Process for producing preservatives

Claim 1

A process for producing a preservative, comprising the steps of: preparing a starting material selected from the group consisting of herb family spices, residues obtained after the recovery of essential oils from herb family spices, oleoresins extracted from herb family spices with a polar solvent, and oleoresins extracted from herb family spices with a non-polar solvent and associated residues, said herb family spices being selected from the group consisting of sage, rosemary, majooram, thyme, oregano and basil; subjecting the starting material to extraction with a solvent mixture of a polar solvent compatible with water and a non-polar solvent selected from the group consisting of n-hexane, petroleum ether, ligroin, cyclohexane, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, dichloromethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, toluene, benzene and mixtures thereof, the ratio by volume of the polar solvent to the non-polar solvent ranging from 2:98 to 50:50; adding an adsorbent to said extractive in an amount of 1-20% by weight based upon the weight of the starting material; adding water to the extractive after said adsorbent is separated; allowing the polar solvent to migrate into the water; separating the mixture into a water/polar solvent phase and a non-polar solvent phase having a highly oil-soluble active fraction dissolved and a substantially oil-insoluble active fraction precipitated; and recovering the non-polar solvent phase as a preservative.