Abalone meal enriched in crude polysaccharides and uses thereof

Abstract

The application discloses abalone powder rich in crude polysaccharide and application thereof, the abalone powder has the sensory characteristics of "sweet taste", and simultaneously has high content of crude polysaccharide and taurine, the content of the crude polysaccharide in the abalone powder is 40-50% by mass, and the content of the taurine is 4-5% by mass, the abalone powder is prepared through the process of enzymolysis, centrifugation, ultrafiltration and the like on abalone viscera, wherein the crude polysaccharide and the taurine are obtained through one-step simultaneous extraction. The abalone powder can be used as a sweet-taste nutritional supplement in food, and can be used in food to simultaneously supplement "sweet taste", crude polysaccharide and taurine. In addition, the abalone powder rich in crude polysaccharide, scallop skirt and yeast extract are mixed together to prepare a flavoring sauce, and the flavoring sauce has the sensory characteristics similar to "dry abalone aroma". The application can realize low-cost and industrialized processing, and has wide application prospect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of marine biological product processing, and more specifically to abalone powder rich in crude polysaccharides and its uses. Background Technology

[0002] Abalone is a traditional and precious Chinese ingredient, prized for its rich umami flavor and tender texture. It is one of the eight most prized seafood delicacies and boasts extremely high nutritional value. Over the past decade, my country's abalone farming production has quadrupled. According to statistics from the 2023 China Fisheries Yearbook, my country's abalone farming production reached 228,000 tons, accounting for approximately 90% of the global total. Fujian Province alone produced 160,000 tons, representing 76% of the national output. my country's abalone industry has formed an integrated development model encompassing breeding, farming, processing, storage, and distribution, with an annual output value exceeding 40 billion yuan. With the expansion and extension of numerous upstream and downstream industries related to abalone, a marine blue industry chain worth hundreds of billions of yuan is rapidly emerging.

[0003] During abalone processing, abalone viscera, which accounts for nearly 20% of the total weight of abalone, are currently mainly used as animal feed, with a seasonal price of only 800-1000 yuan / ton. Abalone viscera contain a large number of beneficial functional and health-promoting components such as crude polysaccharides and taurine. Current extraction and production technologies have not solved the problem of achieving good sensory qualities in the product, thus restricting the high-value utilization of abalone viscera. Furthermore, after drying, the tissue structure of abalone changes. After rehydration, it becomes softer, more tender, and sweeter than fresh abalone, with a rich and enticing aroma. This has led to dried abalone holding a higher status than fresh abalone in Chinese cuisine, making it the most prized abalone product. However, currently industrially processed popular abalone dishes such as Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, abalone in abalone sauce, and soft-boiled abalone often use conventionally frozen abalone and generally lack the sensory characteristics of the traditional Chinese dish "dried abalone aroma."

[0004] Furthermore, existing extraction technologies typically yield products with limited or low extraction rates of active ingredients, making it difficult to simultaneously achieve efficient extraction of abalone polysaccharides and taurine. Even when multiple active substances can be extracted, the process often involves multiple steps, making it challenging to obtain multiple beneficial components in a single step. In addition to these drawbacks, another significant factor hindering the large-scale industrial production of abalone powder is the use of alcohol precipitation in existing methods to better separate these beneficial active substances. Alcohol precipitation involves ethanol, significantly increasing fire safety and explosion prevention costs and posing greater safety risks, thus limiting production. Therefore, this invention develops a novel method for large-scale abalone powder production to overcome these technical challenges. This method offers a simpler and safer approach, enabling the simultaneous and efficient extraction of abalone polysaccharides and taurine, resulting in abalone powder with a "sweet" sensory appeal. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide abalone powder rich in crude polysaccharides, its production method, and its uses.

[0006] To achieve the objectives of this invention, the present invention first provides abalone powder rich in crude polysaccharides, which has a "sweet" sensory characteristic. The abalone powder simultaneously contains high levels of both crude polysaccharides and taurine, with a crude polysaccharide content of 40-50% and a taurine content of 4-5%. The crude polysaccharides and taurine are obtained through a one-step simultaneous extraction process, and the production method includes the following steps:

[0007] Raw materials: Collect abalone viscera and form abalone viscera homogenate;

[0008] Enzymatic hydrolysis: Neutral protease was added to the abalone viscera homogenate and enzymatically hydrolyzed for 20-40 min at natural pH conditions of 50-55℃. The amount of neutral protease was 0.5-1.5% of the mass of the abalone viscera, and the hydrolysate was obtained.

