Method for efficiently preparing water-dispersible phytosterol particles

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method for efficiently preparing water-dispersible phytosterol particles, and belongs to the field of food technology. The present invention controls the moisture and volatile content in the raw material phytosterol to increase the proportion of products with the required particle size in the phytosterol particles, and can also inhibit the adhesion between the phytosterol particles, and unexpectedly improve the water dispersibility, taste when eaten, and anti-splashing property of the final phytosterol particles. The operation method of the present invention is simple, broadens the application scenarios of phytosterol, and can obtain a phytosterol microcapsule powder product with good dispersibility, fluidity, taste, and use experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of food technology, and specifically relates to the field of preparing plant sterol granular products. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for efficiently preparing naturally extracted nutrient plant sterol granules (microcapsules or powders, etc.) with good water dispersibility. Background Art

[0002] Phytosterols, mainly derived from unsaponifiable matter in vegetable oils, are triterpenoid compounds with a structure similar to cholesterol but with multiple physiological activities. Scientific studies have shown that daily consumption of 1 to 2 grams of phytosterols can reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the human body by 10 to 20%. In addition, phytosterols are the best natural substances for the treatment and prevention of coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis; at the same time, phytosterols also have anti-cancer, antioxidant, and immune regulation effects. Phytosterols appear as white or milky white solids at room temperature, are odorless and tasteless, and have a melting point of 130.6 to 141.7°C. Under normal circumstances, phytosterols are difficult to dissolve in oil and even more difficult to dissolve in water, which greatly limits the application of phytosterols in food, beverages, medicine, cosmetics and other fields. Therefore, the water solubility of phytosterols has become the biggest obstacle to its dietary supplementation.

[0003] Phospholipids, a type of lipid containing phosphate groups, are an important component of biological membranes and an important substance for the metabolism and signal transmission of living organisms. Phospholipids are a natural surfactant with excellent emulsification, diffusion and wettability. Adding or spraying them on the surface of active substances can effectively improve the dispersibility and water solubility of the product. In addition, phospholipids also have functions and nutritional properties such as activating cells, regulating blood lipids, lowering cholesterol, improving memory, and delaying aging.

[0004] Products compounded with plant sterols and phospholipids are becoming increasingly common in the market, and they are sold to consumers in the form of health foods or solid beverages. These products are obtained by compounding phospholipid particles with plant sterols in a simple physical mixing method, but they have low plant sterol content, low mixing uniformity, and plant sterol sticking to bags due to the oiliness of phospholipids, which makes consumption extremely inconvenient and causes serious product waste. Therefore, it is extremely important to develop a water-dispersible plant sterol phospholipid microcapsule powder product with high plant sterol content, uniform compounding, excellent water dispersibility, and adaptability to market trends.

[0005] At present, in order to solve the water solubility of insoluble substances, they are usually prepared into microemulsions, nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, etc. and then spray-dried to obtain water-soluble solid products. However, the products prepared by these methods have high costs, low phytosterol content and complicated processes, which are difficult to meet life needs. Water-dispersible products are prepared by a technology that evenly disperses a mixture of wall materials, emulsifiers, stabilizers, and active substances in water. They can meet the needs of high active substance ratio, low cost, easy production, and convenient consumption.

[0006] Reference 1 discloses a method for preparing highly dispersible plant sterol ester microcapsules, the method mainly includes preparing an aqueous coating solution and an oil phase active substance, forming an embedding system by homogenization, microfluidization and other processes under a high pressure environment, and then preparing dispersible plant sterol ester microcapsules by spray drying. Although this process can obtain plant sterol ester microcapsules with high water dispersibility, it has a complex process, high equipment cost, high frequency of use of high temperature and high pressure equipment, high energy consumption, and the active ingredient content in the obtained final product is less than 40%. Similarly, Reference 2 discloses a particle using soybean lecithin to coat the kernel of a mixture of plant sterols, dietary fiber, and fruit and vegetable portions, but the content of plant sterols does not exceed 24% by mass.

[0007] Reference 3 discloses a method for preparing a water-dispersible plant sterol mixture powder, which mainly comprises heating and mixing a carbohydrate stabilizer and plant sterols, spraying a polysorbate emulsifier on the surface of the mixture through a jet mill by crushing and spraying technology, and then preparing the mixture through fluidized bed drying, crushing, screening and other processes. The advantage of this method is that the product has a high active matter content of more than 90%, but the process only uses physical mixing to mix the carbohydrate stabilizer and plant sterols evenly, and it is difficult to have high dispersion performance, and the entire process is repeatedly crushed, which adds many unnecessary processes.

[0008] At present, most of the key process parameters in the preparation of water-dispersible products have been simulated and applied, and the technology is becoming increasingly mature, but the screening and control of raw materials have never been taken seriously, which will have unpredictable effects on the quality, yield and effect of the final product.

