Recovering and purifying resveratrol produced by microbial fermentation

1. A process for recovering and purifying resveratrol from a microbial fermentation broth said process comprising:

(a) increasing the pH of the fermentation broth to about 11;

(b) separating and removing the host microbes such that a substantially microbe free liquid remains;

(c) decreasing the pH of the substantially microbe free liquid to a value which is no less than about 7 to about 8.5 such that crude resveratrol is precipitated;

(d) separating the precipitated crude resveratrol;

(e) dissolving the crude resveratrol recovered in step (c) in a purification solvent to form a crude resveratrol containing solution;

(f) contacting the solution produced in step (e) with one or more absorbents; and

(g) crystallizing the purified resveratrol from the purification solvent, said purified resveratrol having a lower concentration of impurities including bisnoryangonin than the precipitated crude resveratrol of step (c).

2. The process according to claim 1 where the one or more absorbents are selected from carbon, optionally activated carbon, ion exchange resins, and/or Al 2 O 3 .

3. The process according to claim 1 where step (f) comprises the steps of:

i) contacting the solution produced in step (e) with one or more absorbents selected from ion exchange resins and/or Al 2 O 3 ; and

ii) contacting the solution produced in step i) with carbon, optionally activated carbon.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the host microbes are removed by ultrafiltration, pressure filtration, vacuum drum filtration, or cross-flow filtration.

5. The process according to claim 4 , wherein the host microbes are removed by ultrafiltration using an ultrafilter having a molecular weight cut-off of about 100 kDa to about 5 kDa or less.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the process includes a concentration step before step (c).

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the concentration step is carried out by reverse osmosis.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reduction of pH in step (c) is achieved by the addition of sulphuric acid or hydrochloric acid.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the purification solvent is selected from methanol, ethanol, propanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, and tetrahydrofuran.

10. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the purification solvent is ethanol.

11. The process according to claim 10 , wherein the resveratrol concentration of the solution formed in step (e) is in the region of from about 30 to about 50 g/L.

12. The process according to claim 3 , wherein the amount of carbon to which the solution formed in step (e) or step i) is contacted will be from about 1.5 kg to about 2 kg per kg of resveratrol.

13. The process according to claim 3 , wherein the solution formed in step (e) or step i) is contacted 3 times with 0.5 kg of carbon per kg of resveratrol.

14. The process according to claim 1 , wherein crystallisation in step (g) is achieved by decreasing the concentration of the solvent solution to about 40% to about 15% by volume.

15. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the precipitated crude resveratrol obtained in step (d) is subjected to pre-crystallisation before being passed to step (e), the pre-crystallisation comprising:

(x) dissolving the crude resveratrol recovered in step (d) in a first solvent; and

(y) crystallizing the resveratrol out of the first solvent, said resveratrol having a lower concentration of dihydroresveratrol impurities than present in the precipitated crude resveratrol.

16. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the first solvent is the same or different to the purification solvent.

17. The process according to claim 16 , wherein the first solvent is selected from methanol, ethanol, propanol, acetone, ethyl acetate, and tetrahydrofuran.

18. The process according to claim 17 , wherein the first solvent is ethanol.

19. The process according to claim 18 , wherein the ethanol concentration is about 65% to about 80% by volume.

20. The process according to claim 18 , wherein the ethanol is mixed at a temperature of about 50° C. to about 80° C.

21. The process according to claim 15 , wherein crystallisation in step (y) is achieved by decreasing the concentration of the solvent solution to about 40% to about 15% by volume.

22. The process according to claim 15 , wherein steps (x) and (y) are repeated.

23. A composition comprising at least about 70 wt % resveratrol, about 10 to about 5000 mg/kg dihydroresveratrol, and about 10 to about 5000 mg/kg pinosylvin, wherein the composition further comprises bisnoryangonin at a maximum concentration of about 5000 mg/kg as measured by dry weight ratio to resveratrol and wherein the composition is free of emodin.

24. The composition according to claim 23 , wherein the composition has about 2 wt % or less water.

25. The composition according to claim 23 , wherein the compound has a yellowness index of about 40 to about 5 or less.

26. The composition according to claim 23 , wherein the compound has a whiteness index of about −50 or less to about 100.

27. The composition according to claim 23 , wherein the composition is dissolved or suspended in a solvent.