A pre-treatment method for turmeric raw material and application thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of plant extraction product separation and purification, and particularly discloses a curcuma longa raw material pretreatment method and application thereof.The curcuma longa raw material pretreatment method comprises the following steps: (1) soaking curcuma longa raw material in water, and removing surface moisture to obtain a to-be-smashed raw material; the initial moisture content of the part of the curcuma longa raw material other than the epidermal layer is less than 5%; in the to-be-smashed raw material, the weight gain rate of the part of the curcuma longa raw material other than the epidermal layer is less than 2%, and the moisture content of the epidermal layer is 15-20%; (2) smashing the to-be-smashed raw material to a component with a particle size of ≤1.18 mm, the weight of the component accounting for 90-95% of the initial weight of the curcuma longa raw material, and collecting the component with a particle size of ≤1.18 mm as the pretreated curcuma longa raw material.The pretreatment method can make different curcuma longa raw material varieties obtain products with high curcumin content by using a conventional extraction method, and the method is easy to operate and suitable for industrial production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of plant extract separation and purification technology, specifically to a pretreatment method for turmeric raw material and its application. Background Technology

[0002] Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is a plant belonging to the genus Curcuma in the family Zingiberaceae, and it has a wide distribution. The processed rhizome of turmeric is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine. It has a bitter and pungent taste and is very cold in nature. It is mainly used to treat abdominal masses, promote blood circulation, dispel wind-heat, and reduce swelling and carbuncles. Furthermore, the rhizome of turmeric is a food and medicine homology substance, and is currently widely used as a seasoning, coloring, and dye, and is one of the important ingredients in curry making.

[0003] Curcumin is a collective term for diphenylheptene compounds extracted and isolated from the rhizomes of turmeric. It is the main component that exerts the pharmacological effects of turmeric and has a variety of biological activities, such as anti-tumor, antiviral, Alzheimer's disease inhibition, and anti-arthritis activities. It is a multifunctional natural active substance.

[0004] Currently, the extraction and purification technology of curcumin is quite mature. Extraction and purification using specific types of turmeric raw materials (such as the Hybrid variety from Salem and Erode regions in India) can yield curcumin products with a purity of over 95% and a high yield, meeting market demands. However, with the increasing market demand for curcumin, the specific traditional raw materials used to extract the ideal curcumin product are no longer sufficient. It is necessary to find other types of turmeric raw materials for extraction. However, due to regional or varietal differences, most turmeric raw materials cannot be directly purified to obtain curcumin products with a purity of over 95% and a yield of over 75%. Recrystallization or the development of additional, specialized processes is required. Given the wide variety of turmeric varieties on the market, developing a separate process is challenging. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a curcumin processing technology applicable to various types of turmeric raw materials. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide a method for extracting curcumin products with a content of over 95% and a yield of over 75% from turmeric raw materials of different origins and / or different varieties using conventional methods.

[0006] To achieve this objective, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0007] A pretreatment method for turmeric raw materials, comprising:

[0008] (1) Adjust the moisture content of the turmeric raw material:

[0009] The turmeric raw material is soaked in water to remove the surface moisture, and then the raw material to be crushed is obtained.

[0010] The initial moisture content of the turmeric raw material, excluding the epidermal layer, is less than 5%.

[0011] In the raw materials to be crushed, the weight gain rate of the part of the turmeric raw material other than the epidermal layer is less than 2%, and the moisture content of the epidermal layer of the turmeric raw material is 15-20%.

[0012] (2) Crushing to obtain pretreated turmeric raw material:

[0013] The weight of the component with a particle size ≤ 1.18 mm is 90-95% of the initial weight of the turmeric raw material. The component with a particle size of less than 1.18 mm is collected as the pretreated turmeric raw material.

[0014] In this invention, the turmeric raw material is the rhizome of the plant turmeric (Curcuma longa L.).

[0015] The structure of turmeric raw material can be simply divided into three tissues from the inside out: the stele, the cortex, and the epidermis (see...). Figure 1 In the process of researching the extraction of curcumin from turmeric raw materials, this invention found that when using conventional methods to directly pulverize and extract curcumin from curcumin raw materials from many origins and varieties, it is impossible to obtain products with a curcumin content higher than 95% and a yield higher than 75%, which restricts the industrial production of curcumin.

