A method for postharvest ripening treatment of fresh camellia fruit

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of postharvest ripening treatment methods of fresh fruit of oil tea, by pre-treatment to fresh fruit of oil tea obtains fresh oil tea fruit, then fresh oil tea fruit is put into closed equipment, active gas is filled into closed equipment, then three-stage heating is completed after ripening treatment, finally, the oil tea fruit that completes ripening is mechanically shelled to obtain oil tea seed.The method of the application is used to soak oil tea fruit with treatment liquid before postharvest ripening of oil tea fruit to promote the generation of malonyl coenzyme A in oil tea, and before ripening treatment, active gas is filled and three-stage heating is performed, so that starch and soluble sugar in fresh oil tea fruit are fully converted into oil, so that the oil content of oil tea seed is more than 30%.The oil content of oil tea seed treated by this method is equivalent to that of oil tea seed treated under natural conditions, and the ripening time is shortened, which facilitates factory operation and mechanization, thereby improving production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fresh camellia fruit processing technology, specifically to a method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia fruit. Background Technology

[0002] Camellia oleifera is a high-quality edible oilseed plant unique to China, and is known as one of the world's four major woody edible oilseed plants, along with oil palm, olive, and coconut. The oil extracted from camellia seeds is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, as well as specific physiologically active substances such as tea polyphenols and camelliaside, ranking first among various edible oils. Currently, the cultivated area in China is approximately 45 million mu (about 3.3 million hectares), with an annual output of 1 million tons of camellia seeds and 270,000 tons of camellia seed oil. Reasonable and scientific post-harvest processing techniques are key to ensuring the quality of raw camellia seeds.

[0003] Unlike other oil crops, camellia oleifera fruit continues its physiological and biochemical activities after harvest. Suitable environmental conditions can promote the conversion of soluble sugars, starches, and other organic matter into oil, increasing the oil content of the camellia seeds. Utilizing the post-ripening characteristic of camellia oleifera fruit, the oil content can be increased by artificially controlling and modifying the composting environment. However, the current traditional composting method for camellia oleifera results in long composting times, causing localized temperature increases and difficulty in controlling humidity within the compost pile. This leads to the proliferation of bacteria and fungi during composting, causing mold growth and oil oxidation, ultimately reducing the quality of the final camellia seed oil. Furthermore, the traditional composting process is not conducive to batch management, resulting in low production efficiency.

[0004] CN202010263960.2 discloses a method for storing fresh camellia oleifera fruit. The method involves soaking the fruit in a solution obtained by mixing quicklime water, salt water, and tea seed cake solution, then drying it. The fruit is turned over every 48 hours, and after 94 hours, it is sun-dried or oven-dried using conventional methods to release the seeds. While this method solves the problem of extending the storage time of camellia oleifera fruit, the method requires a large space for composting in baskets, and the manual turning during the composting process results in low production efficiency and is not conducive to large-scale production.

[0005] CN202111343820.7 discloses a pre-treatment process for fresh camellia fruit, which involves thoroughly drying the fruit in a silo with cold and hot air, then composting it for 5-8 days before transferring it to shelves in a storage room for further air drying and ripening for 8-15 days. Although this disclosure effectively removes moisture from the camellia fruit, the composting method still results in a relatively long ripening time.

[0006] The information disclosed in this background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the overall background of the invention and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia fruit, which shortens the ripening time of camellia fruit by using a treatment solution and a three-stage heating method, while increasing the oil content of camellia seeds, so as to meet the needs of the camellia industry for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia fruit.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia fruit, characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0009] Pre-treatment of fresh camellia fruit: Freshly harvested camellia fruit is screened, washed, soaked in treatment solution, and dried to obtain fresh camellia fruit;

[0010] Post-ripening treatment: The fresh camellia fruit is placed in a sealed device, active gas is introduced into the sealed device, and then a three-stage heating process is performed for post-ripening treatment. Mechanized post-ripening treatment: After the fresh camellia fruit has completed the post-ripening treatment in the sealed device, active gas is introduced into the sealed device, and then a three-stage heating process is performed. The three stages of heating are as follows: the first stage is a temperature of 28℃-34℃, humidity of 88%-93%, and a time of 140-155 minutes; the second stage is a temperature of 34℃-38℃, humidity of 92%-96%, and a time of 110-125 minutes; and the third stage is a temperature of 38℃-44℃, humidity of 94%-98%, and a time of 95-105 minutes.

[0011] Mechanical dehulling: The surface of the fresh camellia fruit after the post-ripening treatment is evenly sprayed with 60-88% concentrated salt water and quickly dried. The camellia seeds are dehulled using a green fruit dehulling machine and then dried to a moisture content of 6-8%.

[0012] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in the pretreatment step of fresh camellia fruit, the camellia fruit screening process refers to using a vibrating screen to remove branches and leaves mixed in with the camellia fruit during harvesting, controlling the impurity rate to ≤0.05%, and the camellia fruit washing process refers to washing the screened camellia fruit, controlling the camellia cleanliness rate to ≤0.5%.

[0013] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in the pretreatment step of the fresh camellia fruit, the fresh camellia fruit is soaked in a treatment solution for 7-9 hours, wherein the treatment solution is wood vinegar, lignin, acetyl-CoA synthase, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase.

[0014] Preferably, in the above technical solution, the components of the treatment liquid are wood vinegar: lignin: acetyl-CoA synthase: acetyl-CoA carboxylase = 5-6: 3-4: 0.5-0.8: 0.7-1.3.

[0015] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in the pretreatment step of fresh camellia fruit, the drying of camellia fruit refers to the process of quickly removing most of the treatment liquid from the surface of the soaked camellia fruit using a vibrating dewatering machine, and then using a blower to dry the remaining treatment liquid on the surface of the camellia seeds.

