How do I extract melissyl alcohol from rice bran wax?

[Marzfisch]

How do I extract triacontanol (melissyl alcohol) from rice bran wax?

I have very little knowledge in chemistry, but can do basic procedures. I don't have a laboratory, just a kitchen.

Is it an alcohol? Like, same as ethanol alcohol? Does that mean I can mix rice bran wax with ethanol and isolate the triacontanol? I understand there are other "alcohols" present, but I'm sure you can see my lack of chemistry knowledge through this post.

Any information would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Borek]

Yes, it is an alcohol, but I doubt it can be easily separated from other substances present. Separation techniques can be quite sophisticated. But the main problem is that it will probably require use of solvents that are not something you want to use in the kitchen - I don't expect triacontanol to be well soluble in ethanol, quite the opposite.

 

[Marzfisch]

"Soluble in ethanol (sparingly), DMSO (sparingly), DMF (sparingly), and chloroform (~1.7 mg/ml). Insoluble in water. 1 Iyer, R.R., Mamdapur, V.R. Plant growth regulators: Syntheses of n-triacontynol, n-triacontenol, & n-triacontanol."

http://www.scbt.com/datasheet-205411-n-triacontanol.html

 

[Marzfisch]

Does this mean I would get an awful yield using ethanol?

 

[Borek]

More like - you will be not able to separate it in a reasonable quantities without using tons (literally ) of ethanol.

 

[Marzfisch]

Well dang...

 

[Lok]

The horrible dissolution aside. Wiki describes Rice Bran wax as a composition of "aliphatic acids (wax acids) and higher alcohol esters. The aliphatic acids consist of palmitic acid (C16), behenic acid (C22), lignoceric acid (C24), other higher wax acids. The higher alcohol esters consist mainly of ceryl alcohol (C26) and melissyl alcohol (C30). Rice bran wax also contains constituents such as free fatty acids (palmitic acid), squalene and phospholipids."
That would imply a saponification before any triacotanol can be found. From what I remember making the saponification with NaOH will make soluble soap (depending on fatty acids) out of both the aliphatic acids and the esters exposing the alcoholic bits. You could end up with a water soluble soap mixed with water insoluble alcohols. The two alcohols will be hard to separate from this point though.