[0009] Centrifugation: Pass the enzymatic hydrolysate into a centrifuge and centrifuge at 5000-9000 rpm, and collect the supernatant;

[0010] Ultrafiltration: The supernatant is filtered through an ultrafiltration membrane of 500,000-1,500,000 Da to obtain the ultrafiltration permeate;

[0011] Concentration under reduced pressure: The ultrafiltration permeate is concentrated to obtain a concentrated solution;

[0012] Spray drying: The concentrated liquid is spray dried to produce powder, thus obtaining the abalone powder rich in crude polysaccharides.

[0013] In the above technical solution, the concentration is further described as concentrating to 20-30°Bx at 60-80°C.

[0014] This invention also provides the use of the abalone powder rich in crude polysaccharides, which can be used in food as a sweet-tasting nutritional supplement, simultaneously providing "sweetness," crude polysaccharides, and taurine. The "sweetness" has a sweet taste similar to licorice, rather than the natural sweetness of abalone itself.

[0015] The present invention also provides a flavoring sauce, which has sensory characteristics similar to "dried abalone aroma". It contains scallop skirt, abalone powder rich in crude polysaccharides as described in any of the above claims, and yeast extract. The preparation method includes the following steps: collecting scallop skirt, adding water and stirring to form a homogenate, adding the abalone powder rich in crude polysaccharides and yeast extract and mixing evenly, heat reaction cooking, and high-temperature sterilization to form the flavoring sauce.

[0016] Furthermore, the mass ratio of the scallop skirt, abalone powder rich in crude polysaccharides, and yeast extract is 6:1:1.

[0017] Furthermore, the amount of water added to the mixture to form a homogenate is 4 to 6 times the mass of the scallop skirt; the thermal reaction cooking is carried out at 100°C and normal pressure to 30-40°Bx; and the high-temperature sterilization is carried out at 121°C for 20 to 30 minutes.

[0018] In the method of the present invention:

[0019] The primary purpose of enzymatic hydrolysis is to convert abalone viscera into an aqueous solution, facilitating subsequent separation, purification, and impurity removal. In this method, it is crucial to control the amount of enzyme added and the hydrolysis time. If the hydrolysis time is less than 20 minutes or the enzyme content is less than 0.5%, a homogeneous aqueous solution cannot be formed. By controlling the appropriate enzyme dosage and hydrolysis time, proteins can be restrictedly degraded into high-molecular-weight water-soluble protein peptides. This allows for the subsequent "centrifugation + ultrafiltration" technique to remove these high-molecular-weight protein peptides as much as possible, thereby increasing the crude polysaccharide content of the abalone. If the hydrolysis time exceeds 40 minutes or the enzyme content is greater than 1.5%, small-molecule protein peptides are formed, which cannot be effectively removed by the subsequent "centrifugation + ultrafiltration" technique, resulting in a low crude polysaccharide content in the final abalone powder.

[0020] Centrifugation is used to remove insoluble precipitates, lipids, and high-molecular-weight water-soluble protein peptides from the enzymatic hydrolysate. Selecting a centrifugation speed of 5000-9000 rpm is crucial, as this condition significantly affects the quality and properties of the resulting abalone powder (e.g., the crude polysaccharide content). When the centrifugation speed is below 5000 rpm, solid-liquid separation is not obvious, and the resulting supernatant is relatively turbid. Conversely, when a centrifugation speed is above 9000 rpm, the final abalone powder contains lower levels of crude polysaccharides and taurine.

[0021] Ultrafiltration enriches sweet-tasting components, crude polysaccharides, and taurine, while further removing impurities such as high-molecular-weight water-soluble protein peptides. Choosing an ultrafiltration membrane with a capacity of 500,000-1,500,000 Da is crucial, and the ultrafiltration permeate is collected. Using an ultrafiltration membrane with a capacity below 500,000 Da results in membrane clogging, slow filtration speed, and difficulty in achieving rapid production; while using an ultrafiltration membrane with a capacity above 1,500,000 Da results in a low crude polysaccharide content in the final abalone powder. This step simultaneously enriches both crude polysaccharides and taurine, achieving simultaneous extraction of two active substances in the same step. Subsequent concentration and drying yield the product. This eliminates the need for step-by-step extraction of different active substances as in existing methods, enabling simpler and more efficient production.