[0016] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in the post-curing treatment step, the active gas introduced into the sealed equipment includes one or more of nitrogen and carbon dioxide; wherein,

[0017] The volume of the introduced active gas is 8-23 m³. 3 Nitrogen, 8-21m 3 carbon dioxide.

[0018] Preferably, in the above technical solution, the three-stage heating process in the post-curing step is as follows: the first stage heating is at a temperature of 30℃-32℃, humidity of 90%-92%, and time of 150-152 minutes; the second stage heating is at a temperature of 35℃-37℃, humidity of 93%-95%, and time of 120-122 minutes; and the third stage heating is at a temperature of 38℃-40℃, humidity of 96%-98%, and time of 100-103 minutes.

[0019] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in the mechanical dehulling process, the surface of the ripened fresh fruit is evenly sprayed with 76-83% concentrated salt water, and then a blower is used to dry the surface of the camellia fruit with strong air.

[0020] Preferably, in the above technical solution, in the mechanical dehulling process, the fresh camellia fruit is dehulled using a green fruit dehulling machine to obtain camellia seeds, with the dehulling rate controlled at ≥99% and the dehulling power controlled at 0.4KW-0.6KW.

[0021] Preferably, in the above technical solution, the drying method used for drying the camellia seeds is low-temperature drying, with the temperature set at 55-60℃ and the drying time at 30-35 hours.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] (1) The present invention introduces active gases nitrogen and carbon dioxide into a sealed device to artificially create an oxygen-deficient environment, thereby reducing the respiration intensity of fresh camellia fruit, reducing the consumption of organic matter by respiratory metabolism, and converting more organic matter into oil, thereby increasing the oil content of camellia fruit.

[0024] (2) In the post-ripening process, the present invention adopts a three-stage heating post-ripening process for fresh camellia fruit, strictly controlling the temperature, humidity and time of each heating stage, providing suitable temperature and humidity conditions for the post-ripening of fresh camellia fruit, improving the efficiency of converting soluble sugars and starches in fresh camellia fruit into oil, and low-temperature drying helps to retain nutrients such as tea polyphenols, tocopherols and squalene in camellia fruit, avoiding mold growth during the post-ripening process of camellia fruit, as well as the phenomenon of high peroxide value and acid value of camellia seed oil caused by oil oxidation, shortening the post-ripening time to about 6 hours, significantly shortening the production time, improving production efficiency, and meeting the needs of large-scale post-ripening of fresh camellia fruit.

[0025] (3) The components in the treatment solution can increase the oil content of Camellia oleifera fruit. The principle is as follows: First, acetyl-CoA carboxylase is an important enzyme that promotes the conversion of carbohydrates in Camellia oleifera fruit into fatty acids. At the same time, acetyl-CoA carboxylase can intercept acetyl-CoA produced by the tricarboxylic acid cycle and convert it into malonyl-CoA, reducing the respiration consumption of Camellia oleifera fruit itself. Second, the main component of wood vinegar is acetic acid. Its acidic properties can change the cell membrane permeability of fresh Camellia oleifera fruit and accelerate the entry of acetyl-CoA carboxylase into Camellia oleifera fruit cells. Third, acetic acid generates acetyl-CoA under the action of acetyl-CoA synthase. Acetyl-CoA generates malonyl-CoA under the action of acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Malonyl-CoA can inhibit the reaction between fatty acids and carnitine, prevent further oxidation of fatty acids, thereby increasing the fatty acid content in Camellia oleifera seeds and increasing the oil content of Camellia oleifera seeds. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the post-ripening process of fresh camellia fruit in one embodiment of the method of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the pretreatment process of fresh camellia fruit in the post-ripening treatment of fresh camellia fruit in one embodiment of the method of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments. Furthermore, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 1 The flowchart schematically illustrates a method for processing fresh camellia fruit for post-ripening according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 The method for post-ripening fresh camellia fruit described herein is merely illustrative of the invention, and the invention is not limited thereto. Therefore, various modifications can be made to the method for post-ripening fresh camellia fruit.

[0030] like Figure 1 The post-ripening treatment method for fresh camellia fruit of the present invention includes the following steps:

[0031] Step S1: Pre-treatment of fresh camellia fruit: Freshly harvested camellia fruit is screened, washed, soaked in a treatment solution, and dried to obtain fresh camellia fruit. Step S2: Post-ripening treatment: The fresh camellia fruit is placed in a sealed device, and active gas is introduced into the sealed device. A three-stage heating process is then performed for post-ripening. The three stages are: first stage: temperature 28℃-34℃, humidity 88%-93%, time 140-155 minutes; second stage: temperature 34℃-38℃, humidity 92%-96%, time 110-125 minutes; third stage: temperature 38℃-44℃, humidity 94%-98%, time 95-105 minutes. Step S3: Mechanical dehulling: The surface of the post-ripened fresh camellia fruit is evenly sprayed with 60-88% concentrated salt water and quickly dried. A green fruit dehulling machine is used to dehull the fruit to obtain camellia seeds. The seeds are then dried until the moisture content is 6-8%.

[0032] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 In step S1, the pretreatment of fresh camellia fruit specifically includes: Step S11: Screening: Using a vibrating screen to remove branches and leaves mixed in with the camellia fruit during harvesting, controlling the impurity rate to ≤0.05%; Step S12: Washing: Washing the screened camellia fruit, controlling the cleanliness rate to ≤0.5%; Step S13: Soaking in treatment solution: Soaking the washed camellia fruit in a treatment solution made of wood vinegar, lignin, acetyl-CoA synthase, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase for 7-9 hours; Step S14: Drying: Using a vibrating dewatering machine to quickly remove most of the water droplets from the surface of the washed camellia fruit, and then using a blower to dry the water stains on the surface of the camellia seeds.

