Process for the production of alpha-tocotrienol and derivatives

1. A process for the production, enrichment and/or isolation of alpha-tocotrienol from a plant extract that comprises at least one non-alpha tocotrienol and that optionally comprises alpha-tocotrienol, optionally comprises alpha-tocopherol and optionally comprises other tocols, non-tocols and/or organic impurities, comprising the steps of:

1a.) reacting the plant extract with suitable reagents which react with the one or more non-alpha-tocols to introduce a functional group in the free 5 and/or 7 position of the one or more non-alpha-tocols;

1b.) separating the one or more non-alpha-tocols that have been functionalized in step (1a) from the alpha-tocotrienol and optional alpha tocopherol and other non-tocol compounds that may be present;

1c.) optionally further separating the alpha-tocotrienol in the mixture separated in step (1b), from the optional alpha tocopherol and from optional other non-tocols;

1d.) chemically reacting the separated one or more non-alpha-tocols that have been functionalized from step (1b) to give alpha-tocotrienol; and

1 e.) optionally combining the alpha-tocotrienol from step (1c) with the alpha-tocotrienol from step (1d) to give alpha-tocotrienol, wherein said alpha-tocotrienol has a purity of greater than about 80%.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the plant extract is selected from a palm oil extract, a palm fruit extract, a rice extract, a rice bran extract, a barley extract, an annatto extract, or a mixture thereof.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the plant extract is a palm oil extract.

4. The process of claim 2 , wherein the plant extract is Tocomin®.

5. The process of claim 1 , where the reaction in step (1 a) is amino-alkylation followed by acidification.

6. The process of claim 5 , where the amino-alkylation is performed with paraformaldehyde and a cyclic amine selected from 1 -methylpiperazine, piperidine or morpholine.

7. The process of claim 5 , where the amino-alkylation is performed with paraformaldehyde and 1-methylpiperazine.

8. A process for the production, enrichment and/or isolation of alpha-tocotrienol from an extract of palm oil which comprises at least one non-alpha tocotrienol and that optionally comprises alpha-tocotrienol, optionally comprises alpha-tocopherol and optionally comprises other tocols, non-tocols and/or organic impurities, comprising the steps of:

2a.) reacting the extract with an amino-alkylating agent which reacts with the one or more non-alpha-tocols to introduce an amino-alkyl group in the free 5 and/or 7 position of the one or more non-alpha tocotrienols and converting the amino-alkylated products into acid salts;

2b.) separating the one or more amino-alkylated salts produced in step (2a) from the alpha-tocotrienol, the optional alpha tocopherol and the other optional non-tocol compounds that may be present; and

2c.) reducing the one or more amino-alkylated salts with a reducing agent to give alpha-tocotrienol, wherein said alpha-tocotrienol has a purity of greater than about 80%.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the extract from palm oil is Tocomin ®.

10. The process of claim 8 , wherein the amino-alkylation is performed with paraformaldehyde and a cyclic amine selected from 1-methylpiperazine, piperidine or morpholine.

11. The process of claim 8 , where the amino-alkylation is performed with paraformaldehyde and 1-methylpiperazine.

12. The process of claim 8 , where the reducing agent is a hydride reagent, a borane complex or an electron donor in the presence of a suitable proton source.

13. The process of claim 12 , where the reducing agent is sodium cyano borohydride.

14. The process of claim 8 , comprising an additional step wherein the alpha-tocotrienol from step (2 b) is recovered.

15. The process of claim 1 , additionally comprising an additional last step wherein the alpha-tocotrienol (from steps 1d and/or 1e) is oxidized to alpha-tocotrienol quinone.

16. The process of claim 8 , additionally comprising an additional last step wherein the alpha-tocotrienol (from step 2c) is oxidized to alpha-tocotrienol quinone.

17. The process of claim 1 , additionally comprising a step 1b1) after step 1b), wherein a solution of the non-alpha-tocols that have been functionalized is filtered.

18. The process of claim 8 , additionally comprising a step 2b1) after step 2b), wherein a solution of the non-alpha-tocols that have been amino-alkylated is filtered.

19. The process of claim 15 , additionally comprising a step 1b1) after step 1b), wherein a solution of the non-alpha-tocols that have been functionalized is filtered.

20. The process of claim 16 , additionally comprising a step 2b1) after step 2b), wherein a solution of the non-alpha-tocols that have been amino-alkylated is filtered.

21. The process of claim 1 , additionally comprising a step 1d1) after step 1d) wherein a solution of the alpha-tocotrienol produced in step 1d) is mixed with silica gel, followed by removal of the silica gel by filtration.

22. The process of claim 8 , additionally comprising a step 2c1) after step 2c) wherein a solution of the alpha-tocotrienol produced by the reduction is mixed with silica gel, followed by removal of the silica gel by filtration.

23. The process of claim 15 , additionally comprising a step 1d1) after step 1d) wherein a solution of the alpha-tocotrienol produced in step 1d) is mixed with silica gel, followed by removal of the silica gel by filtration.

24. The process of claim 16 , additionally comprising a step 2c1) after step 2c) wherein a solution of the alpha-tocotrienol produced by the reduction is mixed with silica gel, followed by removal of the silica gel by filtration.

25. The process of claim 15 , additionally comprising placing the alpha-tocotrienol quinone on a silica gel column and eluting the alpha- tocotrienol quinone off of the column.

26. The process of claim 16 , additionally comprising placing the alpha-tocotrienol quinone on a silica gel column and eluting the alpha- tocotrienol quinone off of the column.

27. The process of claim 5 , where the amino-alkylation is performed using a formaldehyde equivalent and a secondary amine.

28. The process of claim 8 , where the amino-alkylation is performed using a formaldehyde equivalent and a secondary amine.