[0016] This invention further investigated the structure of turmeric raw materials, explored the differences in different tissues, and found that by combining different tissue characteristics and specifically adjusting and controlling the moisture content of both the epidermal layer and the parts outside the epidermal layer of turmeric raw materials, and then combining this with a process of pulverizing and sorting to obtain specific particle size components, the epidermal layer of turmeric raw materials can be effectively removed (using conventional pulverizing and sieving methods, the epidermal layer of turmeric raw materials cannot be effectively separated from other parts). This allows the pretreated turmeric raw materials to improve the content and yield of the final curcumin product when applied to subsequent conventional extraction methods. Thus, curcumin raw materials from various origins and varieties can be extracted using conventional methods to obtain products that meet market demands, avoiding the previous problem of needing to conduct personalized extraction method research and adjustments for different origins and varieties of curcumin raw materials to obtain curcumin products with a content higher than 95% and a high yield.

[0017] The method of this invention can efficiently process batches of turmeric raw materials, and is particularly suitable for large-scale industrial production.

[0018] The method of the present invention is applicable to turmeric raw materials originating from, but not limited to, India and Myanmar.

[0019] In the pretreatment method of the present invention, the specific soaking time is determined according to the physical conditions of the turmeric raw material (e.g., initial moisture content, epidermal layer density, etc.). As long as the moisture content of the specific part defined by the present invention can be met, the soaking time is preferably 15-20 minutes.

[0020] In the pretreatment method of the present invention, various methods can be used to remove the moisture on the surface of the turmeric raw material after soaking, such as wiping dry or blowing dry. Draining is preferred to remove the surface moisture, which is beneficial for industrial production.

[0021] In the pretreatment method of the present invention, the conventional draining time is preferably 30-45 minutes.

[0022] The step (2) of the pretreatment method of the present invention specifically includes: crushing the raw material to be crushed through a 16-20 mesh sieve until the weight of the material passing through the sieve is 90-95% of the initial weight of the raw material, and collecting the pretreated raw material.

[0023] This invention specifically controls the degree of pulverization of raw materials with different moisture contents in different parts, thereby effectively separating the epidermal layer of turmeric raw materials from other parts, so as to ensure the increase of curcumin content in the final turmeric product in the subsequent extraction process.

[0024] The present invention also provides the application of the above pretreatment method in the extraction of curcumin and / or the preparation of spices or flavoring powders.

[0025] In this invention, when the raw material to be pulverized is pulverized, the component with a particle size ≤1.18mm is used for subsequent curcumin extraction, while the remaining component with a particle size greater than 1.18mm also contains active ingredients such as curcumin and turmeric oil, which can be used as spices or seasoning powders in the food industry. The turmeric raw material pretreatment method of this invention can effectively and comprehensively utilize turmeric raw materials.

[0026] The present invention also provides the application of the above pretreatment method in improving the curcumin content and / or yield of turmeric extract, wherein the raw materials for preparing the turmeric extract are turmeric raw materials from different origins and / or different varieties.

[0027] The present invention also provides a method for extracting curcumin, wherein the curcumin raw material is pretreated by the above-mentioned pretreatment method before curcumin extraction.

[0028] The present invention also provides the application of the above method in the preparation of curcumin.

[0029] The beneficial effects of this invention are at least as follows:

[0030] The pretreatment method for turmeric raw materials of the present invention enables the production of curcumin products with a curcumin content of over 97% and a yield of over 75% when using conventional extraction methods for different varieties of turmeric raw materials. Furthermore, this method can comprehensively utilize various tissue components of the curcumin raw material, is easy to operate, and can be effectively applied to production. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of turmeric raw material. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific examples. It should be understood that the following examples are given for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and substitutions to the present invention without departing from its spirit and essence.

[0033] Unless otherwise specified, the experimental methods used in the following examples are conventional methods. Unless otherwise specified, the materials and reagents used in the following examples are commercially available or prepared according to conventional methods in the art.

[0034] The turmeric extraction method used in Examples 1-4 of this invention is described in Example 1 of Chinese Patent 202211716189.5.

[0035] The turmeric extraction method used in Examples 5-8 of this invention is described in Example 3 of Chinese Patent 202111407009.0.