[0033] Step S11 Screening: A vibrating screen is used to remove branches and leaves mixed in with the camellia seeds during harvesting, controlling the impurity content to ≤0.05%. Specifically, in step S11, based on the different masses of camellia seeds and impurities, the seeds are placed on the screen of the vibrating screen. Under the vibration, the mixture of seeds and impurities vibrates on the surface of the screen. Then, the airflow from the blower below the screen separates the lighter impurities. Finally, through the vibration of the vibrating screen and the airflow from the blower, broken branches, leaves, and gravel mixed in with the camellia seeds are removed, thereby controlling the impurity content to ≤0.05%.

[0034] Step S12 Cleaning: Clean the screened camellia oleifera fruits, controlling the cleanliness rate to ≤0.5%. Specifically, in step S12, the main task is to wash away the mud, some microorganisms, and other attachments on the surface of the camellia oleifera fruits, ensuring the surface cleanliness and reducing the probability of mold growth due to surface attachments during mechanized ripening. Manual cleaning or machine cleaning can be selected based on production scale and needs. Considering the need to clean a large batch of fresh camellia oleifera fruits for subsequent mechanized ripening, this application uses a cleaning machine. Specifically, the power switch and water inlet valve are turned on, and an appropriate amount of water is injected into the machine's chamber. The screened camellia oleifera fruits to be cleaned are then placed into the machine's mesh belt. As they pass through the chamber, the fruits tumble continuously under the action of the machine's bubble assembly and are propelled forward by the mesh belt. Upon exiting the water surface, a high-pressure spray nozzle at the top provides high-pressure rinsing. The camellia seed cleaning machine of this application utilizes an air bubble component to make the camellia fruit continuously tumble in the water. During the tumbling process, the attached materials on the surface are shaken off. The spray head performs high-pressure rinsing on the camellia fruit, further cleaning the surface of the camellia fruit, effectively cleaning the surface dirt and removing surface microorganisms. At the same time, the cleaning machine is equipped with a baffle to effectively isolate the camellia fruit from impurities after cleaning. The water can be recycled 2-3 times, thereby saving production water.

[0035] Step S13: Immersion in the treatment solution: After cleaning, the camellia fruit is immersed in a treatment solution made of wood vinegar, lignin, acetyl-CoA synthase, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase for 7-9 hours. Specifically, the ratio of wood vinegar: lignin: acetyl-CoA synthase: acetyl-CoA carboxylase is 5-6: 2-3: 0.5-0.8: 0.7-1.3. The acetic acid in the wood vinegar solution increases cell membrane permeability and, under the action of acetyl-CoA synthase, forms acetyl-CoA, thus providing sufficient raw materials for acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Lignin contains various functional groups and possesses various properties; for example, its dispersing properties promote the dispersion of enzymes in the acetic acid solution without precipitation, thereby accelerating the enzymatic reaction. By strictly controlling the ratio of each component in the treatment solution, the reaction is maximized.

[0036] Step S14 Drying: After soaking, the camellia seeds are quickly dried by a vibrating drainer to remove most of the treatment liquid from their surface. Then, a blower is used to dry any remaining treatment liquid on the surface of the seeds. Specifically, most of the treatment liquid on the surface of the camellia seeds is shaken off by the high-frequency vibration generated during the operation of the vibrating drainer, and then the airflow from the blower dries any remaining treatment liquid on the surface of the seeds. This ensures uniform heating of the surface during the post-ripening process of the camellia seeds, improving the uniformity of the ripening process.

[0037] Step S2 Post-ripening treatment: The fresh camellia oleifera fruit processed in S14 is placed in a sealed device, and active gas is introduced into the sealed device. Then, a three-stage heating process is performed for post-ripening. The three stages are as follows: the first stage is a temperature of 28℃-34℃, humidity of 88%-93%, and a time of 140-155 minutes; the second stage is a temperature of 34℃-38℃, humidity of 92%-96%, and a time of 110-125 minutes; and the third stage is a temperature of 38℃-44℃, humidity of 94%-98%, and a time of 95-105 minutes. Specifically, the size of the sealed device can be determined according to production needs. In this embodiment, the sealed device is 60m². 3 The content of active gas introduced in this application can be appropriately increased or decreased according to the three-dimensional space of the sealed equipment. By introducing active gases nitrogen and carbon dioxide into the limited space, the oxygen concentration ratio in the equipment can be reduced, thus reducing the chance of oxygen reacting with the camellia fruit and reducing the respiration rate of the camellia fruit. This allows for strict control of the temperature, humidity, and reaction time at each stage of the post-ripening treatment of fresh camellia fruit, providing the most suitable environmental conditions for enzymes participating in different physicochemical reaction stages during the ripening process. This accelerates the enzymatic reactions within the camellia fruit, shortens the post-ripening time, and reduces the risk of spoilage caused by excessively high local temperatures due to respiration and moisture generation during prolonged composting.

