The invention relates to method for separating tocopherol from a first
tocopherol admixture by heating the first tocopherol admixture composed of
at least one tocopherol, a fatty acid, and an esterifying compound to
esterify the fatty acid to produce a second tocopherol admixture composed
of the tocopherol, the esterified fatty acid, and the unesterified fatty
acid; distilling the second tocopherol admixture with the esterified fatty
acid to remove the unesterified fatty acid from the second tocopherol
admixture to produce a third tocopherol admixture composed of the
tocopherol, with substantially removed unesterified fatty acid; distilling
the third tocopherol admixture for a sufficient time and temperature to
substantially remove the tocopherol from the third tocopherol admixture to
produce a fourth tocopherol admixture composed of the removed tocopherol
and a non-tocol component; and extracting the tocopherol from the fourth
tocopherol admixture with an extraction solvent composed of a polar,
organic solvent that is miscible with water to produce a two phase system
composed of a first phase containing the majority of the extraction
solvent and the second phase, wherein the selectivity of the extraction
solvent for tocopherol with respect to the non-tocol component is greater
than unity, and removing the first phase from the second phase, with the
proviso that the extraction solvent is not a neat alcohol. The invention
further relates to compositions produced by the methods of the present
invention.
