The invention discloses a novel process for extracting not smaller than 98% of natural
ferulic acid from
rice bran oil processing leftovers. The process comprises the following steps: with the
rice bran oil processing leftovers as an extraction
raw material,
degreasing and decoloring the extraction
raw material through n-
hexane, and deflavoring through more than 80% of edible
alcohol; then, saponifying the extraction
raw material twice through a
sodium hydroxide aqueous solution with a certain concentration and temperature, naturally filtering the
saponification solution through a stainless steel filter screen, regulating the
saponification solution through dilute
sulfuric acid, and carrying out suction
filtration; regulating the pH of precipitate to 9-10 through dilute alkali, refining the precipitate through
ion exchange resin, eluting impurities, desorbing through alkaline
ethanol, decoloring and filtering; removing harmful
metal ions in the filtrate through a resin column; and separating
ethanol and a product heavy
crystal from
effluent through a
pervaporation membrane technology, washing, suction filtering and
vacuum drying the
crystal product to obtain the natural
ferulic acid. The process disclosed by the invention can be used for extracting and separating the natural
ferulic acid with purity larger than 98% and having a variety of significant physiological activities, thereby not only turning waste into treasure and improving the
resource utilization rate, but also being simple in manufacturing process, low in production cost, high in product yield, low in requirements on production equipment and easy to control and realize the production process.