FRACTIONATION OF GLUTEN LIPIDS WITH SUPERCRITICAL CARBON-DIOXIDE

Gluten lipids are of two kinds, polar and nonpolar. Both groups consist of a large number of lipids. Gluten lipids can be extracted by conventional solvents as ethanol but also by supercritical carbon dioxide. The high density and the good mass transport properties make the supercritical fluid an excellent solvent. Ethanol extracted gluten lipids have been fractionated with supercritical CO2 at different pressures and constant temperature. The extract contains triglycerides and free fatty acids, and a more concentrated fraction of polar lipids is left in the extraction vessel. While both polar and nonpolar lipids are soluble in ethanol, only nonpolar lipids are dissolved by supercritical CO2. An addition of a small amount of ethanol to the CO2, can, however, increase the solubility of the polar lipids.