[0009] References:

[0010] Reference 1: CN105124604A

[0011] Reference 2: CN104171799A

[0012] Reference 3: CN110236196A Summary of the invention

[0013] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0014] Due to the insolubility of phytosterols in water and low fat solubility, it is inconvenient to eat and use them, which makes them easily restricted in consumption. In view of the problems existing in the above prior art, the present invention first provides a method for preparing water-dispersible phytosterol particles. The method of the present invention has the advantages of low equipment requirements and improved production efficiency. At the same time, through the manufacturing method provided by the present invention, it is intended to obtain a phytosterol product with high phytosterol content, good dispersibility and better taste.

[0015] More specifically, the present invention controls the content of volatile matter in the phytosterol raw material, thereby increasing the proportion of products with a required particle size in the final product of phytosterol particles. In addition, the coating material is adjusted to inhibit the adhesion between the phytosterol particles, and unexpectedly improves the water dispersibility, taste when eaten and powder anti-splashing property of the final phytosterol particles.

[0016] Solutions for solving problems

[0017] Through long-term research, the inventors found that the above technical problems can be solved by implementing the following technical solutions:

[0018] [1] The present invention first provides a method for preparing phytosterol granules, wherein the method comprises:

[0019] A coating step to at least partially cover the surface of the particles derived from the phytosterol raw material with a coating material, wherein:

[0020] The volatile content of the phytosterol raw material is 2.0% by mass or less,

[0021] The coating material includes a thickener and an emulsifier, and the emulsifier includes at least a phospholipid emulsifier.

[0022] [2] The method according to [1], wherein the coating material is a coating dispersion obtained by mixing the thickener and the emulsifier in water; and the solid content of the coating material is 40% by mass or less.

[0023] [3] The method according to [1] or [2], wherein the content of phytosterols is 20 to 90% by mass, and the content of the thickener and emulsifier is 5 to 80% by mass, based on the total mass of the phytosterol granules.

[0024] [4] The method according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the content of phytosterols in the phytosterol raw material is 95% by mass or more.

[0025] [5] The method according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the thickener is selected from one or more of animal or plant protein colloids, polysaccharides, polymer thickeners, and their respective derivatives; the phospholipid emulsifier is selected from one or more of soybean lecithin, rapeseed oil lecithin, and their derivatives; preferably, the phospholipid emulsifier can be in the form of oil or powder.

[0026] [6] The method according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the coating step is carried out in a fluidized bed drying granulator, and the raw material derived from phytosterols is in a circulating flow state.

[0027] [7] The method according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein in the coating step, the air inlet temperature of the fluidized bed drying granulator is 50 to 80°C and the air inlet pressure is 0.1 to 0.5 MPa.

[0028] [8] The method according to [7] further includes a step of classifying the particle size of the particles obtained in the coating step.

[0029] [9]. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a capsule or powder obtained by the method according to any one of [1] to [8].

[0030]

[10] . In addition, the present invention also provides a product, which is an edible product, a skin external product or a feed product, wherein the product comprises the capsule or powder according to [9], or is prepared from the capsule or powder.

[0031] Effects of the Invention

[0032] Through the implementation of the above technical solution, compared with the existing dispersed phytosterol preparation process technology, the present invention can achieve the following technical effects:

[0033] (1) The present invention controls the content of volatile matter in the phytosterol raw material so that when preparing the granules with the coating material layer, the granules with a suitable particle size (which is conducive to improving water dispersibility) can be obtained more efficiently;

[0034] (2) Plant sterol particles (microcapsules or powders) with good dispersibility can be prepared without converting plant sterols into lipophilic plant sterol esters;

[0035] (3) The final product prepared can have the effects of high phytosterol content, uniform coating, good fluidity, good taste and excellent dispersibility;

[0036] (4) Packaged in easy-tear bags (3-4 g / bag), the powder flying and overflow performance is greatly improved when the bag is opened. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Figure 1 : A flow chart for preparing water-dispersible phytosterol granules in a specific embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The following is a detailed description of the present invention. The following description of the technical features is based on representative embodiments and specific examples of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and specific examples. It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined:

[0039] In this specification, the numerical range expressed using "a numerical value A to a numerical value B" means a range including the endpoints A and B.

[0040] In the present specification, a numerical range expressed using "above" or "below" means a numerical range including the number.

[0041] In this specification, the word "may" means both performing a certain process and not performing a certain process.

[0042] In this specification, the use of "optional" or "optional" indicates that certain substances, components, execution steps, application conditions and other factors are used or not used and there is no limitation on the use method.

[0043] In this specification, the unit names used are all international standard unit names, and unless otherwise stated, the "%" used indicates weight or mass percentage.

[0044] In this specification, the use of “substantially” or “essentially” means that the standard deviation from the theoretical model or theoretical data is within 3%, preferably 2%, and more preferably 1%, and the deviation here also includes systematic deviation.

[0045] In this specification, "room temperature" or "normal temperature" is used to indicate a temperature of 23±2°C.