[0022] The purpose of vacuum concentration is to concentrate the ultrafiltration permeate, preferably by concentrating the ultrafiltration permeate to 20-30°Bx at 60-80°C to obtain a concentrated solution.

[0023] The purpose of spray drying is to pulverize the concentrated liquid into abalone powder.

[0024] The thermal reaction involves mixing scallop skirt, abalone powder, and yeast extract, then cooking and sterilizing at high temperatures to create a flavoring sauce with an aroma similar to dried abalone. The aroma is produced by the thermal reaction and sterilization of these three components. This is related to the content of crude polysaccharides and taurine in the selected abalone powder. When the content of crude polysaccharides and taurine in the abalone powder is within the range described in this invention, a distinct dried abalone aroma can be produced. Preferably, the mass ratio of scallop skirt, abalone powder, and yeast extract is 6:1:1. The amount of water added to the homogenized mixture is 4-6 times the mass of the scallop skirt. The thermal reaction is carried out at 100°C and normal pressure to 30-40°Bx, and the high-temperature sterilization is carried out at 121°C for 20-30 minutes.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the inventiveness and advantages of this invention are reflected in:

[0026] 1) This invention innovatively discovers that abalone viscera, processed using the combined technology of "enzymatic hydrolysis + centrifugation + ultrafiltration," yields abalone powder containing high levels of both crude polysaccharides and taurine. The crude polysaccharide content is 40-50%, and the taurine content reaches 4-5%. This method overcomes the technical shortcomings of existing technologies that use alcohol precipitation to obtain abalone polysaccharides, which are difficult to apply industrially due to fire safety and explosion-proof requirements. It employs a simpler technology—the combined process of "enzymatic hydrolysis + centrifugation + ultrafiltration"—and its parameter control completely replaces the alcohol precipitation method. This overcomes the explosion-proof issues associated with alcohol precipitation while simultaneously extracting crude polysaccharides and taurine, resulting in abalone powder rich in both. This technology is easier to implement in production, enabling low-cost, industrialized processing with broad application prospects.

[0027] 2) This invention creatively discovers that abalone powder obtained by processing abalone viscera using the combined technology of "enzymatic hydrolysis + centrifugation + ultrafiltration" is rich in abalone polysaccharides and taurine, and has a sweet taste. This is completely different from abalone powder produced by traditional processes or existing reports, and has better nutritional benefits. It is also a necessary prerequisite for subsequent processing into a flavoring sauce with a unique dried abalone aroma. It should be specifically noted that the "sweet taste" described in this application has a sweetness similar to licorice, rather than the natural sweetness of abalone.

[0028] 3) The present invention adds the abalone powder rich in crude polysaccharides as a raw material to nutritional and health foods, which can simultaneously supplement the "sweetness", crude polysaccharides and taurine, and has significant effects.

[0029] 4) The present invention also creatively discovers that by heating and boiling the scallop skirt, the abalone powder, and the yeast extract, and sterilizing them at high temperature, a similar aroma to dried abalone will be produced. This technology can achieve low-cost and industrialized processing and has broad application prospects.

[0030] 5) The flavoring sauce with similar sensory characteristics to "dried abalone aroma" described in this invention is added as a raw and auxiliary material to abalone pre-cooked dishes. Unlike existing products, it supplements the nutritional and functional components of abalone crude polysaccharide and taurine, and also gives it good sensory characteristics similar to "dried abalone aroma", which significantly improves the product quality.

[0031] 6) In addition, the present invention can also effectively utilize by-product resources such as abalone viscera and scallop skirts to increase added value. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the preparation process of abalone powder in this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the embodiments. It should be understood that the embodiments of the present invention are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Where specific techniques or conditions are not specified in the embodiments, they shall be performed in accordance with the techniques or conditions described in the literature in the art or in accordance with the product instructions. Where the manufacturers of the reagents or instruments used are not specified, they are all conventional products that can be obtained commercially.

[0034] Example 1: Production Test of Abalone Powder Rich in Crude Polysaccharides

[0035] The production test was completed at Putian Xinshan Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

[0036] Using the method of this invention, 14 tons of abalone viscera were collected during the abalone slaughtering process at an abalone factory. Water was added and the mixture was homogenized into an abalone viscera homogenate. 1% (by weight) of neutral protease was added to the homogenate, and the mixture was hydrolyzed for 30 minutes at a natural pH of 50-55°C to obtain an enzymatic hydrolysate. This hydrolysate was then centrifuged at 7000 rpm, and the supernatant was collected. The supernatant was filtered through a 1,000,000 Da ultrafiltration membrane to obtain an ultrafiltration permeate. This permeate was concentrated to 20-30°Bx at 70°C to obtain a concentrated solution, which was then spray-dried to obtain 1.1 tons of abalone powder.

