Lanolin fatty acids, a method for their fractionation, cosmetics

Details Lanolin fatty acids, a method for their fractionation, cosmetics Lanolin fatty acids, a method for their fractionation, cosmetics

1993-12-22

1996-09-17

Geist, Gary

Organic compounds -- part of the class 532-570 series

Organic compounds

Fatty compounds having an acid moiety which contains the...

552545, 554213, C11B 1100

Patent

active

055569706

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a process for fractionating a lanolin fatty acid, more particularly a process for fractionating a lanolin fatty acid (hereinafter referred to briefly as LF) or its ester with a C.sub.1-4 lower alcohol into a hydroxy fatty acid fraction (hydroxy fatty acids or their esters with the C.sub.1-4 lower alcohol; hereinafter referred to briefly as HY) and a non-hydroxy fatty acid fraction (hydroxy-free fatty acids or their esters with the C.sub.1-4 lower alcohol; hereinafter referred to briefly as NH) and further fractionating said HY into an .alpha.-hydroxy fatty acid fraction (hereinafter ALF) and an .omega.-hydroxy fatty acid fraction (hereinafter WHY), the resultant lanolin fatty acids and their esters, and cosmetics and drugs for external use which contain them.


PRIOR ART

LF available from the saponification of wool grease secreted on the surface of wool, for instance, comprises iso- and anteiso-non-fatty acids accounting for about 2/3 and hydroxy fatty acids accounting for about 1/3. This LF is extremely lean in normal fatty acids which are predominant among naturally-occurring fatty acids and contains even-number acids and odd-number acids in appropriately equal proportions. The typical composition is shown in Table 1. In the following description, % represents % by weight unless otherwise indicated.


TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Composition Content (%) ______________________________________ Non-hydroxy acids Normal 12.1 Iso 22.1 Anteiso 26.3 .alpha.-Hydroxy acids Normal 21.8 Iso 4.5 Anteiso 0.8 .omega.-Hydroxy acids Normal 3.0 Iso 0.8 Anteiso 1.3 Unsaturated acids 2.1 Polyhydroxy acids 4.7 Total 99.5 ______________________________________
The dominant proportion of C.sub.10-36 hydroxy fatty acids accounting for about 30-35% of LF is comprised of C.sub.16 .alpha.-hydroxy fatty acid. Short-chain hydroxy fatty acids such as lactic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, etc. have been found to be laudable in emulsifying and humectant actions and be effective in atopic dermatitis, ichthyosis and reduction of age-associated wrinkles but there has been no information on the actions of long-chain hydroxy fatty acids such as those mentioned above. Moreover, .omega.-hydroxy fatty acids constituting another fraction of LF are constituents of o-acylceramides which are reportedly playing a key role in the humectant function of the horny layer of the skin but the activities of such .omega.-hydroxy fatty acids and their esters with lower alcohols as such are not known.
.alpha.-Hydroxy fatty acids, .omega.-hydroxy fatty acids and their esters and other derivatives can find application not only in drugs, cosmetics and pharmaceutical preparations for external use but also in various other uses such as surfactants, waxes, lubricating greases and so on and the usage thereof is expected to expand further in the future. However, the only long-chain hydroxy fatty acid in common use today is 12-hydroxystearic acid and no other long-chain .alpha.- or .omega.-fatty acids are commercially available in independent and concentrated forms.
Heretofore, because of its characteristic animal odor and dark color which lanolin alcohols are not possessed of, LF has been rather shunned than welcomed by the cosmetic industry. Therefore, development of a technology for fractionating its constituent hydroxy fatty acid fraction and non-hydroxy fatty acid fraction from each other, which would overcome the above problems, and development of uses for the fractions has been earnestly awaited.
As a means for eliminating the animal odor and dark color of LF, a vacuum distillation process has so far been in use but this process is not capable of separating hydroxy fatty acids from non-hydroxy fatty acids.
Thus, in the regular distillation of LF, non-hydroxy fatty acids cannot be separated from hydroxy fatty acids and the distillate fatty acid fraction obtained in a yield of 26% after removal of the initial 3% cut, for instance, shows a composition of 57.3% non-hydroxy b

REFERENCES:
patent: 2610197 (1947-07-01), Cunningham
patent: 2862943 (1958-12-01), Wheeler
patent: 4138416 (1979-02-01), Karesowa et al

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