SITOSTEROL PRODUCTION METHOD

FIELD: paper-and-pulp industry. SUBSTANCE: sitosterol useful in synthesis of medicinal preparations and in food industry is prepared in a process including processing of sulfate soap or saponified tall pitch followed by isolation of neutral substances involving extraction with organic solvent in presence of water and low-molecular alcohol, extract-raffinate separation, isolating soaps from raffinate, separating betulin from extract to give concentrate of neutral substances, dissolving it in selective organic solvent, and, finely, crystallization of sitosterol. According to invention, above-said concentrate is dissolved in water-saturated methyl acetate at weight/volume ratio 1:(5-7) at 4-10 C; recrystallization of isolated sitosterol is accomplished from 85% aqueous isopropyl alcohol at 30-35 C; and sterols obtained after solvent is recovered from mother liquor are combined with above-mentioned neutral substances to be transferred into recrystallization zone. EFFECT: enabled preparation of sitosterol for synthesis of hormonal preparations with alpha-isomer content no higher than 1% and sitosterol for food industry with purity 95% and alpha- isomer content below ? %. 4 ex