A fresh-cut pressing treatment process for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces, and discloses a fresh cutting treatment process for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces, which is used for treating fresh picked flower and leaf containing medicinal material raw materials to obtain medicinal cakes. First, the fresh medicinal material raw materials are dried to reduce the water content to 13-30%, and then the dried medicinal materials are directly quantitatively pressed, and the primary product after pressing is dried again to obtain the medicinal cake product. The flower and leaf traditional Chinese medicine linkage pharmaceutical method changes the traditional segmented production mode of traditional Chinese medicinal materials and traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces, especially changes the traditional Chinese medicinal material production mode that the medicinal materials must be dried (generally to less than 13%) and then must be subjected to the complicated process of water adding, re-drying, and multiple influences on the appearance and internal quality of traditional Chinese medicine, so that the loss of medicinal components caused by the traditional production mode is eliminated, and the quality of the decoction pieces is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of traditional Chinese medicine decoction piece preparation technology, specifically relating to a fresh-cut pressing process for traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces. Background Technology

[0002] Harvesting and using Chinese medicinal herbs immediately is an ancient Chinese medical practice. Fresh herbs retain many of their original components and have significant medicinal effects; the use of fresh artemisia juice to treat malaria is a typical example. Currently, except for a few medicinal herbs / processes that require complex processes such as sweating, fermentation, stir-frying, and steaming, the production of most medicinal herbs / processes can be completed simply by drying and cutting.

[0003] After being harvested in the field, medicinal plants are dried to become Chinese medicinal materials. To improve production efficiency, many producing areas often use high-temperature drying methods to rapidly dry fresh herbs (generally reducing the moisture content to below 13%). This not only damages the appearance of the herbs, darkening or blackening their vibrant colors, but also renders flowers, leaves, and herbs unrecognizable after drying. Leafy herbs should be predominantly green, but many on the market are brown, because current primary processing methods completely oxidize the chlorophyll. Drying also causes many herbs to lose their aroma; the original fresh fragrance transforms into a withered, grassy smell, lacking freshness. This drying process results in the final product not meeting the appearance, aroma, and other characteristics specified in standards such as the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, leading to the loss of the active ingredients. The components of a medicinal herb are fundamental to clinical treatment; for example, after decocting Artemisia annua, its active ingredient artemisinin is significantly reduced, greatly weakening its effectiveness in treating malaria. Therefore, preserving the original components of traditional Chinese medicine as much as possible is the fundamental guarantee for maintaining its original efficacy.

[0004] Furthermore, during the drying process of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), insufficient moisture control often leads to breakage of flowers, leaves, and whole herbs during transportation, storage, and use. This not only alters the properties of the medicinal materials but also affects their further use. Therefore, to ensure the freshness of TCM materials, reduce breakage rates during production, transportation, storage, and use, maintain the original components of TCM, and ensure its efficacy, a novel method for improving the processing of TCM materials is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this invention provides a fresh-cutting process for Chinese herbal medicine slices. The processed slices, produced by quantitative pressing after drying to a certain degree, improve the appearance of the often broken leaves and the yellowish-brown to dark brown color of the withered leaves resulting from traditional production methods. After soaking in water, the leaves can still recover to a relatively intact shape before pressing.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows:

[0007] In the first aspect, the present invention provides a process for processing freshly cut Chinese medicinal materials, which is used to process freshly picked medicinal materials containing flowers, leaves and whole herbs to obtain medicinal cakes. First, the fresh medicinal materials are dried to reduce their moisture content to 13-30%. The dried medicinal materials are directly and quantitatively pressed. The pressed initial product is dried again to obtain the finished medicinal cake.

[0008] It should be noted that, in existing technologies, besides the production of prepared herbal medicines, similar processing methods are often used in tea processing to improve the yield of pressed tea cakes. However, tea cakes are made from pre-processed tea leaves, while fresh tea leaves require fixation and drying. The composition and moisture content of pre-processed tea leaves have already changed, and if the moisture content is insufficient for pressing, steaming is also necessary. This application, however, uses a fresh processing method targeting freshly picked medicinal materials, which are inherently moist and contain components beneficial for pressing stability. This method is completely different from the pressing method used for tea leaves and the resulting effects are entirely different.

[0009] As mentioned above, fresh medicinal materials contain sufficient moisture and components that contribute to stability during pressing. Retaining a certain amount of moisture after the initial drying process followed by rapid pressing results in a higher molding rate compared to existing technologies using low-moisture pressing. Here, molding rate refers to the integrity rate of the finished product. Previous trial production revealed that excessively dry raw materials, when pressed directly without the addition of other materials, are prone to breakage. However, excessively high moisture content also leads to a poor molding rate, requires higher pressure, results in greater molding thickness, and makes the product more susceptible to spoilage.

[0010] In this embodiment, the moisture content is controlled within 13-30% by continuously adjusting the process, resulting in a pressed product with good consistency and stability. The components that contribute to the stability of the pressing are plant starch and polysaccharides, which have a certain degree of stickiness under a certain moisture content. At the same time, because the moisture content is higher than that of existing treatment methods, the flowers and leaves themselves do not curl or turn yellow, and have a certain degree of toughness, making the pressed product less prone to breakage.

