Method for improving bitter taste of ligusticum wallichii by utilizing microbial fermentation

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for improving bitter taste of ligusticum wallichii by utilizing microbial fermentation. The method comprises the following steps: selecting fermentation microorganisms according to the principle that the ligusticum wallichii has growth ability in a Chinese herbal medicine environment and metabolites of the ligusticum wallichii are non-toxic; ligusticum wallichii is treated, and a fermentation substrate is prepared; respectively activating the selected fermentation microorganisms to obtain seed liquid of all the fermentation microorganisms; respectively inoculating the seed liquid of the fermentation microorganisms obtained after activating treatment into a fermentation substrate, and fermenting to obtain a plurality of groups of samples after fermentation treatment of the fermentation microorganisms; and performing bitter taste detection on the multiple groups of samples to determine the optimal microorganism variety for improving the bitter taste of ligusticum wallichii. The method disclosed by the invention is good in applicability, can be applied to a decoction and can also be applied to various scenes such as a water extract; strain selection is reasonable, and an optimal scheme can be determined by matching with a screening method; the method is simple to operate, low in cost, free of complex equipment and expensive reagents, easy to produce, popularize and apply on a large scale, environment-friendly and good in application prospect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of Chinese herbal medicine processing, and relates to a method for improving the bitter taste of chuanxiong by utilizing microbial fermentation. Background Art

[0002] In the application of traditional Chinese herbal medicine, although it has significant advantages in treating various diseases, many Chinese herbal medicines often have a strong bitter taste, which greatly affects the patient's medication compliance, especially for children, the elderly or patients who are sensitive to bitterness. In order to improve this situation, various methods are constantly being explored and tried, but the commonly used methods to reduce the bitterness of Chinese herbal medicines, such as adding flavoring agents, often bring some side effects, such as affecting the efficacy of Chinese herbal medicines or introducing other undesirable ingredients.

[0003] With the continuous development of biotechnology, microbial fermentation technology has provided new ideas and ways to improve the bitterness of Chinese herbal medicine. The Chinese herbal medicine Chuanxiong is a blood-activating and stasis-removing medicine. It is the dried rhizome of the Umbelliferae plant Chuanxiong. It has the effects of promoting blood circulation and qi, dispelling wind and relieving pain. It can reduce the content of dynorphin A in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid caused by cerebral ischemia, improve cerebral ischemic damage, and relieve pulmonary hypertension. At the same time, Chuanxiong has a strong and special aroma, bitter, spicy, slightly sweet, and a numbing tongue.

[0004] Therefore, a method that can effectively improve the bitter taste of Chuanxiong without affecting its efficacy is of great practical significance. Summary of the invention

[0005] Due to the above-mentioned defects in the prior art, the present invention provides a method that can effectively improve the bitterness of Chuanxiong without affecting its medicinal efficacy, specifically a method for improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation, which overcomes the defect of lack of a method for effectively improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong without affecting the medicinal efficacy of Chuanxiong.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] A method for improving the bitter taste of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation comprises the following steps:

[0008] S1. Fermentation microorganisms are selected based on the principle that they have the ability to grow in the environment of Chinese herbal medicine and their metabolites are non-toxic;

[0009] S2, treating Chuanxiong to obtain a fermentation substrate;

[0010] S3, respectively activating the fermentation microorganisms selected in S1 to obtain seed liquids of all fermentation microorganisms;

[0011] S4, inoculating the seed liquid of the fermentation microorganism obtained after the activation treatment in S3 into the fermentation substrate and fermenting it, so as to obtain multiple groups of samples after the fermentation treatment of each fermentation microorganism;

[0012] S5. Conduct bitterness test on multiple groups of samples obtained in S4 to determine the best microbial species for improving the bitter taste of Chuanxiong.

[0013] The method of the present invention for improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by utilizing microbial fermentation comprises the following steps: screening fermentation microorganisms, fermenting fermentation substrates (processed Chuanxiong products) respectively, testing the bitterness of each group of samples, and then determining the best fermentation microorganism; the method is simple to operate and has good applicability, and can be applied not only to decoctions but also to various scenarios such as water extracts; the method opens up a new path for the application of Chuanxiong, and is expected to improve people's acceptance of Chuanxiong and further expand the application of Chuanxiong.

