Process for releasing and extracting phosphatides from a phosphatide-containing matrix

1. A process for releasing and extracting phosphatides from a phosphatide-containing matrix comprising:

(a) contacting the phosphatide-containing matrix with a solvent and a metal salt at a matrix to metal salt weight ratio between 2:1 and 10:1 to release phosphatides from the matrix and form a phosphatide enriched solvent portion and a phosphatide depleted matrix portion,

(b) separating the phosphatide enriched solvent portion from the phosphatide depleted matrix portion, and

(c) recovering the phosphatides from the phosphatide enriched solvent portion.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphatides released and extracted by the process include at least phosphatidyl choline.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphatides released and extracted by the process include at least phosphatidyl inositol.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphatides released and extracted by the process include at least phosphatidyl ethanol amine.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphatides released and extracted by the process include at least phosphatidyl serine.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphatides released and extracted by the process include at least phosphatidic acid.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphatide-containing matrix is derived from soybeans.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein the phosphatide-containing matrix is a de-oiled lecithin extract from soybeans.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphatide-containing matrix includes at least phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanol amine and one other phosphatide and the phosphatide-containing matrix is contacted with solvent and a metal salt at a pH of greater than 8 whereby the phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanol amine are selectively separated from the at least one other phosphatide.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphatide-containing matrix includes at least phosphatidic acid and one other phosphatide and the phosphatide-containing matrix is contacted with solvent and a metal salt at a pH of less than 5 whereby the phosphatidic acid is selectively separated from the at least one other phosphatide.

11. The process of claim 10 wherein the one other phosphatide is phosphatidyl inositol.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the solvent is selected from a polar solvent.

13. The process of claim 12 wherein the solvent is a C 1-3 alcohol or a combination of a C 1-3 alcohol and water.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein the metal salt is a light metal chloride, light metal hydroxide or light metal sulfate.

15. The process of claim 14 wherein the metal salt is a light metal sulfate.

16. The process of claim 15 wherein the light metal sulfate is calcium, sodium or magnesium sulfate.

17. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphatide-containing matrix is contacted with solvent at a matrix to solvent (g to ml) ratio between 1:1 and 1:10.

18. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphatide-containing matrix is contacted with solvent at a matrix to solvent (g to ml) ratio between 1:3 and 1:5.

19. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphatide enriched solvent portion is separated from the phosphatide depleted matrix portion by centrifugation.

20. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphatide-containing matrix is counter-currently contacted with the solvent and metal salt.

21. The process of claim 1 herein phosphatides are recovered from the phosphatide enriched solvent portion by evaporation of solvent or precipitation of a phosphatide enriched precipitate from the phosphatide enriched solvent portion and separation of the precipitate from the liquid phase by centrifugation or filtration.

22. The process of claim 21 wherein phosphatides are recovered from the phosphatide enriched solvent portion by evaporation of solvent.