[0011] In conjunction with the first aspect, the present invention provides a first embodiment of the first aspect, wherein the first drying process employs one of sun-drying, oven-drying, or low-temperature drying.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, the present invention provides a second embodiment of the first aspect, wherein the first drying process reduces the moisture content to 15-22%.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, the present invention provides a third embodiment of the first aspect, wherein the second drying process reduces the moisture content to 3-8%.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, the present invention provides a fourth embodiment of the first aspect, wherein the second drying process adopts a low-temperature drying method.

[0015] The second low-temperature drying process extends the shelf life of the pressed medicinal cakes while preserving their stability and color, preventing spoilage caused by excessive moisture. A defined moisture content range meets the minimum shelf-life requirements; moisture content below 3% increases processing costs and can compromise cake stability, making the leaves and flowers more brittle and prone to breakage during packaging and transportation. Moisture content above 8% fails to achieve the minimum shelf-life, and experiments revealed that multiple microbial indicators exceeded standards within the shelf-life period.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, the present invention provides a fifth embodiment of the first aspect, wherein the medicinal material is cut after the first drying treatment, and the fragmentation rate of the intermediate product obtained after the cutting process is less than 10%.

[0017] It is worth noting that the fragmentation rate requirement is to ensure that the size of the smallest slice product obtained is greater than the standard value for pressing. If it is less than the standard value, even if the required moisture content is met, instability will occur.

[0018] In conjunction with the first aspect, the present invention provides a sixth embodiment of the first aspect, wherein the flower-containing medicinal materials include clove, honeysuckle, kapok flower, rose, saffron, mimosa flower, safflower, rose, honeysuckle, rhododendron, trumpet creeper, chrysanthemum, plum blossom, wild chrysanthemum, inula, and sophora flower; the leaf-containing medicinal materials include ginseng leaf, large-leaved purple beautyberry, indigo leaf, mountain fragrant round leaf, hawthorn leaf, hibiscus leaf, artemisia leaf, pyrrosia leaf, buzha leaf, dragon tongue leaf, evergreen, eucommia leaf, vitex leaf, apocynum leaf, aconite leaf, lotus leaf, mulberry leaf, epimedium, light bamboo leaf, perilla leaf, purple beautyberry leaf, senna leaf, rhododendron, and knotweed leaf; other whole herb medicinal materials include solidarium, lysimachia, plantain, lobelia, scutellaria barbata, golden gentian, lysimachia, artemisia capillaris, houttuynia cordata, eupatorium, centella asiatica, motherwort, deer antler grass, and mint.

[0019] In conjunction with the first aspect or the first to sixth embodiments of the first aspect, the present invention provides a seventh embodiment of the first aspect, wherein during the pressing process, medicinal materials are filled into a pressing mold at a pressure of 50-4800 kgf / cm³. 2 Press the Chinese herbal medicine slices or herbs under pressure for 1-60 seconds.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect or the seventh embodiment of the first aspect, the present invention provides an eighth embodiment of the first aspect, wherein during the pressing process, medicinal materials are filled into a pressing mold at a pressure of 2400-4800 kgf / cm³. 2 Press the Chinese herbal medicine slices or herbs under pressure for 30-60 seconds.

[0021] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0022] The integrated pharmaceutical method for flowers, herbs, and leaves described in this invention changes the traditional segmented production method of Chinese medicinal materials and processed medicinal slices. In particular, it eliminates the multiple impacts on the appearance and internal quality of Chinese medicinal materials caused by the complex process of adding water to moisten the herbs and drying them again during the production of processed medicinal slices after the herbs have been dried (generally to a moisture content of less than 13%). This method eliminates the loss of medicinal components caused by traditional production and ensures the quality of processed medicinal slices. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a process flow diagram of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0024] This embodiment discloses a fresh-cutting process for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) decoction pieces. The process primarily targets flowers, herbs, leaves, or other TCM raw materials containing these parts. Because these parts have a high moisture content, existing processing methods involve drying them to below 13% moisture content before further processing to obtain the finished product. For example, existing decoction piece products have a moisture content below 8%, facilitating storage. However, for raw materials with inherently high moisture content and low cellulose content, direct drying leads to a reduction in their effective components, and substances such as chlorophyll on the surface will oxidize and become ineffective. However, if they are stored in their original state as fresh materials, they will quickly deteriorate and fail to meet the requirements for TCM decoction pieces.

[0025] The fresh-cutting process disclosed in this embodiment aims to reduce the moisture content to a certain value while preserving the original state of the medicinal material (including its morphology and active ingredients) as much as possible, so that the medicinal material can have sufficient shelf life. The specific solution is as follows:

[0026] First, freshly picked flowers, leaves, and medicinal herbs with flowers and leaves are washed and collected in the same area, and then directly sun-dried. The moisture content is reduced to between 13-30% by controlling the sun-drying temperature and time.

