Disclosed is a process for producing
sphingomyelin and
plasmalogen-form
glycerophospholipid, which comprises the step (A) of extracting a total lipids from a chicken
skin powder and
drying the extract, the step (B) of subjecting the dried total lipids obtained in said step (A), to extraction treatment with a
solvent mixture of an
aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent and a water-soluble
ketone solvent to separate an insoluble portion composed mainly of
sphingomyelin and a soluble portion, the step (C) subjecting the insoluble portion composed mainly of
sphingomyelin, obtained in said step (B), to extraction treatment with a solvent mixture of water and a water-soluble
ketone solvent to remove a non-lipid component contained in the soluble portion, and the step (D) of
drying the soluble portion obtained in said step (B), and subjecting the thus-obtained dried product to extraction treatment with a water-soluble
ketone solvent to separate and recover an insoluble portion composed mainly of
plasmalogen-form giycerophospholiuld.According to the above production process, high-purity sphingomyelin, in particular, human-form sphingomyelin and
plasmalogen-form sphingomyelin can be produced from chicken
skin at high yields with simple procedures.