[0036] In this invention, the curcumin content was determined according to the detection method of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) 39—Curcumin.

[0037] Example 1

[0038] This embodiment provides a method for preparing curcumin products from turmeric raw materials, including a pretreatment step and a turmeric extraction step. In this embodiment, the turmeric raw material is of the Hybrid variety, originating from the Salem region of India, with a curcumin content of 4.3%; the initial moisture content of the portion of the turmeric raw material excluding the epidermis is 3%.

[0039] The specific method is as follows:

[0040] 1. Pretreatment of turmeric raw materials:

[0041] (1) Adjust the moisture content of the turmeric raw material:

[0042] Soak the turmeric raw material in water for 15 minutes, drain for 30 minutes to remove surface moisture, and obtain the raw material to be crushed;

[0043] The weight gain of the part of the turmeric raw material other than the epidermal layer was 0.5%, and the moisture content of the epidermal layer of the turmeric raw material was 15%.

[0044] (2) Crushing to obtain pretreated turmeric raw material:

[0045] The raw material to be crushed was crushed through an 18-mesh sieve using a hammer mill until the weight of the sieve material accounted for 90% of the initial weight of the turmeric raw material. The sieve material was collected and tested to find that the curcumin content was 4.6%, and the curcumin content in the sieve material accounted for 96.3% of the total curcumin content in the original turmeric raw material.

[0046] 2. Turmeric extraction: Curcumin was extracted from the sieved material obtained above.

[0047] The final curcumin product contained 98.2% curcumin, with a yield of 76.4%.

[0048] Example 2

[0049] This embodiment provides a method for preparing curcumin products from turmeric raw materials, including a pretreatment step and a turmeric extraction step. In this embodiment, the turmeric raw material is of variety 1, Toungoo No. 1, originating from the Toungoo region of Myanmar, with a curcumin content of 7.8%; the initial moisture content of the portion of the turmeric raw material excluding the epidermis is 5%.

[0050] The specific method is as follows:

[0051] 1. Pretreatment of turmeric raw materials:

[0052] (1) Adjust the moisture content of the turmeric raw material:

[0053] Soak the turmeric raw material in water for 18 minutes, drain for 35 minutes to remove surface moisture, and obtain the raw material to be crushed;

[0054] The weight gain of the part of the turmeric raw material other than the epidermal layer was 1%, and the moisture content of the epidermal layer of the turmeric raw material was 20%.

[0055] (2) Crushing to obtain pretreated turmeric raw material:

[0056] The raw material to be crushed was crushed through a 20-mesh sieve using a hammer mill until the weight of the material passing through the sieve accounted for 95% of the initial weight of the turmeric raw material. The curcumin content of the material passing through the sieve was tested and found to be 8.1%, which accounted for 98.7% of the total curcumin content in the original turmeric raw material.

[0057] 2. Turmeric extraction: Curcumin was extracted from the sieved material obtained above.

[0058] The final curcumin product contained 97.5% curcumin, with a yield of 78.3%.

[0059] Example 3

[0060] This embodiment provides a method for preparing curcumin products from turmeric raw materials, including a pretreatment step of the turmeric raw materials and a turmeric extraction step. In this embodiment, the turmeric raw materials are from Yangon, Myanmar, and have a curcumin content of 10.6%; the initial moisture content of the portion of the turmeric raw materials other than the epidermis is 4%.

[0061] The specific method is as follows:

[0062] 1. Pretreatment of turmeric raw materials:

[0063] (1) Adjust the moisture content of the turmeric raw material:

[0064] Soak the turmeric raw material in water for 20 minutes, then drain for 40 minutes to remove surface moisture, and obtain the raw material to be crushed.

[0065] The weight gain of the part of the turmeric raw material other than the epidermis was 1.5%, and the moisture content of the epidermis of the turmeric raw material was 20%.

[0066] (2) Crushing to obtain pretreated turmeric raw material:

[0067] The raw material to be crushed was crushed through a 16-mesh sieve using a hammer mill until the weight of the material passing through the sieve accounted for 93% of the initial weight of the turmeric raw material. The curcumin content of the material passing through the sieve was 11.1%, and the curcumin content in the material passing through the sieve accounted for 97.4% of the total curcumin content in the original turmeric raw material.