[0027] At this point, the dried medicinal materials are transferred to the workshop and sliced ​​using a slicer. Since the moisture content of the medicinal materials needs to be controlled, there is no need to add extra pretreatment methods such as rinsing, washing, soaking, rinsing, or moistening during the slicing process.

[0028] The chopped herbs are then transferred to a pressing mold and pressed at 50-4800 kgf / cm². 2 Chinese herbal medicine slices or raw materials are pressed under pressure for 1-60 seconds, and multi-layer pressing can be used to form the pressed product.

[0029] The obtained compressed product is transferred to a low-temperature drying workshop for low-temperature drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried drug cake is kept within 3-8%. Finally, experiments are conducted on the drug cake to determine whether it meets the product standards, and product shelf life experiments are conducted to determine whether it meets the standards.

[0030] As can be seen from the above steps, compared with existing processes, controlling the moisture content and performing two drying processes can extend the shelf life of the medicinal material to meet the requirements of this type of decoction piece while preserving its appearance characteristics and effective components as much as possible. Existing technologies can also achieve the above effect directly through low-temperature drying, but in this embodiment, the medicine needs to be compressed into a cake. Direct low-temperature drying will cause the moisture content of the medicine itself to drop to the target value. Furthermore, this type of dried medicine is not only slow to form during the pressing process, but it is also prone to breakage during pressing, resulting in a cake with poor stability and a tendency to crumble.

[0031] In this embodiment, through multiple experiments, it was found that moisture content is a key factor in the pressing and shaping of the medicinal cake. While methods such as natural air drying or low-temperature drying can reduce the moisture content to the target value, if the moisture content is not controlled within a suitable range, the pressing effect may be poor. For example, if the moisture content is greater than 30%, juice is easily released during pressing, causing the effective components of the medicinal material to be lost with the liquid. Furthermore, if the pressing mold is reused after releasing the juice, the liquid will remain inside, leading to the growth of a large number of microorganisms over a certain period. Therefore, cleaning and disinfection are required after each pressing before reuse, resulting in low production efficiency and high costs. When the moisture content is below 30%, the amount of juice released is reduced to a controllable range, balancing stability and production efficiency. However, when the moisture content is below 13%, the amount of residue generated during pressing exceeds 5% of the weight of the medicinal material in a single pressing, and the forming rate of the obtained medicinal cake is lower than the production requirements, thus failing to achieve the improvement objective of this embodiment.

[0032] Example 2:

[0033] This embodiment discloses a fresh-cutting process for Chinese herbal medicine slices. Similar to Embodiment 1 above, it also optimizes the pressing process of Chinese herbal medicine slices, forming a series of linked pharmaceutical methods that combine primary processing of Chinese medicinal materials at their place of origin with the processing of the slices. The produced slices greatly improve the "low-quality" state resulting from traditional production methods. In particular, the appearance of traditional leaves, which are often broken and the color of yellowish-brown to dark brown withered leaves, is improved. After soaking in water, the leaves can still recover to a relatively intact shape before pressing, with a predominantly green color and a rich aroma, presenting the appearance, color, and aroma of fresh medicinal materials. The entire processing has little impact on product quality and has a good preservation effect on the original components of the product.

[0034] Specifically, after washing and selecting the raw materials, they are dried in a drying workshop using an air-drying method until the moisture content drops to 15%-22%. Then, they are cut in the same way, with the fragmentation rate of the cut product controlled below 10%. The cut product is transferred to a pressing mold and pressed using the same parameters. The pressed product is then transferred to a low-temperature drying workshop for low-temperature drying, again controlling the moisture content of the dried medicinal cake within the range of 3-8%. Inspection is then conducted to determine whether different batches of the product meet the standards.

[0035] In this embodiment, the moisture content control conditions are further optimized. For materials with a moisture content greater than or equal to 15%, the residue rate during pressing is less than 3%. When the moisture content is less than or equal to 22%, no significant juice exudation is observed during experiments and production. Microbial content in the pressing molds, which have been reused more than 100 times, meets national production standards, indicating good production efficiency. However, when the moisture content exceeds 22%, the difference in moisture content between the inside and outside of the pressed medicinal cake is significant after the second low-temperature drying. Reducing the internal moisture content to below 8% not only increases drying costs but also makes the outside more prone to breakage and residue.

[0036] To further verify the effectiveness and innovation of the moisture content and other process parameters, this embodiment sets up multiple comparative experimental groups and a reference group of medicine cakes made by existing processes for testing, verifying it from multiple aspects.

[0037] I. The Influence of Different First Drying Methods on Moisture Content and Breakage Rate

[0038] Experimental Group 1:

[0039] (1) Cleaning: Place the selected honeysuckle, schizonepeta, scutellaria barbata, lysimachia christinae, patchouli, black nightshade, safflower, euphorbia humifusa, rose and chrysanthemum into a container, wash them with water to remove withered leaves and other impurities from the herbs, and ensure the purity of the herbs;

[0040] (2) Drying: The fresh medicinal materials are dried to reduce their moisture content to 13-30%. The drying method is infrared drying, and the moisture content of the medicinal materials is controlled between 13-30%.