[0038] Step S3 Mechanical Dehulling: A 60-88% concentrated salt solution is evenly sprayed onto the surface of the fresh camellia fruit after the post-ripening treatment and quickly dried. A green fruit dehulling machine is then used to dehull the fruit and obtain camellia seeds. The seeds are dried until their moisture content is 6-8%. Specifically, in step S3, a 76-83% concentrated salt solution is evenly sprayed onto the surface of the camellia fruit and quickly dried. The concentrated salt solution rapidly dehydrates the camellia fruit husk, making it harder, while the rapid drying reduces friction and increases the dehulling rate. A green fruit dehulling machine is used, with the dehulling power controlled at 0.4KW-0.6KW, to dehull the fresh camellia fruit and obtain camellia seeds. The dehulling rate is controlled to be ≥99%. Strict control of the dehulling power ensures that the seeds are not damaged during the dehulling process while successfully removing the green fruit husk. The post-ripened fresh camellia fruit is repeatedly passed through the green fruit dehulling machine during the dehulling process, thereby maintaining a dehulling rate of over 99%. Strictly control the moisture content of dried camellia seeds to 6-8% to extend their storage time and prepare them for subsequent processing. Example 1

[0039] A method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia oleifera fruit includes the following steps:

[0040] S11 Screening: Freshly harvested camellia oleifera fruits are screened using a vibrating screen to remove branches and leaves mixed in with the fruits during harvesting, controlling the impurity rate to 0.02%;

[0041] S12 Cleaning: Clean the selected camellia oleifera fruits, controlling the cleanliness rate of the camellia oleifera to 0.3%;

[0042] S13 treatment solution soaking: After cleaning, the camellia fruit is soaked in a treatment solution made of 50g wood vinegar, 20g lignin, 5g acetyl-CoA synthase and 7g acetyl-CoA carboxylase for 9 hours.

[0043] S14 Drying: After soaking, the camellia seeds are quickly dried by a vibrating dewatering machine to remove most of the treatment liquid from their surface. Then, a blower is used to dry the remaining treatment liquid on the surface of the camellia seeds to obtain fresh camellia seeds.

[0044] S2 Post-ripening Treatment: The pre-treated fresh camellia fruits are placed in a sealed device, and 11m³ of air is introduced into the sealed device. 3 Nitrogen and 10m 3 After carbon dioxide, a three-stage heating process is carried out. The first stage of heating is controlled at 32℃ and 90% humidity, with a reaction time of 150 minutes. The second stage of heating is controlled at 35℃ and 95% humidity, with a time of 120 minutes. The third stage of heating is controlled at 38℃ and 97% humidity, with a time of 100 minutes.

[0045] S3 Mechanical Dehulling: The surface of the fresh camellia fruit after the post-ripening treatment is evenly sprayed with 83% concentrated salt water and quickly dried. Then, a green fruit dehulling machine with a dehulling power of 0.6KW is used to dehull the camellia fruit. The dehulling can be repeated to obtain camellia seeds with a dehulling rate of 99%. The camellia seeds are dried at a low temperature of 60℃ for 33 hours until the moisture content is 6%. Example 2

[0046] A method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia oleifera fruit includes the following steps:

[0047] S11 Screening: Freshly harvested camellia oleifera fruits are screened using a vibrating screen to remove branches and leaves mixed in with the fruits during harvesting, controlling the impurity rate to 0.04%;

[0048] S12 Cleaning: Clean the selected camellia oleifera fruits, controlling the cleanliness rate of the camellia oleifera to 0.5%;

[0049] S13 treatment solution soaking: After cleaning, the camellia fruit is soaked in a treatment solution made of 50g wood vinegar, 30g lignin, 8g acetyl-CoA synthase and 13g acetyl-CoA carboxylase for 7 hours.

[0050] S14 Drying: After soaking, the camellia seeds are quickly dried by a vibrating dewatering machine to remove most of the treatment liquid from their surface. Then, a blower is used to dry the remaining treatment liquid on the surface of the camellia seeds to obtain fresh camellia seeds.

[0051] S2 Post-ripening Treatment: The pre-treated fresh camellia fruit is placed in a sealed device, and an 8m³ flow is introduced into the sealed device. 3 Nitrogen and 8m 3 After carbon dioxide, a three-stage heating process is carried out. The first stage of heating is controlled at 30℃ and 90% humidity, with a reaction time of 150 minutes. The second stage of heating is controlled at 36℃ and 93% humidity, with a time of 120 minutes. The third stage of heating is controlled at 39℃ and 98% humidity, with a time of 100 minutes.

[0052] S3 Mechanical Dehulling: The surface of the fresh camellia fruit after the post-ripening treatment is evenly sprayed with 76% concentrated salt water and quickly dried. The camellia fruit is dehulled using a green fruit dehulling machine with a dehulling power of 0.6KW. The dehulling can be repeated to obtain camellia seeds with a dehulling rate of 99%. The camellia seeds are dried at a low temperature of 60℃ for 35 hours to achieve a moisture content of 8%. Example 3

[0053] A method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia oleifera fruit includes the following steps:

[0054] S11 Screening: Freshly harvested camellia oleifera fruits are screened using a vibrating screen to remove branches and leaves mixed in with the fruits during harvesting, controlling the impurity rate to 0.05%;

[0055] S12 Cleaning: Clean the selected camellia oleifera fruits, controlling the cleanliness rate of the camellia oleifera to 0.4%;

[0056] S13 treatment solution soaking: After cleaning, the camellia fruit is soaked in a treatment solution made of 60g wood vinegar, 20g lignin, 5g acetyl-CoA synthase, and 7g acetyl-CoA carboxylase for 8 hours.

[0057] S14 Drying: After soaking, the camellia seeds are quickly dried by a vibrating dewatering machine to remove most of the treatment liquid from their surface. Then, a blower is used to dry the remaining treatment liquid on the surface of the camellia seeds to obtain fresh camellia seeds.