[0014] As the preferred technical solution:

[0015] In the above-mentioned method of improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation, the fermentation microorganisms selected in S1 are yeast, lactic acid bacteria, kombucha and sphaerocephala. These fermentation strains enrich the means of improving the bitterness of Chinese herbal medicines. Among them, yeast has a wide range of metabolic capabilities and can produce a variety of beneficial metabolites during the fermentation process to cleverly transform the components of Chinese herbal medicines; lactic acid bacteria are well known for their wide application in the field of fermented foods and can change the taste of Chinese herbal medicines by producing organic acids to adjust the taste; kombucha is rich in a variety of beneficial microorganisms and can interact with Chinese herbal medicines to bring unique health benefits while reducing bitterness; sphaerocephala can produce unique flavor substances during the fermentation process, which can give Chinese herbal medicines a new flavor and has potential value in improving the bitterness of Chinese herbal medicines.

[0016] As described above, a method for improving the bitter taste of Chuanxiong by utilizing microbial fermentation, the treatment in S2 refers to making Chuanxiong into a decoction (adding water to the Chinese herbal medicine and boiling it so that the active ingredients in the herbal medicine are fully dissolved in the water, and the liquid obtained by filtering is the decoction) or a pure dew (extracting the aromatic substances and active ingredients in the Chinese herbal medicine through methods such as distillation). Different treatment processes have different applicability, which can better give full play to its medicinal and cosmetic value.

[0017] In the method of improving the bitter taste of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation as described above, the activation treatment steps of the yeast are specifically as follows: using YEPD culture medium, high pressure sterilization at 121°C for 20 minutes, inoculating the culture medium with 3-6% inoculation amount, and shaking culture at 30-35°C and 160-200rpm for 24-48 hours.

[0018] In the method of improving the bitter taste of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation as described above, the activation treatment steps of lactic acid bacteria are as follows: using MRS culture medium, high pressure sterilization at 121°C for 20 minutes, inoculating the culture medium with 3-6% inoculation amount, and culturing at 35-40°C for 24-48 hours.

[0019] In the method of improving the bitter taste of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation as described above, the activation treatment steps of the kombucha are specifically as follows: using YEPD culture medium, high pressure sterilization at 121°C for 20 minutes, inoculating the culture medium with an inoculum amount of 3-6%, and shaking culture at 30-35°C and 160-200rpm for 24-48 hours.

[0020] In the method of improving the bitter taste of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation as described above, the activation treatment steps of the Aspergillus niger are specifically as follows: scrape the spores of the Aspergillus niger preserved on the slant, inoculate them into malt extract broth (MEB) liquid culture medium, place them in a shaker box at 25~30℃ and culture at 160~200 rpm for 2~4 d (days), and obtain a Aspergillus niger suspension.

[0021] In the above-mentioned method for improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation, the bitterness detection is performed by combining sensory evaluation (bitterness scoring by professional sensory evaluators) and electronic tongue.

[0022] The method for improving the bitter taste of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation as described above, wherein the best microbial species for improving the bitter taste of Chuanxiong is Eurotium cristatum.

[0023] The above technical solution is only a feasible technical solution of the present invention, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can reasonably adjust the specific design according to actual needs.

[0024] The above invention has the following advantages or beneficial effects:

[0025] (1) The method of improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation of the present invention comprises the following steps: screening fermentation microorganisms, fermenting the fermentation substrate (the processed product of Chuanxiong) respectively, testing the bitterness of each group of samples, and then determining the best fermentation microorganism. The method is simple to operate and has good applicability. The method can be applied not only to decoctions, but also to make the decoctions taste milder and improve the comfort of patients. The method can also be applied to various scenarios such as water extracts, providing a new idea for the processing of Chinese herbal medicines in different dosage forms.