[0041] (3) Cutting: The dried medicinal slices that need to be cut, including Schizonepeta, Elsholtzia, Scutellaria barbata, Lysimachia christinae, Pogostemon cablin, and Solanum nigrum, are transferred to the workshop and cut using a cutting machine;

[0042] (4) Pressing: Weigh the cut medicinal materials, transfer 15g to the pressing mold, and press at 4800kgf / cm². 2 Chinese medicinal herbs or decoction pieces are pressed under pressure for 12 seconds to obtain the pressed product.

[0043] (5) Low-temperature drying: The obtained compressed product is transferred to a low-temperature drying workshop for low-temperature drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried medicine cake is kept within 3-8%.

[0044] Experimental group 2:

[0045] (1) Cleaning: Place fresh honeysuckle, schizonepeta, euphorbia, scutellaria barbata, artemisia capillaris, lysimachia christinae, safflower, inula japonica, rose and chrysanthemum into separate containers, wash them with water to remove withered leaves and other impurities from the herbs, and ensure that they are completely clean.

[0046] (2) Drying: The fresh medicinal materials are dried to reduce their moisture content to 13-30%. The drying method is microwave drying, and the moisture content of the medicinal materials is controlled between 13-30%.

[0047] (3) Cutting: The dried medicinal slices that need to be cut, including Schizonepeta, Elsholtzia, Scutellaria barbata, Artemisia capillaris, and Lysimachia christinae, are transferred to the workshop and cut using a cutting machine;

[0048] (4) Pressing: Weigh the cut medicinal materials, transfer 15g to the pressing mold, and press at 4800kgf / cm². 2 Chinese medicinal herbs or decoction pieces are pressed under pressure for 12 seconds to obtain the pressed product.

[0049] (5) Low-temperature drying: The obtained compressed product is transferred to a low-temperature drying workshop for low-temperature drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried medicine cake is kept within 3-8%.

[0050] In Experiment 3, the steps were similar to those in Example 1, but the materials were replaced. The materials in this experimental group were fresh houttuynia cordata, honeysuckle, motherwort, sesame, artemisia capillaris, lysimachia christinae, black nightshade, safflower, rose, and inula japonica; the dried medicinal slices were transferred to the workshop and sliced ​​using a slicer, while other conditions remained unchanged.

[0051] Experimental group 4:

[0052] (1) Cleaning: Place fresh mint, honeysuckle, motherwort, schizonepeta, scutellaria barbata, artemisia capillaris, patchouli, black nightshade, safflower and honeysuckle into separate containers, wash them with water to remove withered leaves and other impurities from the herbs, and ensure that they are completely clean.

[0053] (2) Drying: The fresh medicinal materials are dried to reduce their moisture content to 13-30%. The drying method is oven drying, and the drying temperature is controlled at 50-70℃, and the moisture content of the medicinal materials is controlled between 13-30%.

[0054] (3) Cutting: The dried medicinal slices that need to be cut, including peppermint, motherwort, schizonepeta, scutellaria barbata, artemisia capillaris, patchouli and black nightshade, are transferred to the workshop and cut using a cutting machine;

[0055] (4) Pressing: Weigh the cut medicinal materials, transfer 15g to the pressing mold, and press at 4800kgf / cm². 2 Chinese medicinal herbs or decoction pieces are pressed under pressure for 12 seconds to obtain the pressed product.

[0056] (5) Low-temperature drying: The obtained compressed product is transferred to a low-temperature drying workshop for low-temperature drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried medicine cake is kept within 3-8%.

[0057] Experimental group 5:

[0058] (1) Cleaning: Place fresh houttuynia cordata, honeysuckle, motherwort, schizonepeta, scutellaria barbata, euphorbia humifusa, dandelion, patchouli, safflower and black nightshade into separate containers, wash them with water to remove withered leaves and other impurities, and ensure that they are completely clean.

[0059] (2) Drying: The fresh medicinal materials are dried to reduce their moisture content to 13-30%. The drying method is sun drying, and the drying time is controlled within 1-3 days, so that the moisture content of the medicinal materials is controlled between 13-30%.

[0060] (3) Cutting: The dried medicinal slices that need to be cut, including motherwort, schizonepeta, scutellaria barbata, euphorbia humifusa, patchouli, dandelion and black nightshade, are transferred to the workshop and cut using a cutting machine;

[0061] (4) Pressing: Weigh the cut medicinal materials, transfer 15g to the pressing mold, and press at 4800kgf / cm². 2 Chinese medicinal herbs or decoction pieces are pressed under pressure for 12 seconds to obtain the pressed product.

[0062] (5) Low temperature drying: The obtained compressed product is transferred to a low temperature drying workshop for low temperature drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried medicine cake is kept within 3-8%.