[0068] 2. Turmeric extraction: Curcumin was extracted from the sieved material obtained above.

[0069] The final curcumin product contained 98.6% curcumin, with a yield of 75.8%.

[0070] Example 4

[0071] This embodiment provides a method for preparing curcumin products from turmeric raw materials, including a pretreatment step and a turmeric extraction step. In this embodiment, the turmeric raw material originates from the Kyaukse region of Myanmar (soft slices), and has a curcumin content of 12.7%; the initial moisture content of the portion of the turmeric raw material excluding the epidermis is 2%.

[0072] The specific method is as follows:

[0073] 1. Pretreatment of turmeric raw materials:

[0074] (1) Adjust the moisture content of the turmeric raw material:

[0075] Soak the turmeric raw material in water for 20 minutes, drain for 45 minutes to remove surface moisture, and obtain the raw material to be crushed;

[0076] The weight gain of the part of the turmeric raw material other than the epidermal layer was 2%, and the moisture content of the epidermal layer of the turmeric raw material was 15%.

[0077] (2) Crushing to obtain pretreated turmeric raw material:

[0078] The raw material to be crushed was crushed through a 16-mesh sieve using a hammer mill until the weight of the sieve material accounted for 90% of the initial weight of the turmeric raw material. The sieve material was collected and tested to find that the curcumin content was 13.5%, and the curcumin content in the sieve material accounted for 95.6% of the total curcumin content in the original turmeric raw material.

[0079] 2. Turmeric extraction: Curcumin was extracted from the sieved material obtained above.

[0080] The final curcumin product contained 97.3% curcumin, with a yield of 75.2%.

[0081] Example 5

[0082] This embodiment provides a method for extracting and preparing curcumin products from turmeric raw materials. The specific method is basically the same as that in Example 1, except that the turmeric extraction method in step 2 is replaced with the method described in Example 3 of Chinese Patent 202111407009.0. The final curcumin product has a curcumin content of 98.8% and a yield of 75.2%.

[0083] Example 6

[0084] This embodiment provides a method for extracting and preparing curcumin products from turmeric raw materials. The specific method is basically the same as that in Example 2, except that the turmeric extraction method in step 2 is replaced with the method described in Example 3 of Chinese Patent 202111407009.0. The final curcumin product has a curcumin content of 98% and a yield of 80.5%.

[0085] Example 7

[0086] This embodiment provides a method for extracting and preparing curcumin products from turmeric raw materials. The specific method is basically the same as that in Example 3, except that the turmeric extraction method in step 2 is replaced with the method described in Example 3 of Chinese Patent 202111407009.0. The final curcumin product has a curcumin content of 99.3% and a yield of 78.7%.

[0087] Example 8

[0088] This embodiment provides a method for extracting and preparing curcumin products from turmeric raw materials. The specific method is basically the same as that in Example 4, except that the turmeric extraction method in step 2 is replaced with the method described in Example 3 of Chinese Patent 202111407009.0. The final curcumin product has a curcumin content of 97.8% and a yield of 76.1%.

[0089] Comparative Example 1

[0090] This comparative example provides a method for preparing curcumin products from turmeric raw material. The turmeric raw material is the same as in Example 2. The extraction method omits the pretreatment step of the turmeric raw material and directly follows the turmeric extraction steps described in Example 6. The final curcumin product has a curcumin content of 94.7% and a yield of 72.5%.

[0091] Comparative Example 2

[0092] This comparative example provides a method for preparing curcumin products from turmeric raw material. The turmeric raw material is the same as in Example 3. The extraction method omits the pretreatment step of the turmeric raw material and directly follows the turmeric extraction steps described in Example 6. The final curcumin product has a curcumin content of 93.5% and a yield of 69.8%.

[0093] Comparative Example 3

[0094] This comparative example provides a method for preparing curcumin products from turmeric raw material. The turmeric raw material is the same as in Example 4. The extraction method omits the pretreatment step of the turmeric raw material and directly follows the turmeric extraction steps described in Example 6. The final curcumin product has a curcumin content of 90.1% and a yield of 65.6%.