[0037] The abalone powder obtained in Example 1 was tested according to the detection method of Part I of the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (i.e., the phenol-sulfuric acid method for determining polysaccharide content). The test results showed that the crude polysaccharide content in the abalone powder was 49%. This test was completed and a test report was issued by CTI Group Co., Ltd., as shown in Table 1.

[0038] Table 1. Test Results

[0039]

[0040] The taurine content of the abalone powder obtained in Example 1 was tested according to the second method of GB 5009.169-2016. The test result showed that the taurine content in the abalone powder was 4.93 × 10⁻⁶. 3 mg / 100g, this test was conducted by SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services Co., Ltd. Guangzhou Branch and a test report was issued, see Table 2;

[0041] Table 2. Test Results: Physicochemical Tests

[0042]

[0043] The abalone powder obtained in Example 1 was tested according to the protein content detection method of GB5009.5-2016, Method 1. The result showed that the protein content in the abalone powder was 46.4 g / 100g. The fat content in the abalone powder was tested according to the fat content detection method of GB5009.6-2016, Method 2. The result showed that the fat content in the abalone powder was 0.2 g / 100g. The total carbohydrate content in the abalone powder was 40.6 g / 100g according to GB28050-2011. The tests were conducted by Qingdao Huace Testing Technology Co., Ltd., and a test report was issued, as shown in Table 3.

[0044] Table 3. Test Results

[0045]

[0046] Sensory evaluation: 200 first-batch trial customers were selected to conduct sensory evaluation. The abalone powder produced was dissolved in drinking water and consumed (5g of abalone powder dissolved in about 200mL of drinking water). The 200 first-batch trial customers unanimously reported that the abalone powder produced had the following characteristics: completely soluble in water, basically no fishy smell, and a significantly sweet taste similar to licorice.

[0047] Example 2: Pilot production of a flavored sauce with sensory characteristics similar to "dried abalone aroma"

[0048] The pilot production was completed at Putian Xinshan Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

[0049] Collect 6 kg of scallop skirts from the scallop slaughtering and processing process at the scallop factory, add 30 kg of water and stir into a homogenate, add 1 kg of abalone powder produced in Example 1 and 1 kg of yeast extract commercially available from Angel Yeast Company, mix evenly, heat react and cook at 100°C and normal pressure to 35°Bx, and sterilize at 121°C for 25 min to obtain the flavored sauce.

[0050] Sensory evaluation: Commercially available dried abalone was sliced ​​and ground into dried abalone powder using a grinder. Sensory comparison was conducted with the flavoring sauce prepared in the pilot test, and it was found that the two had similar dried abalone aroma.

[0051] Example 3: Preparation of Functional Health Food from Abalone Powder Using its "Sweet Taste" Sensory Property

[0052] The abalone powder with a "sweet" sensory characteristic produced in Example 1 is added to functional health foods as a raw material to obtain functional health foods rich in abalone polysaccharides. Adding the abalone powder produced in this invention to functional health foods can supplement abalone polysaccharides and taurine, thereby exerting beneficial health effects and also giving the products a sweet taste, thus increasing their commercial value.

[0053] Example 4: Preparing abalone dishes using a flavoring sauce with sensory characteristics similar to "dried abalone aroma".

[0054] The flavoring sauce with sensory characteristics similar to "dried abalone aroma" produced in the pilot production of Example 2 was added as a raw material to the abalone pre-cooked dish, resulting in an abalone pre-cooked dish rich in abalone crude polysaccharides. Unlike existing abalone pre-cooked dish products, this invention's abalone pre-cooked dish rich in abalone crude polysaccharides enhances the aroma of dried abalone, improves quality, and has greater commercial value.

[0055] Comparative Example 1: Pilot Production Test of Abalone Powder

[0056] The pilot production test was completed at Putian Xinshan Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

[0057] Using the method of this invention, 100 kg of abalone viscera from the abalone slaughtering process in an abalone factory are collected, water is added and the mixture is stirred into a homogenate of abalone viscera. 1.5% of the weight of neutral protease of abalone viscera is added to the homogenate of abalone viscera, and the mixture is enzymatically hydrolyzed for 40 min at natural pH conditions of 50-55°C to obtain an enzymatic hydrolysate. The enzymatic hydrolysate is then centrifuged at 9200 rpm, and the supernatant is collected. The supernatant is then filtered through a 1.5 million Da ultrafiltration membrane to obtain an ultrafiltration permeate. The ultrafiltration permeate is concentrated to 20-30°Bx at 70°C to obtain a concentrated solution, which is then spray-dried to obtain 8.6 kg of abalone powder.