[0063] Experimental group 6:

[0064] (1) Cleaning: Place fresh mint, dandelion, motherwort, sesame, scutellaria barbata, lysimachia chrysanthemum, rose, chrysanthemum, safflower and black nightshade into separate containers, wash them with water to remove withered leaves and other impurities from the herbs, and ensure that they are completely clean.

[0065] (2) Drying: The fresh medicinal materials are dried to reduce their moisture content to 13-30%. The drying method is shade drying, and the shade drying time is controlled within 3-7 days, while the moisture content of the medicinal materials is controlled between 13-30%.

[0066] (3) Cutting: The dried medicinal slices that need to be cut, including peppermint, dandelion, motherwort, sesame, scutellaria barbata, lysimachia christinae, and black nightshade, are transferred to the workshop and cut using a cutting machine.

[0067] (4) Pressing: Weigh the cut medicinal materials, transfer 15g to the pressing mold, and press at 4800kgf / cm². 2 Chinese medicinal herbs or decoction pieces are pressed under pressure for 12 seconds to obtain the pressed product.

[0068] (5) Low-temperature drying: The obtained compressed product is transferred to a low-temperature drying workshop for low-temperature drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried medicine cake is kept within 3-8%.

[0069] The moisture content and breakage rate of different first drying methods in experimental groups 1 to 6 were compared, and the results are shown in the table below.

[0070] Table 1. Effects of different first-drying methods on moisture content and breakage rate.

[0071]

[0072]

[0073] The results in Table 1 show that infrared drying, microwave drying, and freeze drying can all control the moisture content of medicinal materials to between 15-25% in a relatively short time, proving that these three drying methods can better remove moisture from the medicinal materials. Secondly, the breakage rate of the processed medicinal slices after drying and pressing using these three methods is lower than that of the other three methods. However, among all drying methods, the breakage rate of the medicinal cakes after air drying is higher than that of the other methods. This may be because the moisture content of the medicinal materials was not controlled to the appropriate level during the initial air drying process, resulting in excessively high moisture content, which affects further pressing.

[0074] II. Effects of Different Pressures on the Breakage Rate of Pressed Pharmaceutical Cakes

[0075] Experimental group 7:

[0076] (1) Cleaning: Place the selected houttuynia cordata, honeysuckle, motherwort, schizonepeta, scutellaria barbata, euphorbia humifusa, dandelion, patchouli, safflower and black nightshade into a container, wash them with water to remove withered leaves and other impurities, and ensure that they are completely clean.

[0077] (2) Drying: The fresh medicinal materials are dried to reduce their moisture content to 13-30%. The drying method is sun drying, and the sun drying time is controlled within 1-3 days, while the moisture content of the medicinal materials is controlled between 13-30%.

[0078] (3) Cutting: The dried medicinal slices that need to be cut, including houttuynia cordata, motherwort, schizonepeta tenuifolia, scutellaria barbata, sesame, dandelion, patchouli, and black nightshade, are transferred to the workshop and cut using a cutting machine.

[0079] (4) Pressing: Weigh the cut medicinal materials, transfer 15g to the pressing mold, and press the Chinese medicine slices or Chinese medicinal materials under a pressure of 4800kgf / cm2 for 60 seconds to obtain the pressed product.

[0080] (5) Low-temperature drying: The obtained compressed product is transferred to a low-temperature drying workshop for low-temperature drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried medicine cake is kept within 3-8%.

[0081] To verify the effect of different pressures on the breakage rate of pressed biscuit cakes, experiments were conducted using the following experimental groups.

[0082] Experimental group 8:

[0083] During the pressing process, the cut medicinal materials were weighed, and 15g was transferred to the pressing mold. The medicinal materials were pressed for 60 seconds under a pressure of 2400kgf / cm2 to obtain the pressed product. Other steps were the same as those in experimental group 7.

[0084] Experimental group 9:

[0085] During the pressing process, the cut medicinal materials were weighed, and 15g was transferred to the pressing mold. The medicinal materials were pressed for 60 seconds under a pressure of 50kgf / cm2 to obtain the pressed product. Other steps were the same as those in experimental group 7.

[0086] Examples 7 to 9 were conducted by pressing ten kinds of medicinal materials, including houttuynia cordata, honeysuckle, and motherwort, under different pressures for 60 seconds. The breakage rates were compared, and the results are shown in Table 2.

[0087] Table 2. Effect of different pressures on the breakage rate of medicinal cake.

[0088]

[0089] The results in Table 2 show that at 50 kgf / cm 2 Under pressure, the breakage rate is at a high level, but as the pressure gradually increases, the medicated cake gradually stabilizes and the breakage rate gradually decreases.

[0090] III. The Influence of Different Pressing Times on Breakage Rate

[0091] Experimental group 10:

[0092] A process for processing fresh-cut Chinese medicinal herbs includes the following steps:

[0093] (1) Cleaning: Place the selected houttuynia cordata, honeysuckle, motherwort, schizonepeta, scutellaria barbata, euphorbia humifusa, dandelion, patchouli, safflower and black nightshade into a container, wash them with water to remove the withered leaves and other impurities from the herbs, and ensure that they are completely clean.