[0058] S2 Post-ripening Treatment: The pre-treated fresh camellia fruits are placed in a sealed device, and 23m³ of air is introduced into the sealed device. 3 Nitrogen gas is used, followed by a three-stage heating process. The first stage of heating is controlled at 32°C and 92% humidity, with a reaction time of 152 minutes. The second stage of heating is controlled at 37°C and 95% humidity, with a time of 122 minutes. The third stage of heating is controlled at 40°C and 96% humidity, with a time of 103 minutes.

[0059] S3 Mechanical Dehulling: The surface of the fresh camellia fruit after the post-ripening treatment is evenly sprayed with 78% concentrated salt water and quickly dried. The camellia fruit is dehulled using a green fruit dehulling machine with a dehulling power of 0.5KW. The dehulling can be repeated to obtain camellia seeds with a dehulling rate of 99%. The camellia seeds are dried at a low temperature of 55℃ for 30 hours to achieve a moisture content of 6%. Example 4

[0060] A method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia oleifera fruit includes the following steps:

[0061] S11 Screening: Freshly harvested camellia oleifera fruits are screened using a vibrating screen to remove branches and leaves mixed in with the fruits during harvesting, controlling the impurity rate to 0.05%;

[0062] S12 Cleaning: Clean the selected camellia oleifera fruits, controlling the cleanliness rate of the camellia oleifera to 0.3%;

[0063] S13 treatment solution soaking: After cleaning, the camellia fruit is soaked in a treatment solution made of 60g wood vinegar, 30g lignin, 8g acetyl-CoA synthase and 10g acetyl-CoA carboxylase for 8 hours.

[0064] S14 Drying: After soaking, the camellia seeds are quickly dried by a vibrating dewatering machine to remove most of the treatment liquid from their surface. Then, a blower is used to dry the remaining treatment liquid on the surface of the camellia seeds to obtain fresh camellia seeds.

[0065] S2 Post-ripening Treatment: The pre-treated fresh camellia fruits are placed in a sealed device, and 21m³ of air is introduced into the sealed device. 3 Carbon dioxide is then heated in three stages. The first stage is heated at 31°C and 91% humidity for 151 minutes. The second stage is heated at 36°C and 94% humidity for 121 minutes. The third stage is heated at 40°C and 98% humidity for 101 minutes.

[0066] S3 Mechanical Dehulling: The surface of the fresh camellia fruit after the post-ripening treatment is evenly sprayed with 80% concentrated salt water and quickly dried. Then, a green fruit dehulling machine with a dehulling power of 0.5KW is used to dehull the camellia fruit. The dehulling can be repeated to obtain camellia seeds with a dehulling rate of 99%. The camellia seeds are dried at a low temperature of 55℃ for 35 hours to achieve a moisture content of 8%. Example 5

[0067] A method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia oleifera fruit includes the following steps:

[0068] S11 Screening: Freshly harvested camellia oleifera fruits are screened using a vibrating screen to remove branches and leaves mixed in with the fruits during harvesting, controlling the impurity rate to 0.03%;

[0069] S12 Cleaning: Clean the selected camellia oleifera fruits, controlling the cleanliness rate of the camellia oleifera to 0.3%;

[0070] S13 treatment solution soaking: After cleaning, the camellia fruit is soaked in a treatment solution made of 60g wood vinegar, 30g lignin, 5g acetyl-CoA synthase and 10g acetyl-CoA carboxylase for 9 hours.

[0071] S14 Drying: After soaking, the camellia seeds are quickly dried by a vibrating dewatering machine to remove most of the treatment liquid from their surface. Then, a blower is used to dry the remaining treatment liquid on the surface of the camellia seeds to obtain fresh camellia seeds.

[0072] S2 Post-ripening Treatment: The pre-treated fresh camellia fruits are placed in a sealed device, and 19m³ of air is introduced into the sealed device. 3 Carbon dioxide is then heated in three stages. The first stage is heated at 30°C and 90% humidity for 150 minutes. The second stage is heated at 35°C and 95% humidity for 122 minutes. The third stage is heated at 38°C and 98% humidity for 100 minutes.

[0073] S3 Mechanical Dehulling: The surface of the fresh camellia fruit after the post-ripening treatment is evenly sprayed with 82% concentrated salt water and quickly dried. Then, a green fruit dehulling machine with a dehulling power of 0.4KW is used to dehull the camellia fruit. The dehulling can be repeated to obtain camellia seeds with a dehulling rate of 99%. The camellia seeds are dried at a low temperature of 58℃ for 33 hours until the moisture content is 7%. Example 6

[0074] A method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia oleifera fruit includes the following steps:

[0075] S11 Screening: Freshly harvested camellia oleifera fruits are screened using a vibrating screen to remove branches and leaves mixed in with the fruits during harvesting, controlling the impurity rate to 0.04%;

[0076] S12 Cleaning: Clean the selected camellia oleifera fruits, controlling the cleanliness rate of the camellia oleifera to 0.5%;

[0077] S13 treatment solution soaking: After cleaning, the camellia fruit is soaked in a treatment solution made of 50g wood vinegar, 30g lignin, 5g acetyl-CoA synthase and 11g acetyl-CoA carboxylase for 7 hours.

[0078] S14 Drying: After soaking, the camellia seeds are quickly dried by a vibrating dewatering machine to remove most of the treatment liquid from their surface. Then, a blower is used to dry the remaining treatment liquid on the surface of the camellia seeds to obtain fresh camellia seeds.

[0079] S2 Post-ripening Treatment: The pre-treated fresh camellia fruits are placed in a sealed device, and 20m³ of air is introduced into the sealed device. 3 Nitrogen gas is used, followed by a three-stage heating process. The first stage of heating is controlled at 32°C and 92% humidity, with a reaction time of 150 minutes. The second stage of heating is controlled at 35°C and 95% humidity, with a time of 120 minutes. The third stage of heating is controlled at 38°C and 98% humidity, with a time of 103 minutes.

