: a free polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing composition, which comprises at least one free polyunsaturated fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms, the content being at least 80.0% of the fatty acids in the composition, and satisfies at least one selected from a group consisting of conditions (1) and (2): (1) the content of conjugated unsaturated fatty acid is 1.0% or less of the fatty acids in the composition, and (2) the Gardner color is less than 3+; and a manufacturing method for the free polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing composition comprising the preparation of a raw material composition containing at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms, and hydrolysis of a reaction solution containing the prepared raw material composition, a lower alcohol, water and an alkali catalyst at a temperature of 10° C. or lower.

The present disclosure is: a free polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing composition, which comprises at least one free polyunsaturated fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms, the content being at least 80.0% of the fatty acids in the composition, and satisfies at least one selected from a group consisting of conditions (1) and (2): (1) the content of conjugated unsaturated fatty acid is 1.0% or less of the fatty acids in the composition, and (2) the Gardner color is less than 3+; and a manufacturing method for the free polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing composition comprising the preparation of a raw material composition containing at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms, and hydrolysis of a reaction solution containing the prepared raw material composition, a lower alcohol, water and an alkali catalyst at a temperature of 10° C. or lower.

Provided is a free-polyunsaturated-fatty-acid-containing composition that has a total metal content of 0.1 ppm or less and that comprises at least one free polyunsaturated fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms, in an amount that is at least 80.0% of the amount of fatty acids in the composition; and a method for manufacturing a free-polyunsaturated-fatty-acid-containing composition, comprising: providing a raw material composition containing at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms; performing a hydrolysis treatment on a reaction solution prepared by combining the provided raw material composition, a lower alcohol, water having a total metal content of 0.01 ppm or less, and an alkali catalyst; and limiting the contact between the reaction composition and the metal after the hydrolysis treatment so that the product T [cm.sup.2×days] of the contact surface area [cm.sup.2] per 1 g and the contact time [days] between the composition and the metal is 100 or less.

Provided is a free-polyunsaturated-fatty-acid-containing composition that has a total metal content of 0.1 ppm or less and that comprises at least one free polyunsaturated fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms, in an amount that is at least 80.0% of the amount of fatty acids in the composition; and a method for manufacturing a free-polyunsaturated-fatty-acid-containing composition, comprising: providing a raw material composition containing at least one polyunsaturated fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms; performing a hydrolysis treatment on a reaction solution prepared by combining the provided raw material composition, a lower alcohol, water having a total metal content of 0.01 ppm or less, and an alkali catalyst; and limiting the contact between the reaction composition and the metal after the hydrolysis treatment so that the product T [cm.sup.2×days] of the contact surface area [cm.sup.2] per 1 g and the contact time [days] between the composition and the metal is 100 or less.

A functional fluid useful as an emulsion in a cleaning product or a personal care product is the esterification reaction product of a) a triglyceride or a fatty acid or a methyl ester of a fatty acid, and b) an alcohol which comprises b1) a polyglycerol having at least 3 glycerol units (preferably polyglycerol-4), and b2) glycerol and/or diglycerol. The functional fluid is effective as a stabilizer and as an emulsifier for o/w and w/o emulsions. When a triglyceride is used as a reactant, glycerol and fatty acids are generated in situ by an interesterification reaction. Preferred functional fluids provide the significant benefit that they may be mixed into an oil phase and in a water phase before such phases are mixed together, and that such processing may be carried out at ambient temperature.

A functional fluid useful as an emulsion in a cleaning product or a personal care product is the esterification reaction product of a) a triglyceride or a fatty acid or a methyl ester of a fatty acid, and b) an alcohol which comprises b1) a polyglycerol having at least 3 glycerol units (preferably polyglycerol-4), and b2) glycerol and/or diglycerol. The functional fluid is effective as a stabilizer and as an emulsifier for o/w and w/o emulsions. When a triglyceride is used as a reactant, glycerol and fatty acids are generated in situ by an interesterification reaction. Preferred functional fluids provide the significant benefit that they may be mixed into an oil phase and in a water phase before such phases are mixed together, and that such processing may be carried out at ambient temperature.

The present invention relates to phorbol esters from the seeds of Aquilaria malaccensis by a series of chromatographic processes, and compositions containing these congeners for the treatment or prevention of allergic responses. Furthermore, compositions are provided which comprise these phorbol esters in combination with at least one to assess the effects for preventing or treating allergies.