[0094] (2) Drying: The fresh medicinal materials are dried to reduce their moisture content to 13-30%. The drying method is sun drying, and the sun drying time is controlled within 1-3 days, while the moisture content of the medicinal materials is controlled between 13-30%.

[0095] (3) Cutting: The dried medicinal slices that need to be cut, including houttuynia cordata, motherwort, schizonepeta tenuifolia, scutellaria barbata, sesame, dandelion, patchouli, and black nightshade, are transferred to the workshop and cut using a cutting machine.

[0096] (4) Pressing: Weigh the cut medicinal materials, transfer 15g to the pressing mold, and press at 2400kgf / cm². 2 Chinese medicinal herbs or decoction pieces are pressed under pressure for 60 seconds to obtain the pressed product.

[0097] (5) Low-temperature drying: The obtained compressed product is transferred to a low-temperature drying workshop for low-temperature drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried medicine cake is kept within 3-8%.

[0098] Experimental group 11:

[0099] Pressing: Weigh the cut medicinal materials, transfer 15g to the pressing mold, and press at 2400kgf / cm². 2 The Chinese herbal medicine slices or raw materials were pressed under pressure for 30 seconds to obtain the pressed product. Other steps were the same as those in experimental group 10.

[0100] Experimental group 12:

[0101] Pressing: Weigh the cut medicinal materials, transfer 15g to the pressing mold, and press at 2400kgf / cm². 2 Press the Chinese herbal medicine slices or raw materials under pressure for 5 seconds to obtain the pressed product. Other steps are the same as in experimental group 10.

[0102] Experimental groups 10 to 12 used 2400 kgf / cm². 2 Ten kinds of medicinal materials, including houttuynia cordata, honeysuckle, and motherwort, were pressed for 60s, 30s, and 5s respectively. The results of their effects on the breakage rate are shown in Table 3.

[0103] Table 3. Effect of different pressing times on the crushing rate

[0104]

[0105]

[0106] The results in Table 3 show that at 2400 kgf / cm² 2 When pressed under pressure for 60 seconds, the breakage rate is at a relatively high level. However, as the pressing time gradually increases, the medicated cake gradually stabilizes, the breakage rate gradually decreases, and stabilizes at a low level.

[0107] IV. Comparison of Pressed Herbal Slices of Different Specifications

[0108] Experimental group 15:

[0109] (1) Cleaning: Place the selected motherwort, schizonepeta, black nightshade, artemisia capillaris, lysimachia christinae, patchouli, inula japonica, safflower and euphorbia humifusa into a container, wash them with water to remove the withered leaves and other impurities from the herbs, and ensure that they are completely clean.

[0110] (2) Drying: The fresh medicinal materials are dried to reduce their moisture content to 13-30%. The drying method is sun drying, and the sun drying time is controlled within 1-3 days, while the moisture content of the medicinal materials is controlled between 13-30%.

[0111] (3) Cutting: The dried medicinal slices that need to be cut, including motherwort, schizonepeta, black nightshade, artemisia capillaris, lysimachia christinae, patchouli, and euphorbia humifusa, are transferred to the workshop and cut using a cutting machine;

[0112] (4) Pressing: Weigh the cut medicinal materials, transfer 1g to the pressing mold, and press at 2400kgf / cm². 2 Chinese medicinal herbs or decoction pieces are pressed under pressure for 60 seconds to obtain the pressed product.

[0113] (5) Low-temperature freeze drying: The obtained compressed product is transferred to a low-temperature drying workshop for low-temperature drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried medicine cake is kept within 3-8%.

[0114] Experimental group 16:

[0115] Pressing: Weigh the cut medicinal materials, transfer 10g to the pressing mold, and press at 2400kgf / cm². 2 Chinese herbal medicine slices or raw materials were pressed under pressure for 60 seconds to obtain the pressed product. Other steps were the same as in experimental group 15.

[0116] Experimental group 17:

[0117] Pressing: Weigh the cut medicinal materials, transfer 30g to the pressing mold, and press at 2400kgf / cm². 2 Chinese herbal medicine slices or raw materials were pressed under pressure for 60 seconds to obtain the pressed product. Other steps were the same as in experimental group 15.

[0118] Experimental groups 15 to 17 used different molds to press ten kinds of medicinal materials, including motherwort, schizonepeta, and black nightshade, with specifications of 1g, 10g, and 30g, respectively. The breakage rate of the pressed medicinal cakes was compared, and the results are shown in Table 4.

[0119] Table 4 Comparison of breakage rate of pressed medicinal slices of different specifications

[0120]

[0121]

[0122] As can be seen from the results in Table 4, the breakage rate of medicinal materials of different specifications can be kept within a certain range, effectively ensuring the stability of the medicinal materials after pressing.

[0123] V. The Influence of Different Secondary Drying Methods on Moisture Content and Breakage Rate

[0124] Experimental group 19:

[0125] (1) Cleaning: Place the selected houttuynia cordata, dandelion, inula japonica, sesame, schizonepeta tenuifolia, honeysuckle, scutellaria barbata, mint, chrysanthemum and black nightshade into a container, wash them with water to remove the withered leaves and other impurities from the herbs, and ensure that they are completely clean.