[0046] In this specification, the references to "some specific / preferred embodiments", "other specific / preferred embodiments", "embodiments", etc., mean that the specific elements (e.g., features, structures, properties and / or characteristics) described in connection with the embodiments are included in at least one embodiment described herein, and may or may not exist in other embodiments. In addition, it should be understood that the elements may be combined in various embodiments in any suitable manner.

[0047] The present invention mainly provides a method for efficiently preparing plant sterol granules with excellent water dispersibility, improved taste and excellent packaging applicability. The present invention is mainly based on the following insights:

[0048] The present invention finds that by adjusting the content of volatile matter in the phytosterol raw material, a high proportion of phytosterol particles with a more suitable water-dispersible particle size can be obtained more efficiently and conveniently when preparing phytosterol particles with a coating layer. In addition, the water dispersibility, fluidity and taste of the phytosterol particles finally obtained can be further improved by selecting a specific composition of the coating material. In addition, the phytosterol particles powder obtained by the preparation method of the present invention can also avoid the common phenomenon of powder splashing when used after packaging.

[0049] <First aspect>

[0050] In the first aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for improving the water dispersibility, fluidity and mouthfeel of phytosterols with a coating layer by adjusting the volatile matter content in the phytosterol raw material and the composition of the coating layer. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, phytosterol capsule powder with a coating layer can be obtained conveniently and efficiently.

[0051] Plant sterol raw materials

[0052] The particles in the phytosterol granules of the present invention are formed of a core derived from a phytosterol raw material and a coating layer formed of a coating material.

[0053] The phytosterol raw material described in the present invention includes phytosterol as a main component and optionally other components.

[0054] The phytosterols of the present invention can be selected from one or more of the three types of sterols: 4-methylsterol, 4-methylsterol and 4,4'-dimethylsterol. In addition, the phytosterols of the present invention also include (partial) hydrogenation products or (fatty acid) esters of the above three types of sterols.

[0055] There is no particular limitation on the source of the phytosterols of the present invention. For example, the phytosterols may be derived from various vegetable oils, nuts, plant seeds, vegetables and / or fruits.

[0056] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the phytosterols are derived from one or more of soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, rice bran oil, sesame oil, safflower oil, and wheat germ oil; more preferably, the phytosterols are plant extracts obtained by deodorizing and distilling one or more vegetable oils selected from soybean oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, rice bran oil, sesame oil, safflower oil, and wheat germ oil.

[0057] In addition, the specific phytosterols include: the phytosterols are selected from a mixture of one or more of stigmasterol, rapeseed sterol, campesterol, β-sitosterol, avenasterol and ergosterol. In particular, the phytosterols produced from the above vegetable oils can be a phytosterol mixture consisting of about 40 to 58 weight % of β-sitosterol, 20 to 30 weight % of campesterol and 14 to 22 weight % of stigmasterol.

[0058] Regarding the form of the above-mentioned phytosterols, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the phytosterols can be used in the form of free sterols (non-sterol fatty acid esters). In addition, the phytosterols of the present invention can have a certain degree of crystallinity. In some specific embodiments, the degree of crystallinity measured by X-ray diffraction can be 10 to 70%, preferably 20 to 50%.

[0059] In some specific embodiments of the present invention, from the perspective of ease of use, the pass rate of phytosterols through a 20-mesh sieve may be above 95%, preferably above 96%, for example 97%.

[0060] Furthermore, the phytosterol raw material of the present invention, in addition to the above-mentioned phytosterols, may also include the following other optional ingredients without affecting the technical effects of the present invention.

[0061] In some specific embodiments of the present invention, the other ingredients may include any functional ingredients, auxiliary ingredients, etc.

[0062] The functional ingredients that can be used are not particularly limited, depending on the field of use of the final product.

[0063] In some specific embodiments, these functional ingredients include: medicinal active ingredients, such as anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, antihypertensive / lipid-lowering drugs, etc.; non-medicinal active or nutritional supplement ingredients, such as antioxidant ingredients, moisturizing ingredients (biological moisturizing ingredients or polyols), anti-aging ingredients, cell repair ingredients, cell nutrition ingredients, whitening promoting ingredients, anti-allergic ingredients, vitamin ingredients, vegetable oils, trace element supplement ingredients (organic acid metal salts), anti-ultraviolet or ultraviolet absorbing ingredients, active enzymes, etc. One or more.

[0064] As the auxiliary ingredients that can be used, there can be listed colorants, bleaching agents, pH adjusters, chelating agents, color protectants, plasticizers (sugar alcohols), preservatives, sweeteners, surfactants, solvents, silicone oils and the like.

[0065] Furthermore, the above-mentioned “other components” are preferably oil-soluble components from the viewpoint of good dispersion or compatibility with phytosterol.

[0066] For the phytosterol raw material of the present invention, in some preferred embodiments, the content of the phytosterols can be 90% by mass or more, and can further be 95% by mass or more, for example, 96% by mass or more, or 97% by mass or more, etc., based on the total mass of the phytosterol raw material.