[0095] Comparative Example 4

[0096] This comparative example provides a method for extracting and preparing curcumin products from turmeric raw materials. The specific method and the type of turmeric raw materials are basically the same as those in Example 2. The only difference is that the initial moisture content of the part of the turmeric raw material outside the epidermis is 10%, and the other conditions remain unchanged.

[0097] The final curcumin product contained 98.4% curcumin, with a yield of 64.7%.

[0098] Comparative Example 5

[0099] This comparative example provides a method for preparing curcumin products by extracting turmeric raw materials. The specific method and the type of turmeric raw materials are basically the same as those in Example 3. The only difference is that the operation in step (1) of step 1 is adjusted as follows: the turmeric raw materials are soaked in water for 40 minutes and drained for 50 minutes to remove surface moisture. In the raw materials to be crushed, the weight gain rate of the part of the turmeric raw materials other than the epidermal layer is 4%, and the moisture content of the epidermal layer of the turmeric raw materials is 20%.

[0100] The final curcumin product contained 97.2% curcumin, with a yield of 58.4%.

[0101] Comparative Example 6

[0102] This comparative example provides a method for preparing curcumin products by extracting turmeric raw materials. The specific method and the type of turmeric raw materials are basically the same as those in Example 3. The only difference is that the operation in step (1) of step 1 is adjusted as follows: the turmeric raw materials are soaked in water for 20 minutes and drained for 10 minutes to remove surface moisture. In the raw materials to be crushed, the weight gain rate of the part of the turmeric raw materials other than the epidermal layer is 1.5%, and the moisture content of the epidermal layer of the turmeric raw materials is 25%.

[0103] The final curcumin product contained 97.4% curcumin, with a yield of 62.3%.

[0104] Comparative Example 7

[0105] This comparative example provides a method for preparing curcumin products by extracting turmeric raw materials. The specific method and the type of turmeric raw materials are basically the same as those in Example 4. The only difference is that the operation in step (2) of step 1 is adjusted to: use a hammer mill to crush the raw materials to be crushed through a 12-mesh sieve until the weight of the material passing through the sieve accounts for 90% of the initial weight of the turmeric raw materials.

[0106] The final curcumin product contained 92.6% curcumin, with a yield of 67.7%.

[0107] Although the present invention has been described in detail above with general descriptions and specific embodiments, modifications or improvements can be made to it, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, all such modifications or improvements made without departing from the spirit of the present invention fall within the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A pretreatment method for turmeric raw materials, characterized in that, include: (1) Adjust the moisture content of the turmeric raw material: The turmeric raw material is soaked in water to remove the surface moisture, and then the raw material to be crushed is obtained. The initial moisture content of the turmeric raw material, excluding the epidermal layer, is less than 5%. In the raw materials to be crushed, the weight gain rate of the part of the turmeric raw material other than the epidermal layer is less than 2%, and the moisture content of the epidermal layer of the turmeric raw material is 15-20%. (2) Crushing to obtain pretreated turmeric raw material: The weight of the component with a particle size ≤ 1.18 mm is 90-95% of the initial weight of the turmeric raw material. The component with a particle size of less than 1.18 mm is collected as the pretreated turmeric raw material.

2. The pretreatment method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The soaking time is 15-20 minutes.

3. The pretreatment method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Remove surface moisture by draining.

4. The pretreatment method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The draining time is 30-45 minutes.

5. The pretreatment method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The specific steps in step (2) of pulverizing to obtain pretreated turmeric raw material include: pulverizing the raw material to be pulverized through a 16-20 mesh sieve until the weight of the material passing through the sieve is 90-95% of the initial weight of the turmeric raw material, and collecting the pretreated turmeric raw material.

6. The application of the pretreatment method according to any one of claims 1-5 in the extraction of curcumin.

7. The application of the pretreatment method according to any one of claims 1-5 in improving the curcumin content and / or yield of turmeric extract, wherein the raw material for preparing the turmeric extract is turmeric raw material from different origins and / or different varieties.

8. The application of the pretreatment method according to any one of claims 1-5 in the preparation of spices or seasoning powders.

9. A method for extracting curcumin, characterized in that, Before extracting curcumin, the curcumin raw material is pretreated using the pretreatment method described in any one of claims 1-5.

10. The application of the method of claim 9 in the preparation of curcumin.

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