PROCESS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF OIL-SOLUBLE COMPONENTS FROM PLANT MATERIAL

Abstract

The invention is directed to a process for the extraction of one or more oil-soluble components from plant material, to an oil comprising one or more oil-soluble components from plant material, preferably obtainable by the process of the invention, a physiologically acceptable product comprising the oil, and to the use of plant material.

The process of the invention comprises: a) providing oil and plant material; b) heating the oil to a temperature of 10-80° C., preferably 50-80° C.; c) contacting the oil with the plant material while the oil and plant material are in motion relative to each other, thereby extracting one or more oil-soluble components from said plant material; d) replacing plant material with new plant material during the extraction process, and e) collecting said oil when the concentration of the one or more oil-soluble components has reached a desired level.

Claims

1. A process for the extraction of one or more oil-soluble components from plant material comprising: a) providing oil and plant material; b) heating the oil to a temperature of 10-80° C.; c) contacting the oil with the plant material while the oil and plant material are in motion relative to each other, thereby extracting one or more oil-soluble components from said plant material; d) replacing plant material with new plant material during the extraction process, and e) collecting said oil when the concentration of the one or more oil-soluble components has reached a desired level.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the oil is present in a closable container, and wherein said oil is contacted with plant material contained in one or more steeping reservoirs, thereby extracting one or more oil-soluble components from said plant material.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the oil of a) is continuously flowing in a closed loop, the oil is heated in said closed loop, and wherein said oil is contacted with plant material contained in one or more steeping reservoirs, thereby extracting one or more oil-soluble components from said plant material.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the plant material is intact.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the plant material has a moisture content of 1-95% by total weight of the plant material.

6.-7. (canceled)

8. The process of claim 1, further comprising a step of monitoring the concentration of the one or more oil-soluble components in the oil during the extraction.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein said one or more steeping reservoirs are flow-through reservoirs, such as baskets.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein said one or more oil-soluble components comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of cannabinoids and terpenes.

11. The process of claim 1, further comprising a step of heating the oil wherein the one or more oil-soluble components are dissolved to a temperature in the range of 80-100° C. for a period of 60-240 minutes.

12. The process of claim 11, wherein said further step of heating the oil is performed when said desired concentration level of the one or more oil-soluble components has been reached and before collecting the oil.

13. The process of claim 11, wherein the step of heating the oil decarboxylates at least part of the one or more oil-soluble components.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein the plant material comprises trichomes.

15. The process of claim 1, wherein said plant material comprises industrial hemp and/or marihuana.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein said plant material is contained in two or more steeping reservoirs.

17. The process of claim 1, wherein said oil comprises vegetable oil.

18. The process of claim 1, further comprising contacting the plant material with an aqueous extractant.

19. The process of claim 1, wherein said replacing of plant material with new plant material is performed by removing one or more steeping reservoirs holding plant material from the oil flow and placing one or more steeping reservoirs holding new plant material into the oil flow.

20. The process of claim 1, wherein the process comprises multiple steeping reservoirs holding plant material which are alternately replaced.

21. The process of claim 3, wherein the direction of the oil flow in the closable container or said closed loop is reversed one or more times during the process.

22. The process of claim 8, wherein said monitoring comprises the taking of samples and analysis thereof.

23. The process of claim 1, wherein one or more additives are added during the process, wherein said one or more additives, comprise a natural emulsifier.

24. The process of claim 23, wherein said one or more additives comprise lecithin.

25. The process of claim 2, comprising additional agitation of the steeping reservoirs and the plant material contained therein.

26. The process of claim 3, wherein said closed loop is a horizontal loop.

27. An oil comprising one or more oil-soluble components from plant material, wherein the oil comprises one or more cannabinoids and one or more terpenes, and wherein the total of cannabinoids and the total of terpenes are in a weight ratio of 200:1 to 5:1.

28. A physiologically acceptable product comprising the oil of claim 27.

29. The physiologically acceptable product of claim 28 in a form suitable for oral application.

30. (canceled)

31. The process of claim 1, wherein said oil comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of olive oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, hemp seed oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, almond oil, cottonseed oil, and rapeseed oil.

Description

EXAMPLES

Example 1—Extraction Process

[0118] The starting material was fresh hemp having a moisture content within 50-95% by total weight of the hemp. Part of the fresh hemp was dried in an oven at 60-80° C. until the hemp had a moisture content within 1-30%, based on the total weight of the hemp. Olive oil (Squisito Extra Vierge; obtained from a wholesaler) was heated to 60° C. The oil and hemp were brought into contact with each other while the oil and hemp were in motion relative to each other. During the extraction, hemp was replaced with new hemp. Oil fractions were collected (table 1).

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Concentration THCa Concentration THC Hemp (mg/ml) (mg/ml) Dried 0.98 ~0 Fresh 4.35 <0.03