[0067] Furthermore, for the phytosterol raw material of the present invention, from the perspective of efficiently and conveniently obtaining final particles of suitable particle size, the content of volatile matter in the phytosterol raw material is less than 2.0 mass%, preferably less than 1.5 mass%, and more preferably less than 1.4 mass%.

[0068] The "volatile matter" mentioned in the present invention may be water or some organic solvents contained in the phytosterol raw material. If the content of these components is too high, it may be difficult to obtain a high proportion of final particles with a suitable particle size when the phytosterol raw material is formed into particles and coated with the coating material described below. The "volatile matter" of the present invention can be obtained by testing using the following method:

[0069] Place the sample in a clean weighing box, place it in a drying oven at 101℃~105℃ for 1~2 hours, then take it out and cool it in a desiccator for 0.5~1 hour. After cooling, weigh the sample again. The difference between the two weighings is the loss, which is also the mass of the "volatile matter".

[0070] Coating materials

[0071] The particles in the phytosterol granules of the present invention have a coating layer, and the coating layer can be formed by a coating material.

[0072] Specifically, the coating material includes a thickener and an emulsifier, and the emulsifier includes at least a phospholipid emulsifier.

[0073] The thickener of the present invention can be one or more selected from animal or plant colloids, polysaccharides, polymer thickeners, their respective derivatives, etc. Preferably, such a thickener can be one kind of aqueous thickeners or a mixture of multiple kinds thereof.

[0074] For animal or plant (protein) colloids, they can usually be animal or plant proteins, colloids, etc., and can also include animal gelatin, casein or their modified products, etc.; for polysaccharide substances, they can usually be starch, dextrin, alginic acid (salt), xanthan gum, carrageenan, gum arabic, cellulose thickeners or their modified products; for polymer thickeners, they can usually be polyols, polylactic acid, polyacrylic acid (ester), etc.

[0075] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the thickener may be a mixture of one or more of gum arabic, sodium starch octenyl succinate, modified dextrin, and sodium caseinate.

[0076] In addition, from the perspective of stabilizing the particles derived from the plant sterol raw material to form plant sterol particles with a suitable particle size, gum arabic is preferably used as the thickener, and in some more preferred embodiments, the content of gum arabic in the thickener is 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, and further preferably 95% by mass or more.

[0077] Furthermore, the emulsifier in the coating material of the present invention necessarily includes a phospholipid surfactant. It has been found that the use of a phospholipid surfactant can not only well and evenly coat the particles formed from the phytosterol raw material in the coating step described below, but also effectively avoid adhesion between the coated particles.

[0078] The type of phospholipids of the present invention is not particularly limited, and can be selected from, for example, soybean lecithin, rapeseed oil lecithin, etc. Further, the phospholipids can be in the form of oily lecithin (concentrated lecithin) or powdered lecithin; more preferably, the phospholipids are powdered lecithin.

[0079] As the emulsifier of the present invention, in addition to the above-mentioned phospholipid surfactants, other emulsifiers may also be used.

[0080] In the present invention, these other emulsifiers can be selected from any emulsifier specified in GB2760, including synthetic or natural emulsifiers, specifically, including one or more of nonionic surfactants, anionic surfactants or other amphoteric surfactants different from phospholipids.

[0081] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the nonionic surfactant may be selected from (poly)polyol fatty acid ester surfactants, such as polyol glycerides, polysorbates (Tweens), sorbitan fatty acid esters (Spans), sorbitan fatty acid esters, monoglycerides, sucrose fatty acid esters, and the like.

[0082] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the above-mentioned anionic surfactant can be selected from one or more of fatty acid salts, fatty acid lactates, alkyl sulfonates, alkyl sulfates and the like.

[0083] As for the other amphoteric surfactants mentioned above, in some preferred embodiments of the present invention, they may be amino acid type amphoteric surfactants, betaine type amphoteric surfactants or amphoteric polyacrylamide type surfactants.

[0084] Furthermore, in some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the amount of the phospholipid surfactant used, based on the total mass of the emulsifier, can be 80% by mass or more, preferably 85% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, and further preferably 95% by mass or more.

[0085] Regarding the use of a specific surfactant in the emulsifier of the present invention, the present invention believes that, through the use of this surfactant, since the coating material to be described below can have good dispersion uniformity, a better coating property of the coating layer can be provided when preparing the phytosterol particulates. Furthermore, it can not only help to improve the dispersion characteristics of the phytosterol particulates of the present invention, but also help to improve the taste of the final dispersed product.

[0086] Formation of coating dispersion

[0087] In the present invention, the coating material is mixed with water and then dispersed in water to form a coating dispersion.

[0088] The water is water that can be used for food, and preferably can be selected from deionized water, distilled water, purified water and / or ultrapure water. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, from the perspective of good dispersion of the coating dispersion, the above mixing is carried out at a water temperature of 50 to 60°C.