[0080] S3 Mechanical Dehulling: The surface of the fresh camellia fruit after the post-ripening treatment is evenly sprayed with 76% concentrated salt water and quickly dried. The camellia fruit is dehulled using a green fruit dehulling machine with a dehulling power of 0.4KW. The dehulling can be repeated to obtain camellia seeds with a dehulling rate of 99%. The camellia seeds are then subjected to low-temperature drying treatment at a temperature of 60℃ for 35 hours until the moisture content of the camellia seeds is 7%.

[0081] Comparative Example 1

[0082] This embodiment is basically the same as Embodiment 1, except that the post-ripening treatment in step S2 is not performed. A method for post-ripening treatment of fresh camellia fruit after harvest includes the following steps:

[0083] S11 Screening: Freshly harvested camellia oleifera fruits are screened using a vibrating screen to remove branches and leaves mixed in with the fruits during harvesting, controlling the impurity rate to 0.05%;

[0084] S12 Cleaning: Clean the selected camellia oleifera fruits, controlling the cleanliness rate of the camellia oleifera to 0.3%;

[0085] S13 treatment solution soaking: After cleaning, the camellia fruit is soaked in a treatment solution made of 50g wood vinegar, 20g lignin, 5g acetyl-CoA synthase and 7g acetyl-CoA carboxylase for 9 hours.

[0086] S14 Drying: After soaking, the camellia seeds are quickly dried by a vibrating dewatering machine to remove most of the treatment liquid from their surface. Then, a blower is used to dry the remaining treatment liquid on the surface of the camellia seeds to obtain fresh camellia seeds.

[0087] S3 Mechanical Dehulling: The surface of the fresh camellia fruit after the post-ripening treatment is evenly sprayed with 83% concentrated salt water and quickly dried. The camellia fruit is dehulled using a green fruit dehulling machine with a dehulling power of 0.6KW. The dehulling can be repeated to obtain camellia seeds with a dehulling rate of 99%. The camellia seeds are then dried at a low temperature of 60℃ for 33 hours until the moisture content is 6%.

[0088] Comparative Example 2

[0089] This embodiment is basically the same as Embodiment 1, except that the post-ripening treatment method in step S2 is different. A method for post-ripening treatment of fresh camellia fruit after harvest includes the following steps:

[0090] S11 Screening: Freshly harvested camellia oleifera fruits are screened using a vibrating screen to remove branches and leaves mixed in with the fruits during harvesting, controlling the impurity rate to 0.04%;

[0091] S12 Cleaning: Clean the selected camellia oleifera fruits, controlling the cleanliness rate of the camellia oleifera to 0.5%;

[0092] S13 treatment solution soaking: After cleaning, the camellia fruit is soaked in a treatment solution made of wood vinegar, lignin, acetyl-CoA synthase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase for 7-9 hours.

[0093] S14 Drying: After soaking, the camellia seeds are quickly dried by a vibrating dewatering machine to remove most of the treatment liquid from their surface. Then, a blower is used to dry the remaining treatment liquid on the surface of the camellia seeds to obtain fresh camellia seeds.

[0094] S2 post-ripening treatment: The fresh camellia fruit obtained after pretreatment is placed in hot water of the same temperature for three-stage heating. The first stage of heating is controlled at 30℃ and the reaction time is 150 minutes. The second stage of heating is controlled at 36℃ and the time is maintained for 120 minutes. The third stage of heating is controlled at 39℃ and the time is maintained for 100 minutes.

[0095] S3 Mechanical Dehulling: The surface of the fresh camellia fruit after the post-ripening treatment is evenly sprayed with 83% concentrated salt water and quickly dried. A green fruit dehulling machine with a power of 0.6KW is used to dehull the camellia fruit. The dehulling can be repeated to obtain camellia seeds with a dehulling rate of 99%. The camellia seeds are then subjected to low-temperature drying treatment at a temperature of 60℃ for 33 hours until the moisture content is 6%.

[0096] Comparative Example 3

[0097] This embodiment is basically the same as Embodiment 1, except that the post-ripening treatment method in step S2 is different. A method for post-ripening treatment of fresh camellia fruit after harvest includes the following steps:

[0098] S2 post-ripening treatment: Place the fresh camellia fruit obtained after pretreatment in a cool, dry environment and compost under natural conditions for 5-7 days;

[0099] Comparative Example 4

[0100] This embodiment is basically the same as Embodiment 1, except that the post-ripening processing method in step S2 is different. The specific differences include the following steps:

[0101] S2 post-ripening treatment: The pre-treated fresh camellia fruit is placed in a sealed device and heated in three stages. The first stage of heating is controlled at 40℃ and 78% humidity for 100 minutes. The second stage of heating is controlled at 45℃ and 90% humidity for 120 minutes. The third stage of heating is controlled at 50℃ and 95% humidity for 150 minutes.

[0102] Comparative Example 5

[0103] This embodiment is basically the same as Embodiment 1, except that the cleaning rate in step S12 is not specifically required, the composition ratio of the treatment liquid in step S13 is different, and the raw materials used in step S3 are different. A method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia fruit includes the following steps:

[0104] S11 Screening: Freshly harvested camellia oleifera fruits are screened using a vibrating screen to remove branches and leaves mixed in with the fruits during harvesting, controlling the impurity rate to 0.02%;

[0105] S13 treatment solution soaking: After cleaning, the camellia fruit is soaked in a treatment solution made of 50g wood vinegar, 5g acetyl-CoA synthase and 7g acetyl-CoA carboxylase for 5 hours.