[0126] (2) Drying: The fresh medicinal materials are dried to reduce their moisture content to 13-30%. The drying method is sun drying, and the sun drying time is controlled within 1-3 days, while the moisture content of the medicinal materials is controlled between 13-30%.

[0127] (3) Cutting: The dried medicinal slices that need to be cut, including houttuynia cordata, dandelion, sesame, schizonepeta, scutellaria barbata, mint and black nightshade, are transferred to the workshop and cut using a cutting machine;

[0128] (4) Pressing: Weigh the cut medicinal materials, transfer 15g to the pressing mold, and press at 2400kgf / cm². 2 Chinese medicinal herbs or decoction pieces are pressed under pressure for 60 seconds to obtain the pressed product.

[0129] (5) Infrared drying: The obtained pressed product is transferred to the drying workshop for infrared drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried medicine cake is kept within 3-8%.

[0130] Experimental group 20:

[0131] In this experimental group, the obtained compressed product was transferred to the drying workshop for microwave drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried medicine cake was kept within 3-8%. Other steps were the same as those in experimental group 19.

[0132] Experimental group 21:

[0133] In this experimental group, the obtained compressed product was transferred to a low-temperature drying workshop for low-temperature drying by low-temperature freeze drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried medicine cake was kept within 3-8%. Other steps were the same as those in experimental group 19.

[0134] Experimental group 22:

[0135] In this experimental group, the obtained compressed product was transferred to the drying workshop for drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried medicine cake was kept within 3-8%. Other steps were the same as those in experimental group 19.

[0136] Experimental group 23:

[0137] In this experimental group, the pressed product was transferred to an open field for sun drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried medicine cake was kept within 3-8%. Other steps were the same as those in experimental group 19.

[0138] Experimental group 24:

[0139] In this experimental group, the obtained compressed product was transferred to the workshop for air drying. By controlling the parameters of the drying process, the moisture content of the dried medicine cake was kept within 3-8%. Other steps were the same as those in experimental group 19.

[0140] Experimental groups 19 to 24 used different molds to press ten kinds of medicinal materials, including houttuynia cordata, dandelion, and inula japonica. The second drying method included six methods: infrared, microwave, low temperature freezing, oven drying, sun drying, and shade drying. At the same time, the breakage rate of the pressed medicinal cakes was compared. The results are shown in Table 5.

[0141] Table 5. Effects of different secondary drying methods on moisture content and breakage rate.

[0142]

[0143]

[0144] As can be seen from Table 5, the moisture content of the medicinal cakes can be reduced to a certain level after two drying processes, and the breakage rate of the medicinal cakes after two drying processes can be maintained below 20%, which proves that the medicinal cakes can effectively maintain the appearance and shape of the medicinal materials.

[0145] VI. Multiple Moisture Content Pressing Experiments

[0146] The peppermint was first dried with moisture contents of 6, 13, 15, 22, 30, and 45%. Then it was cut into pieces with a fragmentation rate of less than 10%. After that, it was pressed into shape with the pressing parameters of experimental group 1 and then dried a second time. The moisture content after drying was controlled at about 5%. The morphology and other indicators of the pressed herb cakes were tested. The specific results are shown in Table 6.

[0147] Table 6. Pressing experiments at different moisture contents

[0148]

[0149] Firstly, it can be seen that although the medicine cake with a first drying moisture content of about 6% has a good shelf life, its low moisture content leads to a certain amount of breakage during the pressing process and the drop test after molding. Moreover, some samples broke directly into multiple pieces during the drop test. However, since the larger pieces were recorded as the remaining main body for calculation, the total amount of debris did not reflect the actual situation.

[0150] Then, the product with a moisture content of 13% will also have a certain amount of breakage compared to the product with a moisture content of 15%, but due to the increase in its moisture content, the breakage is significantly better than that of the sample with a moisture content of 6%, and it meets the factory standards.

[0151] Products with 15% and 22% moisture content met all factory specifications, fulfilling the expected goals of the optimized process in this embodiment. Due to the controlled moisture content and two drying processes, a relatively stable cake shape was formed, maintaining its original green color or the appearance of the raw medicinal material. Furthermore, the product maintained good stability after the second drying, and the cake reached the target moisture content more quickly during the second drying process as moisture dissipated more easily. The product with 30% moisture content had a slightly higher production cost compared to the previous two experimental control groups.

[0152] The sample with a 45% moisture content exhibited significant juice leakage during the pressing process, necessitating cleaning of the pressing mold within a certain pressing cycle, and resulting in the loss of active ingredients. Furthermore, due to its low stability after pressing, some samples showed signs of falling off during production and transportation. Some samples in the actual sample group collapsed or were missing, all due to the high moisture content preventing the formation of good bonding stability between the medicinal materials. Only when the moisture content is controlled to a certain level does the stability of the medicinal cake reach its optimal level.