[0089] From the perspective of convenience in the subsequent coating step, the coating dispersion can have a solid content of less than 40 mass%, and the preferred solid content can be 1-40 mass%, 5-30 mass% and 10-25 mass%, etc. If the solid content is too high, it may cause disadvantages in the subsequent operation of coating the outer layer. If the solid content is too low, it may also lead to a decrease in production efficiency.

[0090] Wrapping steps

[0091] In the present invention, the preparation of the phytosterol granules mainly includes the step of coating the above-mentioned coating dispersion on the surface of the particles derived from the phytosterol raw material.

[0092] In principle, there is no particular limitation on such steps as long as they can achieve the same function. For example, in some specific embodiments, the coating dispersion can be sprayed to spray and cover the surface of the particles formed by the phytosterol raw material.

[0093] It has been further found that the desired phytosterol granules of the present invention can be obtained more advantageously by using a boiling granulator to carry out the above-mentioned coating step.

[0094] Specifically, the phytosterol raw material is placed in a boiling drying granulator to keep it in a "boiling" state. The "boiling" state refers to the phytosterol raw material being in a circulating flow state under the action of hot air in the feed cart of the boiling drying granulator. By controlling and adjusting the "boiling" state, the size of the particles can be controlled and the adhesion between the particles covered with the coating material (coating layer) can be prevented.

[0095] Furthermore, the "boiling" state is achieved by adjusting the air inlet temperature and air inlet pressure of the boiling drying granulator. The air inlet temperature must meet the requirement of quickly drying the water in the mist coating dispersion to prevent the phytosterol powder from sticking and affecting the final product.

[0096] In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the inlet air temperature can be 50-80°C, and the inlet air pressure is 0.1-0.5MPa; preferably, the inlet air temperature is 60-75°C, and the inlet air pressure is 0.1-0.3MPa; more preferably, the inlet air temperature is 65-70°C, and the inlet air pressure is 0.1-0.2MPa.

[0097] The coating dispersion can be delivered to the surface of the particles derived from the phytosterol raw material generated in the boiling granulator by a peristaltic pump to complete the surface coating of the phytosterol particles. In some specific embodiments, the surface of the particles of the phytosterol raw material that are "boiling" can be wrapped in a mist form by adjusting the feed rate of the peristaltic pump and the atomization pressure of the boiling drying granulator, so that the surface of the particles is evenly covered with a film-like coating layer. In some specific embodiments of the present invention, the feed rate of the peristaltic pump is adjusted to 1-10 ml / min, and the atomization pressure of the boiling drying granulator is 0.2-0.7 MPa; more preferably, the feed rate of the peristaltic pump is adjusted to 1-2 ml / min, and the atomization pressure of the boiling drying granulator is 0.5-0.6 MPa.

[0098] Furthermore, the crude product of the phytosterol granules with the coating layer can be subjected to particle size classification, and large granules with poor dispersibility can be filtered out to obtain phytosterol granules that meet the requirements.

[0099] There is no particular limitation on the method for particle size classification. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the particle size classification can be obtained by sieving the above-mentioned crude product. The sieving is to pass the coated phytosterol granules through an 80-mesh sieve and take the sieve-down. In addition, in some specific embodiments of the present invention, for the crude product of the phytosterol granules, the content of particles with a particle size less than 80 mesh can be 50% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or more, more preferably 70% by mass or more, and more preferably 80% by mass or more.

[0100] More specifically, in some typical embodiments of the present invention, the method for preparing the water-dispersible phytosterol granules of the present invention comprises:

[0101] (1) Preparation of coating dispersion: Add a thickener and an emulsifier including a phospholipid surfactant into water and stir evenly to obtain a coating solution, wherein the temperature of the water is 50 to 60° C.;

[0102] (2) placing the phytosterol raw material in a fluidized bed drying granulator, and adjusting the air inlet speed and air inlet pressure to make it in a circulating flow state;

[0103] (3) The coating dispersion obtained in step (1) is coated onto the surface of particles formed by the phytosterol raw material in the form of atomization by a peristaltic pump, and the phytosterol particles are obtained after sieving through 80 mesh.

[0104] Phytosterol Granules

[0105] The phytosterol granules of the present invention are aggregates of phytosterol particles. In some specific embodiments, these aggregates may exist in a visually powdery state.

[0106] For the phytosterol granules of the present invention, the particles therein have at least a partial or complete core-shell structure. Specifically, the particles in the granules of the present invention include: an inner core formed by the above-mentioned phytosterol raw material, and a coating layer formed by the above-mentioned coating material. The coating layer covers at least a portion of the surface of the inner core, or the coating layer completely covers the surface of the inner core (microcapsule).

[0107] Furthermore, the particles in the granules of the present invention may have a uniform or random gradient particle size distribution. For such particles, the particle size is below 80 mesh. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the average particle size of the particles in the granules of the present invention may be 80 to 170 μm, preferably 85 to 150 μm, and more preferably 90 to 120 μm.

