Process for preparing optically active amino acids from protein hydrolysates

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING OPTICALLY ACTIVE AMINO ACIDS IN THE FORM OF THEIR N-TRIFLUOROACETYLATED ESTERS, SAID AMINO ACIDS BEING DERIVED FROM PROTEIN HYDROLYSATES, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES ESTERIFYING PROTEIN HYDROLYSATES BY HEATING WITH A MONOHYDRIC ALCOHOL HAVING 1 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ACID CATALYST, CONTACTING THE AMINO ACID ESTERS THUS OBTAINED WITH A TRIFLUOROACETIC ACID ESTER OF A MONOHYDRIC ALCOHOL HAVING 1 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS IN THE PRESENCE OFA HYDROCARBON SUBSTITUTED TERTIARY AMINE AS ACID BINDING AGENT, WHEREBY THE CORRESPONDING N-TRIFLUOROACETYL AMINO ACID ESTERS ARE PRODUCUCED, AND THEN FRACTIONALLY DISTILLING THE WATER-INSOLUBLE PART OF THE REACTION MIXTURE CONSISTING OF N-TRIFLUOROACETYL AMINO ACID ESTERS UNDER REDUCED PRESSURE, WHEREBY ARE OBTAINED SEPARATE ESTERFRACTIONS ADAPTABLE TO HYDROLYSIS TO THE CORRESPONDING AMINO ACIDS BY CONTACT WITH A DILUTE SOLUTION OF AN INORGANIC BASE.