Soybean unsaponifiables: Chromatographic separations and characterization

Unsaponifiables extracted from 10 different lots of refined soybean oil were subjected to liquidliquid chromatographic separations. Three major fractions were obtained. The least polar hydrocarbon fraction constituted 15 to 30% of the unsaponifiables; the most highly polar fraction contained the steroids constituting 35 to 45% of the unsaponifiables. The fraction of intermediate polarity varied in composition from lot to lot, but usually it contained more than 50% of the unsaponifiables. These basic fractions were analyzed by thin layer, gas-liquid chromatography, and by chemical tests for functional groups. To determine the effects of soybean unsaponifiables on the oxidative and organoleptic stability of edible fats, various concentrations of the extracted and fractionated materials were examined in cottonseed oil. Effects of extraction methods on yields, fractionation characteristics, and composition of the different lots of soybean unsaponifiables are discussed. Presented at the AOCS meeting in Chicago, 1961. Division, Agricultural Research Service, USDA.