[0108] In addition, in the present invention, the phytosterol granules having a coating layer finally obtained by the above-mentioned preparation method may have the following composition (by dry weight):

[0109] The phytosterol content is 20 to 90% by mass, preferably 40 to 85% by mass, and more preferably 50 to 85% by mass;

[0110] The coating layer content is 5 to 80% by mass, preferably 10 to 50% by mass, and more preferably 15 to 40% by mass.

[0111] <Second Aspect>

[0112] In the second aspect of the present invention, a product and application method of the phytosterol granules of the present invention are provided.

[0113] The phytosterol granules of the present invention have good water dispersibility and improved taste, and therefore can be widely used in various types of products. For example, the phytosterol granules provided by the present invention can be used to prepare food products, skin topical products or feed products.

[0114] It can be a food product, a skin topical product or a feed product, and can be obtained by mixing the phytosterol particles of the present invention with any necessary other ingredients. In some preferred embodiments, the phytosterol particles in the above-mentioned products can still retain the original characteristics, or such a product is essentially formed only by the phytosterol particles of the present invention.

[0115] As a food product, it can be a powdered product that can be mixed or added to an aqueous system. In some specific embodiments, the powder of the present invention can be mixed with water, rice porridge, milk, juice or soy milk and then eaten. The mixing temperature can be 25 to 100° C., preferably 50 to 70° C. 1 to 60 g of the phytosterol granules of the present invention are added to each liter of water, rice porridge, milk, juice or soy milk.

[0116] In addition, the food product of the present invention may also be a product obtained by dispersing the phytosterol particulates in water-containing food, such as a beverage containing the phytosterol particulates.

[0117] Furthermore, the food product of the present invention also includes a food obtained by further processing the phytosterol granules of the present invention, for example, by adding the phytosterol granules to another food matrix using the aqueous dispersion system of the phytosterol granules of the present invention, and further processing the food matrix to obtain a final food.

[0118] In addition, as a food product of the present invention, it can be a health product or a food.

[0119] As a skin external product, it can be an emulsion-like or cream-like skin external agent, which is an aqueous system in which the phytosterol particles of the present invention are dispersed, and other necessary components are dispersed or dissolved.

[0120] The feed product of the present invention may be a feed comprising the phytosterol granules of the present invention or its aqueous system, or may be a feed obtained by further processing the phytosterol granules of the present invention and other necessary ingredients.

[0121] Example

[0122] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with specific examples. It should be understood that these examples are only intended to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The experimental methods for the unrecorded specific conditions in the following examples are usually measured according to national standards. If there is no corresponding national standard, then according to general international standards, normal conditions, or according to the conditions recommended by the manufacturer, proceed. Unless otherwise stated, all parts are by weight, and all percentages are by weight percentages.

[0123] Unless otherwise defined or indicated, all professional and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those familiar to those skilled in the art. In addition, any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be applied to the method of the present invention.

[0124] Source of raw materials:

[0125] Gum Arabic: purchased from Ingredion Food Ingredients Co., Ltd.

[0126] Sodium stearoyl lactylate: purchased from Henan Honest Food Co., Ltd.;

[0127] Lecithin concentrate: provided by Bunge;

[0128] Plant sterol raw materials: provided by Wilmar Biotech (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd.;

[0129] Powdered lecithin: purchased from Anqing Zhongchuang Engineering Technology Co., Ltd.

[0130] Determination of moisture and volatile content in raw material phytosterols:

[0131] Take a clean aluminum weighing box, place it in a drying oven at 101℃~105℃, heat for 1h, cool it in a dryer for 0.5h, weigh it, and repeat the drying until the mass before and after does not exceed 2mg twice, which is constant weight. Take 5g of phytosterol powder, accurate to 0.0001g, put it in a weighing box, dry it in an oven for 1h, take it out and cool it in a dryer for 0.5h, weigh it and repeat until the mass before and after does not exceed 2mg twice, and the loss is the "volatile matter".

[0132] Example 1

[0133] Take a 500ml glass sample bottle, add 240g of deionized water, and heat it in a 50℃ water bath. Weigh and add 50.0g, 8.15g, and 1.85g of gum arabic, sodium stearoyl lactylate, and concentrated lecithin in sequence, stir until uniform and dispersed, and the coating solution is obtained. Weigh 310g of plant sterol raw materials with different moisture contents, place them in a boiling drying granulator, set the inlet air temperature to 70℃, adjust the inlet air pressure to 0.15MPa after reaching the set value, adjust the three-way valve, and keep the plant sterols in the fluidized bed for "boiling" movement. Pass the above coating solution through the pipeline and adjust the flow rate of the peristaltic pump to 1.5ml / min, adjust the atomization pressure to 0.53MPa, and start preparation. After the preparation is completed, take out the material and sieve it through an 80-mesh sieve. The sieve-down is a qualified product. The experimental results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0134] Table 1. Effects of different moisture and volatile content on the preparation of phytosterol microcapsule powder

[0135]

[0136] Example 2

[0137] Take a 500ml glass sample bottle, add 260g of deionized water, and heat it in a 55℃ water bath. Weigh and add 12g and 18g of gum arabic and powdered lecithin respectively, stir until uniform and dispersed, which is the coating solution. Weigh 150g of phytosterol raw material, place it in a boiling drying granulator, set the inlet air temperature to 65℃, adjust the inlet air pressure to 0.15MPa after reaching the set value, adjust the three-way valve, and keep the phytosterol in the fluidized bed for "boiling" movement. Pass the above coating solution through the pipeline and adjust the flow rate of the peristaltic pump to 1.5ml / min, adjust the atomization pressure to 0.55MPa, and start preparation. After completion, the screening results and performance evaluation are shown in Table 2 below.

