Studies on purification of allicin by molecular distillation.
BACKGROUND
With recent improvements in living standards, people have been giving more consideration to the healthcare effects of foods. In this respect, allicin, which is the most important organosulfur compound in garlic and plays a key role in physiological function, has been receiving much attention.


RESULTS
Allicin obtained from garlic by supercritical CO(2) extraction was purified by molecular distillation (MD). The effects of operating conditions such as absolute pressure (AP), distillation temperature (DT) and feed flow rate (FFR) on allicin purity and yield were studied. The optimal AP, DT and FFR levels in first-stage MD were found to be 200 Pa, 50 °C and 15 mL min(-1) respectively. After three stages of MD the contents of allicin, diallyl disulfide (DADS) and diallyl trisulfide (DATS) were 68.04, 9.19 and 5.91% (w/w) respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
This study has provided a safe and effective method for the purification of allicin.
College of Food Sciences and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian, China.
Guo
G
Liang
Xuguang
X
Qiao
Yanhong
Y
Bi
Baoyu
B
Zou
Zhenjia
Z
Zheng
D000498:Allyl Compounds / Q000302:isolation & purification; D057168:Distillation / Q000379:methods*; D004220:Disulfides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005737:Garlic / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D011312:Pressure; D013440:Sulfides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013441:Sulfinic Acids / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013696:Temperature
D000498:Allyl Compounds; D004220:Disulfides; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013440:Sulfides; D013441:Sulfinic Acids; C042577:diallyl trisulfide; C006452:allicin; C028009:diallyl disulfide