Olive oil use
Use of an olive oil milling by-product (Alperujo or Olive Pomace) for the co-processing and co-extraction of natural compounds from medicinal and aromatic plants including cannabis, fruits and agricultural waste, algae and other microorganisms. Separation and stabilization of fractions containing either hydrophilic or liposoluble compounds.
1. A process of coextraction comprising:
mixing olive pomace with ground cannabis to produce a mixture thereof; and
separating an aqueous fraction and an oil fraction from the mixture.
2. The process of claim 1 whereby the ground cannabis is first reduced to micro particles by commercial hammer or grinders.
3. The process of claim 1 where liposoluble compounds of the ground cannabis are segregated to the oil fraction and the water-soluble compounds of the ground cannabis are segregated to the aqueous fraction.
4. The process of claim 1 where the aqueous fraction includes hydrophilic compounds of the ground cannabis.
5. The process of claim 1 where separating the oil and aqueous fractions is performed by centrifugation using a three-phase decanter.
6. The process of claim 1 where separating the oil and aqueous fractions is performed by using a two-phase decanter.
7. The process of claim 1 further comprising using a three-phase milling process to produce the olive pomace.
8. The process of claim 1 further comprising using a two-phase milling process to produce the olive pomace.
9. The process of claim 1 where the pomace is first stabilized before mixing by addition of an acid to lower a pH thereof to about 5 to about 2.
10. The process of claim 1 where a weight of olive oil is added to the mixture of olive pomace and ground cannabis in an amount not to exceed 10% of a weight of the pomace in the mixture.
11. The process of claim 1 where the ground cannabis is reduced to 1 to 1000 micron size particles by grinders, hammers or sieves.
12. The process of claim 1 further comprising adding to the mixture an antioxidant.
13. The process of claim 12 wherein the antioxidant is derived from olives.
14. The process of claim 12 wherein the antioxidant is hydroxytyrosol or oleuropein.
15. The process of claim 12 where the antioxidant is added in a concentration ranging from 0.1 M to 10 M.
16. The process of claim 4 wherein the hydrophilic compounds of the ground cannabis include a polyphenol.
17. The process of claim 1 wherein a ratio of olive pomace to the ground cannabis exceeds 5:1 on a weight to weight basis.