[0153] It is also worth noting that although the second drying process reduced the moisture content of the samples to about 5%, the difference in moisture content during the pressing process after the first drying resulted in multiple sets of test results showing that the samples with a moisture content of 45% exceeded the standards for both mold and total bacterial count during the 90-day accelerated shelf life.

[0154] The volatile oil and menthol content of peppermint were determined. The results showed that when the moisture content of the medicinal material was 30% and 45%, the volatile oil and menthol content of peppermint were at a low level. The content of the medicinal material with a moisture content of 6% was slightly higher than that of the above-mentioned medicinal cake. In the peppermint pressed medicinal cake with a moisture content of 13-22%, the retention rate of volatile oil and menthol was higher.

[0155] VII. Comparison between fresh and rehydrated medicinal herbs

[0156] Fresh and rehydrated medicinal materials were treated under the same conditions, and the breakage rates of Isatis tinctoria leaves, Plantago asiatica, etc., were compared. The results are shown in Table 7. The results show that under this process, the breakage rates of fresh and rehydrated medicinal materials are not significantly different under the same conditions, proving that this process has a very good pressing effect on medicinal materials treated in both ways.

[0157] Table 7 Comparison of breakage rates between fresh and rehydrated medicinal materials

[0158]

[0159] VIII. Stability Test

[0160] Fresh herbs including peppermint, artemisia capillaris, safflower, and artemisia capillaris were dried using traditional drying methods at 2400 kgf / cm². 2 After pressing under pressure for 30 seconds to obtain the medicinal cake, a second freeze-drying method was used to control the moisture content of the medicinal cake at 3-8%. The obtained medicinal cake was subjected to a six-month stability test, and its composition was determined at 0, 1, 2, 3 and 6 months. The results are shown in Tables 8-11.

[0161] Table 8. Determination of components for peppermint stability experiment.

[0162]

[0163] Table 9. Determination of the experimental components for the stability of Artemisia capillaris.

[0164]

[0165] Table 10 Determination of Stability Components in Safflower Experiment

[0166]

[0167] Table 11 Determination of the stability components of Houttuynia cordata.

[0168]

[0169]

[0170] The results above show that the pressed medicinal materials can maintain a certain level of active ingredients even after six months. In pressed peppermint, the retention rate of volatile oil was 91.67%, the moisture content was 31.12%, and the retention rates of menthol and menthol were 89.45% and 91.51%, respectively. The breakage rate of the pressed peppermint slices was only 15% over six months, proving that this invention can effectively preserve the active ingredients of peppermint. Tests were also conducted on Artemisia capillaris, safflower, and Houttuynia cordata, and the results were similar to those of pressed peppermint slices, which further demonstrates that this invention can effectively preserve the active ingredients of medicinal materials and maintain their freshness.

[0171] This invention is not limited to the optional embodiments described above, and anyone can derive other various forms of products based on the inspiration of this invention. The specific embodiments described above should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention; the scope of protection of this invention should be determined by the claims, and the specification can be used to interpret the claims.

Claims

1. A process for processing fresh-cut medicinal herbs, used to process freshly harvested medicinal materials containing flowers, leaves, and whole herbs to obtain medicinal cakes, characterized in that: First, after the raw materials are washed and selected, they are dried in the drying workshop by air drying until the moisture content drops to 15%-19%. Then they are cut, and the fragmentation rate of the cut product is controlled within 10%. The cut product is transferred to a pressing mold for pressing, and the pressed product is transferred to a low-temperature drying workshop for low-temperature drying. The moisture content of the dried medicine cake is controlled within the range of 3-8%. During the pressing process, the medicinal materials are filled into the pressing mold at a pressure of 2400-4800 kgf / cm³. 2 Press the Chinese medicinal herbs or herbal pieces under pressure for 30-60 seconds; the first drying process is sun-drying or low-temperature drying; the second drying process is low-temperature drying.

2. The fresh-cutting process for traditional Chinese medicine slices according to claim 1, characterized in that: The medicinal materials containing flowers, leaves, and whole herbs include cloves, honeysuckle, kapok flowers, roses, saffron, mimosa flowers, safflower, roses, honeysuckle, rhododendron flowers, trumpet creeper flowers, chrysanthemums, plum blossoms, wild chrysanthemums, inula flowers, sophora flowers, ginseng leaves, large-leaved purple beautyberry, indigo leaves, mountain fragrant round leaves, hawthorn leaves, hibiscus leaves, mugwort leaves, pyrrosia leaves, buzha leaves, dragon tongue leaves, evergreen, eucommia leaves, vitex leaves, apocynum leaves, aconite leaves, lotus leaves, mulberry leaves, epimedium, light bamboo leaves, perilla leaves, purple beautyberry leaves, senna leaves, rhododendron, indigo leaves, solidarium, goldenrod, lysimachia, plantain, lobelia, scutellaria barbata, golden gentian, lysimachia, artemisia capillaris, houttuynia cordata, eupatorium, centella asiatica, motherwort, deer antler grass, and mint.

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