[0106] S14 Drying: After soaking, the camellia seeds are quickly dried by a vibrating dewatering machine to remove most of the treatment liquid from their surface. Then, a blower is used to dry the remaining treatment liquid on the surface of the camellia seeds to obtain fresh camellia seeds.

[0107] S2 Mechanized Post-Ripening Process: The pre-treated fresh camellia fruits are placed in a sealed device, and 11m³ of air is introduced into the sealed device. 3 Nitrogen and 10m 3 After carbon dioxide, a three-stage heating process is carried out. The first stage of heating is controlled at 32℃ and 90% humidity, with a reaction time of 150 minutes. The second stage of heating is controlled at 35℃ and 95% humidity, with a time of 120 minutes. The third stage of heating is controlled at 38℃ and 97% humidity, with a time of 100 minutes.

[0108] S3 Mechanical Dehulling: The surface of the fresh camellia fruit after the post-ripening treatment is evenly sprayed with 40% concentrated salt water and quickly dried. The camellia fruit is dehulled using a green fruit dehulling machine with a dehulling power of 0.6KW. The dehulling can be repeated to obtain camellia seeds with a dehulling rate of 99%. The camellia seeds are dried at a low temperature of 60℃ for 33 hours until the moisture content is 6%.

[0109] Comparative Example 6

[0110] This embodiment is basically the same as Embodiment 1, except that the composition ratio of the S13 treatment liquid is different, and the raw materials used in step S3 are different. A method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia fruit includes the following steps:

[0111] S13 treatment solution soaking: After cleaning, the camellia fruit is soaked in a treatment solution made of 50g wood vinegar, 20g lignin and 7g acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase for 9 hours.

[0112] S3 Mechanical Dehulling: The surface of the fresh camellia fruit after the post-ripening treatment is evenly sprayed with 0.5% salt water and 5% quicklime water, and then quickly dried. A green fruit dehulling machine with a dehulling power of 0.6KW is used to dehull the camellia fruit. The dehulling can be repeated to obtain camellia seeds with a dehulling rate of 99%. The camellia seeds are dried at a low temperature of 60℃ for 33 hours until the moisture content is 6%.

[0113] Comparative Example 7

[0114] This embodiment is basically the same as Embodiment 1, except that the methods for steps S13 and S3 are different. The specific differences include the following steps:

[0115] S13 treatment solution soaking: After cleaning, the camellia fruit is soaked in a treatment solution made of 50g wood vinegar, 10g lignin, 10g acetyl-CoA synthase and 6g acetyl-CoA carboxylase for 9 hours.

[0116] S3 Mechanical Dehulling: The green fruit dehulling machine with a dehulling power of 0.6KW is used to directly dehull fresh camellia fruits after post-ripening treatment. It can be dehulled repeatedly to obtain camellia seeds with a dehulling rate of 99%. The camellia seeds are then subjected to low-temperature drying treatment at a temperature of 60℃ for 33 hours to dry the camellia seeds to a moisture content of 6%.

[0117] The oil content of camellia seeds obtained from Examples 1-6 and Comparative Examples 1-6 was tested, and the results are shown in Tables 1 and 2. The specific method for detecting the oil content was as follows: 40g of raw camellia seed embryo fragments were weighed from the crushed seed embryos, ground in a mortar, placed in a filter paper bag dried to constant weight, dried again to constant weight, and the total weight of the sample and weighing bottle was accurately weighed. The sample was then transferred to a Soxhlet extractor and extracted for 6 hours. After extraction, the petroleum ether was allowed to evaporate, and the filter paper bag was placed in a weighing bottle and dried to constant weight in a 105℃ oven. The oil content was calculated using the following formula: Oil content = (m1-m2) / (m1-m0)×100%; where m1 refers to the mass of the weighing bottle and sample before extraction, m2 refers to the mass of the weighing bottle and sample after extraction, and m0 refers to the mass of the weighing bottle.

[0118] Table 1. Oil content of camellia seeds obtained in Examples 1-6

[0119] Testing items Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Example 5 Example 6 Oil content (%) 30.43 31.34 30.28 31.31 30.53 30.47

[0120] Table 2. Oil content of camellia seeds obtained from Comparative Examples 1-7

[0121] Testing items Comparative Example 1 Comparative Example 2 Comparative Example 3 Comparative Example 4 Comparative Example 5 Comparative Example 6 Comparative Example 7 Oil content (%) 27.77 28.73 30.28 28.76 28.34 28.67 28.27

[0122] As shown in Table 1, the oil content of the camellia seeds obtained using the method of the present invention was greater than 30.2%. Table 2 shows that, in Example 1, the oil content of the camellia seed oil obtained using the method of the present invention increased by more than 2.6% compared to Comparative Examples 1-2. This indicates that using the method of the present invention to perform a series of treatments on fresh camellia fruits can improve the oil content of the camellia seeds. Compared to Comparative Example 3, this method shows that, while obtaining camellia seeds with similar oil content, it significantly shortens the post-harvest ripening time of the camellia fruits from 5-7 days to about 6 hours.

[0123] The contents of active ingredients squalene and tocopherol, as well as the contents of acid value and peroxide value, in the camellia seeds obtained in Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1-7 were detected. The results are shown in Table 3. The method for determining squalene content was in accordance with LS / T 6120-2017, the method for determining tocopherol content was in accordance with GB / T5009.82-2003, the method for determining acid value content was in accordance with GB / T5530-2005, and the method for determining peroxide value content was in accordance with GB / T5009.82-2003.