[0138] Example 3

[0139] Take a 500ml glass sample bottle, add 200g of deionized water, and heat it in a 55℃ water bath. Weigh and add 18g and 30g of gum arabic and powdered lecithin respectively, stir until uniform and dispersed, which is the coating solution. Weigh 150g of phytosterol raw material, place it in a boiling drying granulator, set the inlet air temperature to 65℃, adjust the inlet air pressure to 0.13MPa after reaching the set value, adjust the three-way valve, and keep the phytosterol in the fluidized bed for "boiling" movement. Pass the above coating solution through the pipeline and adjust the flow rate of the peristaltic pump to 1.8ml / min, adjust the atomization pressure to 0.6MPa, start preparation, and the screening results and performance evaluation after completion are shown in Table 2 below.

[0140] Example 4

[0141] Take a 500ml glass sample bottle, add 250g of deionized water, and heat it in a 55℃ water bath. Weigh and add 20g and 60g of gum arabic and powdered lecithin respectively, stir until uniform and dispersed, which is the coating solution. Weigh 120g of phytosterol raw material, place it in a boiling drying granulator, set the inlet air temperature to 65℃, adjust the inlet air pressure to 0.18MPa after reaching the set value, adjust the three-way valve, and keep the phytosterol in the fluidized bed for "boiling" movement. Pass the above coating solution through the pipeline and adjust the flow rate of the peristaltic pump to 1.3ml / min, adjust the atomization pressure to 0.65MPa, start preparation, and the screening results and performance evaluation after completion are shown in Table 2 below.

[0142] Example 5

[0143] Take a 500ml glass sample bottle, add 200g of deionized water, and heat it in a 55℃ water bath. Weigh and add 17g and 50g of gum arabic and powdered lecithin respectively, stir until uniform and dispersed, which is the coating solution. Weigh 133g of phytosterol raw material, place it in a boiling drying granulator, set the inlet air temperature to 65℃, adjust the inlet air pressure to 0.12MPa after reaching the set value, adjust the three-way valve, and keep the phytosterol in the fluidized bed for "boiling" movement. Pass the above coating solution through the pipeline and adjust the flow rate of the peristaltic pump to 1.7ml / min, adjust the atomization pressure to 0.55MPa, start preparation, and the screening results and performance evaluation after completion are shown in Table 2 below.

[0144] Table 2. Experimental screening and performance evaluation of Examples 1 to 5

[0145]

[0146] (Water dispersibility: Ⅰ means no dispersibility or poor dispersibility, floating on the surface when added to warm water; Ⅱ means general dispersibility, it can be dispersed briefly in warm water and then precipitated (generally precipitation will occur within 5 minutes); Ⅲ means good dispersibility, it can be evenly dispersed in warm water (can last for more than 30 minutes). Taste: * means there is a strong sense of particles after drinking; ** means the particles can be clearly felt after drinking; *** means there is basically no feeling after drinking. Dust flying: As + gradually decreases, the overflow of powder from the bag is weakened.)

[0147] Based on the results of the above embodiments, it can be seen that the volatile matter content in the phytosterol raw material tends to be negatively correlated with the proportion of the final product under the 80-mesh sieve. When the volatile matter content is higher than 2% by mass, it may even lead to a too low proportion of products with qualified particle size (less than 50% by mass).

[0148] Comparative Example 1

[0149] Take a 500ml glass sample bottle, add 260g of deionized water, and heat it in a 50℃ water bath. Weigh and add 54g, 9g, and 2g of gum arabic, sucrose fatty acid ester, and glyceryl monostearate in sequence, stir until uniform and dispersed, which is the coating solution. Weigh 335g of phytosterol raw material, place it in a boiling drying granulator, set the inlet air temperature to 70℃, adjust the inlet air pressure to 0.10MPa after reaching the set value, adjust the three-way valve, and keep the phytosterol in the fluidized bed for "boiling" movement. Pass the above coating solution through the pipeline and adjust the flow rate of the peristaltic pump to 1.8ml / min, adjust the atomization pressure to 0.55MPa, and start preparation. After the end, the screening results and performance evaluation are shown in Table 3 below.

