Separation of sterols from deodorizer distillate (DOD) by crystallization without pretreatment was investigated. DOD was dissolved in different solvents and crystallization was then conducted at -10 or -20C, with a solvent-to-DOD ratio of 3:1 (v/w).Several solvents such as methanol, acetone, and their mixtures, were examined for their separation effectiveness. The sterol crystals formed were removed from the solution by centrifugation at low temperature and subsequent filtration. The best results were obtained by crystallization at -20C for 24 h with a mixture of acetone and methanol, followed by centrifugation, filtration and washing steps. Over 90% of the original tocopherols and squalene in DOD were recovered in the filtrate fraction, while 80% of total sterols in DOD were retained in the cake fraction.