[0058] The abalone powder obtained in Comparative Example 1 was tested according to the testing methods in Part I of the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The test results showed that the polysaccharide content in the abalone powder was 15.6%. This test was conducted by SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services Co., Ltd. Guangzhou Branch, and a test report was issued, as shown in Table 4.1. The polysaccharide content of the abalone powder obtained by this method is significantly lower than that in Example 1.

[0059] The taurine content of the abalone powder obtained in Comparative Example 1 was tested according to the second method of GB 5009.169-2016. The test result showed that the taurine content in the abalone powder was 602 mg / 100g. This test was conducted by SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services Co., Ltd. Guangzhou Branch, and a test report was issued, as shown in Table 4.1. The taurine content of the abalone powder obtained by this method is significantly lower than that in Example 1.

[0060] Referring to the protein molecular weight distribution detection method in GB 31645-2018, the abalone powder obtained in Comparative Example 1 was tested. The results showed that the total average molecular weight (number average molecular weight) of the protein in the abalone powder was 1037.06, and the relative percentage of peptides with a relative molecular mass of 189-10000 was 86.55%. This test was conducted by SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services Co., Ltd. Guangzhou Branch, and a test report was issued, as shown in Tables 4.1 and 4.2. The abalone powder obtained by this method contains a large number of small molecule peptides, thus significantly reducing the polysaccharide content of the abalone powder.

[0061] Table 4.1, Test Results: Physicochemical Tests

[0062] ;

[0063] Table 4.2:

[0064]

[0065] Comparative Example 2: Pilot-scale production test of abalone viscera directly filtered through an ultrafiltration membrane after enzymatic hydrolysis.

[0066] The pilot production test was completed at Putian Xinshan Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

[0067] Using the method of this invention, 10 kg of abalone viscera from the abalone slaughtering process in an abalone factory is collected, water is added and the mixture is stirred into a homogenate of abalone viscera. 1% of the weight of neutral protease of abalone viscera is added to the homogenate of abalone viscera, and the mixture is enzymatically hydrolyzed for 30 min at a temperature of 50-55°C and natural pH conditions to obtain an enzymatic hydrolysate. The enzymatic hydrolysate is then filtered through a 1 million Da ultrafiltration membrane. It was found that the membrane is easily clogged and the filtration speed is slow, making it difficult to achieve rapid production. Furthermore, the ultrafiltration membrane is severely fouled and difficult to clean. Therefore, the method of directly passing the enzymatic hydrolysate through the ultrafiltration membrane is ruled out.

[0068] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for producing abalone powder rich in crude polysaccharides, characterized in that, The method achieves simultaneous extraction of crude polysaccharides and taurine from abalone powder in one step, and the resulting abalone powder has a "sweet taste" sensory characteristic, while also possessing high content of crude polysaccharides and taurine. This "sweet taste" is similar to the sweetness of licorice, rather than the natural sweetness of abalone. By weight, the abalone powder contains 40-50% crude polysaccharides and 4-5% taurine. The production method includes: Raw materials: Collect abalone viscera and form abalone viscera homogenate; Enzymatic hydrolysis: Neutral protease was added to the abalone viscera homogenate and enzymatically hydrolyzed at natural pH conditions of 50-55℃ for 20-40 minutes. The amount of neutral protease was 0.5-1.5% of the mass of the abalone viscera, and the hydrolysate was obtained. Centrifugation: Pass the enzymatic hydrolysate into a centrifuge and centrifuge at 5000-9000 rpm, and collect the supernatant; Ultrafiltration: The supernatant is filtered through an ultrafiltration membrane of 500,000-1,500,000 Da to obtain the ultrafiltration permeate; Concentration under reduced pressure: The ultrafiltration permeate is concentrated to obtain a concentrated solution; Spray drying: The concentrated liquid is spray dried to produce powder, thus obtaining the abalone powder rich in crude polysaccharides.

2. The method for producing abalone powder rich in crude polysaccharides according to claim 1, characterized in that, The concentration is achieved by concentrating to 20-30°Bx at 60-80°C.

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