[0150] Comparative Example 2

[0151] Take a 500ml glass sample bottle, add 260g of deionized water, and heat it in a 50℃ water bath. Weigh and add 57g, 6.5g, and 1.5g of gum arabic, sodium lactate, and Span 20 in turn, stir until uniform and dispersed, and the coating solution is obtained. Weigh 335g of phytosterol raw material, place it in a boiling drying granulator, set the inlet air temperature to 70℃, adjust the inlet air pressure to 0.11MPa after reaching the set value, and adjust the three-way valve to keep the phytosterol in the fluidized bed for "boiling" motion. Pass the above coating solution through the pipeline and adjust the flow rate of the peristaltic pump to 1.8ml / min, adjust the atomization pressure to 0.56MPa, and start preparation. After completion, the screening results and performance evaluation are shown in Table 3 below.

[0152] Comparative Example 3

[0153] Take a 500ml glass sample bottle, add 180g of deionized water, and heat it in a 50℃ water bath. Weigh and add 40.5g, 8g, and 1.5g of gum arabic, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, and Span 80 in sequence, stir until uniform and dispersed, and the coating solution is obtained. Weigh 250g of phytosterol raw material, place it in a boiling drying granulator, set the inlet air temperature to 70℃, adjust the inlet air pressure to 0.11MPa after reaching the set value, adjust the three-way valve, and keep the phytosterol in the fluidized bed for "boiling" motion. Pass the above coating solution through the pipeline and adjust the flow rate of the peristaltic pump to 1.7ml / min, adjust the atomization pressure to 0.55MPa, and start preparation. After completion, the screening results and performance evaluation are shown in Table 3 below.

[0154] Comparative Example 4

[0155] Take a 500ml glass sample bottle, add 180g of deionized water, and heat it in a 50℃ water bath. Weigh and add 50.0g, 8.9g, and 1.5g of gum arabic, sodium stearoyl lactylate, and Span 20 in sequence, stir until uniform and dispersed, and the coating solution is obtained. Weigh 310g of phytosterol raw material, place it in a boiling drying granulator, set the inlet air temperature to 65℃, adjust the inlet air pressure to 0.15MPa after reaching the set value, adjust the three-way valve, and keep the phytosterol in the fluidized bed for "boiling" motion. Pass the above coating solution through the pipeline and adjust the flow rate of the peristaltic pump to 1.7ml / min, adjust the atomization pressure to 0.6MPa, and start preparation. After completion, the screening results and performance evaluation are shown in Table 3 below.

[0156] Table 3. Screening and performance evaluation of comparative examples 1 to 4

[0157]

[0158] (Water dispersibility: Ⅰ means no dispersibility or poor dispersibility, floating on the surface when added to warm water; Ⅱ means general dispersibility, it can be dispersed briefly in warm water and then precipitated (generally precipitation will occur within 5 minutes); Ⅲ means good dispersibility, it can be evenly dispersed in warm water (can last for more than 30 minutes). Taste: * means there is a strong sense of particles after drinking; ** means the particles can be clearly felt after drinking; *** means there is basically no feeling after drinking. Dust flying: As + gradually decreases, the overflow of powder from the bag is weakened.)

[0159] Industrial Applicability

[0160] The method of the present invention can be used to prepare plant sterol granular products industrially.

Claims

1. A method for preparing phytosterol granules, characterized in that: The method comprises: A coating step to at least partially cover the surface of the particles derived from the phytosterol raw material with a coating material, wherein: The volatile content of the phytosterol raw material is 2.0% by mass or less, The coating material includes a thickener and an emulsifier, and the emulsifier includes at least a phospholipid emulsifier; The coating material is a coating dispersion obtained by mixing the thickener and the emulsifier in water; The solid content of the coating material is 5 to 40% by mass; Spraying the coating dispersion to spray and cover the surface of the particles formed by the phytosterol raw material; The coating step is carried out in a fluidized bed drying granulator, and the raw material derived from phytosterol is in a circulating flow state; The content of phytosterols is 50 to 85% by mass based on the total mass of the phytosterol granules.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The solid content of the coating material is 5 to 30% by mass.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The solid content of the coating material is 10 to 25% by mass.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The content of the thickener and the emulsifier is 5 to 50% by mass based on the total mass of the phytosterol granules.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The content of phytosterols in the phytosterol raw material is 95% by mass or more.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The thickener is selected from one or more of animal or plant protein colloids, polysaccharides, polymer thickeners, and their respective derivatives; the phospholipid emulsifier is selected from one or more of soybean lecithin, rapeseed oil lecithin, and their derivatives.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The phospholipid emulsifier is in the form of oil or powder.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that In the coating step, the air inlet temperature of the fluidized bed drying granulator is 50-80° C., and the air inlet pressure is 0.1-0.5 MPa.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method also includes the step of classifying the particle size of the particles obtained in the coating step.

10. Capsules or powders obtained according to the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A product, which is an edible product, a skin external application product or a feed product, characterized in that: The product comprises the capsule or powder according to claim 10, or is prepared from the capsule or powder.

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