The invention relates to a method for extracting 5-hydroxytryptophan. The method has the advantages that: the yield of the product is improved and the
energy consumption is reduced because an
antioxidant is added to protect and an
ion exchange resin and a
macroporous resin are combined. The method comprises the following steps of: crushing a
raw material, namely griffonia seeds, soaking the
raw material into acidic water and
sodium pyrosulfite for extraction for 2 to 3 times, wherein the amount of the acidic water and the amount of the
sodium pyrosulfite are both 8 to 15 times that of the
raw material and the raw material is soaked for 4 to 10 hours at each time, adsorbing the extract by adding the extract into a cation exchange resin column, washing the extract with deionized water until the extract is colorless, eluting the extract with aqueous
ammonia (containing 0.1 to 0.3 percent of
sodium metabisulfite) of which the concentration is 10 to 15 percent, adjusting the pH value of the eluate to 2 to 4, adsorbing the eluate by adding the eluate into a
macroporous resin column, washing the eluate with water until the eluate is neutral, eluting the effective component with 4-6 BV
ethanol solution of which the concentration is 40 to 60 percent, collecting the eluate, adding the eluate into
active carbon to decolor the eluate, reclaiming the
ethanol, concentrating the decoloring liquid until the concentration of the decoloring liquid is 1.4 to 1.6, placing the decoloring liquid until the decoloring liquid is crystallized, filtering the
crystal, and
drying the
crystal to obtain the product. The method is simply operated and is suitable for industrial production.