[0124] Table 3. Content of active ingredients, acid value, and peroxide value in camellia seeds

[0125] Testing items Squalene (mg / kg) Tocopherol (mg / kg) Acid value (mg / g) Peroxide value (g / 100g) Example 1 94 93 0.20 0.43 Comparative Example 1 95 93 0.19 0.44 Comparative Example 2 87 89 0.20 0.47 Comparative Example 3 64 73 0.22 0.53 Comparative Example 4 69 84 0.23 0.46 Comparative Example 5 73 85 0.20 0.48 Comparative Example 6 86 83 0.21 0.46 Comparative Example 7 86 84 0.21 0.45

[0126] The results are shown in Table 3. Compared with Comparative Example 1, Examples 1 and Comparative Examples 2-7 show that the post-harvest processing method of Camellia oleifera fruit affects the active ingredients in the Camellia oleifera seed oil. However, the changes in active ingredients, acid value, and peroxide value in Example 1 using the method of this invention are relatively small. Compared with Comparative Examples 2-4, Example 1 using the method of this invention shows that the post-harvest ripening treatment of Camellia oleifera fruit has a significant impact on the content of active ingredients such as squalene and tocopherol in the obtained Camellia oleifera seed oil, indicating that the ripening treatment used in this method can obtain Camellia oleifera seed oil of better quality. Compared with Comparative Examples 5-7, Example 1 using the method of this invention has a significant impact on the content of active ingredients, acid value, and peroxide value in the finally obtained Camellia oleifera seed oil.

[0127] One hundred fresh camellia oleifera fruits after ripening were randomly selected from Example 1 and Comparative Examples 5-7. The fruits were then shelled once using a green fruit shelling machine. The separation of the camellia seeds and fruits was recorded, and the results are shown in Table 4 below. The shelling percentage (%) = (number of shelled fresh camellia oleifera fruits / 100) * 100%.

[0128] Table 4. Peeling results of Camellia oleifera fruits in Example 1 and Comparative Examples 5-7

[0129] Testing items Example 1 Comparative Example 5 Comparative Example 6 Comparative Example 7 Shelling 84% 71% 73% 67%

[0130] The results are shown in Table 4. In Example 1, which uses the method of the present invention to mechanically deshell fresh camellia oleifera fruit after ripening, the deshelling rate is higher than that of Comparative Examples 5-6 when using the method of the present invention. The deshelling rate is higher in Comparative Example 5 when using 40% saline solution and in Comparative Example 6 when using 0.5% saline solution and 5% quicklime solution. This indicates that the method of the present invention is beneficial for the mechanical deshelling of fresh camellia oleifera fruit, improving the deshelling rate and thus reducing the deshelling cost of camellia oleifera fruit.

[0131] As described above, the method of the present invention yields camellia seeds with a relatively high oil content, and the camellia seed oil obtained by pressing has minimal consumption of active ingredients such as squalene and tocopherol, and relatively low acid value and peroxide value. This indicates that the camellia seeds and camellia seed oil obtained by the present invention are of good quality, and the shelling rate of fresh camellia fruit is high.

[0132] The foregoing description of specific exemplary embodiments of the invention is for illustrative and explanatory purposes. These descriptions are not intended to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and it will be apparent that many changes and variations can be made in accordance with the foregoing teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the specific principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to implement and utilize various different exemplary embodiments of the invention, as well as various different choices and variations. The scope of the invention is intended to be defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia oleifera fruit, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: Pretreatment of fresh camellia fruit: Freshly harvested camellia fruit is screened, washed, soaked in a treatment solution for 7-9 hours, and then dried to obtain fresh camellia fruit. The treatment solution is wood vinegar: lignin: acetyl-CoA synthase: acetyl-CoA carboxylase = 5-6: 2-3: 0.5-0.8: 0.7-1.

3. Post-ripening treatment: The fresh camellia fruit is placed in a sealed device, gas is introduced into the device, and a three-stage heating process is performed for post-ripening. The three stages are as follows: the first stage is a temperature of 30℃-32℃, humidity of 90%-92%, and a time of 150-152 minutes; the second stage is a temperature of 35℃-37℃, humidity of 93%-95%, and a time of 120-122 minutes; and the third stage is a temperature of 38℃-40℃, humidity of 96%-98%, and a time of 100-103 minutes. The gas contains 8-23 mg / L of gas. 3 Nitrogen, 8-21m 3 One or more of carbon dioxide gases; Mechanical dehulling: The surface of the ripened fresh fruit is evenly sprayed with 76%-83% concentrated salt water, and then the surface of the camellia fruit is dried by strong air using a blower. The camellia seeds are dehulled using a green fruit dehulling machine. The camellia seeds are then subjected to low-temperature drying treatment until the moisture content of the camellia seeds is 6%-8%. The temperature of the low-temperature drying is set to 55-60℃ and the drying time is 30-35 hours.

2. The method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia fruit according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the pretreatment step of fresh camellia fruit, the screening of camellia fruit refers to using a vibrating screen to remove branches and leaves mixed in with the camellia fruit during harvesting, and controlling the impurity rate to ≤0.05%. The washing of camellia fruit refers to washing the screened camellia fruit, and controlling the cleanliness rate of camellia fruit to ≤0.5%.

3. The method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia fruit according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the pretreatment step of fresh camellia fruit, the drying of camellia fruit refers to the process of quickly removing most of the treatment liquid from the surface of the soaked camellia fruit using a vibrating dewatering machine, and then using a blower to dry the remaining treatment liquid on the surface of the camellia seeds.

4. The method for post-harvest ripening of fresh camellia fruit according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the mechanical shelling step, a green fruit shelling machine is used to shell fresh camellia fruits to obtain camellia seeds, and the shelling rate is controlled to be ≥99%. The shelling power of the green fruit shelling machine is controlled to be between 0.4KW and 0.6KW.

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