[0026] (2) The method of improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation of the present invention is innovative in the selection of bacterial species. Four specific bacterial species, namely yeast, lactic acid bacteria, kombucha and Eurotium cristatum, are used for microbial fermentation, which enriches the means of improving the bitterness of Chinese herbal medicines. Yeast can produce a variety of metabolites and skillfully transform the components of Chinese herbal medicines. Lactic acid bacteria regulate the taste by producing organic acids. Kombucha brings unique health benefits while reducing bitterness. Eurotium cristatum gives Chinese herbal medicines a new flavor. Compared with a single bacterial species or a combination of traditional bacterial species, the bacterial species combination of the present invention has more advantages;

[0027] (3) The method of improving the bitter taste of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation of the present invention has opened up a new way for the application of Chuanxiong, which is expected to increase people's acceptance of Chuanxiong and further expand the application of Chuanxiong;

[0028] (4) The method of improving the bitter taste of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation of the present invention is simple to operate, low in cost, does not require complex equipment and expensive reagents, is easy to mass produce and promote for application, is environmentally friendly, does not produce harmful substances, and has good application prospects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The present invention and its features, appearance and advantages will become more apparent by reading the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the following drawings. The same reference numerals indicate the same parts in all the drawings. The drawings are not drawn to scale, and emphasis is placed on illustrating the subject matter of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 1 Electronic tongue radar chart of Chuanxiong pure dew fermented by yeast;

[0031] Figure 2 This is the electronic tongue radar image of the water decoction of Chuanxiong fermented by yeast;

[0032] Figure 3 This is the electronic tongue radar chart of Chuanxiong pure dew fermented by lactic acid bacteria;

[0033] Figure 4 This is the electronic tongue radar chart of the water decoction of Chuanxiong fermented by lactic acid bacteria;

[0034] Figure 5 This is the electronic tongue radar chart of Chuanxiong pure dew fermented with kombucha;

[0035] Figure 6 This is the electronic tongue radar image of the water decoction of Chuanxiong fermented with kombucha;

[0036] Figure 7 This is the electronic tongue radar chart of Chuanxiong pure dew fermented by Eurotium cristatum;

[0037] Figure 8 This is the electronic tongue radar chart of the water decoction of Chuanxiong fermented with Eurotium cristatum. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but they are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0039] A method for improving the bitterness of Chinese herbal medicine by using microbial fermentation, comprising the following steps:

[0040] S1: Select yeast, lactic acid bacteria, kombucha and Eurotium cristatum as fermentation strains;

[0041] S2: Treatment of Chuanxiong fermentation substrate, i.e., Chuanxiong decoction and Chuanxiong pure dew:

[0042] Chuanxiong decoction: Choose high-quality Chuanxiong herbs, make sure they are dry, free of mold and impurities, put an appropriate amount of Chuanxiong in a casserole, add enough water, generally 2 to 3 cm above the surface of the herbs. Then boil the water over high heat, turn to low heat and slowly boil, stirring from time to time. After boiling for a period of time, wait for the liquid to be concentrated, usually about one-third of the original water volume, turn off the heat and let the liquid cool slightly, filter the liquid with a filter or gauze, remove the residue, and the clear liquid obtained is the Chuanxiong decoction;

[0043] Chuanxiong Hydrosol: Prepare fresh Chuanxiong herbs, ensure that they are of good quality, free of mold and impurities, prepare hydrosol distillation equipment, add an appropriate amount of pure water, heat the distillation kettle, and gradually heat the water to boiling. During the heating process, the aromatic substances and water-soluble components in Chuanxiong will evaporate along with the water vapor. When the water vapor passes through the condenser, it will be cooled and condensed into liquid, flowing into the collection container. The liquid is Chuanxiong Hydrosol;

[0044] S3: Activated strains: Yeast activation: Use YEPD medium, sterilize at 121℃ for 20 minutes, inoculate the medium at 3~6% inoculation, and shake culture at 30~35℃ and 160~200rpm for 24~48 hours;

[0045] Activation of lactic acid bacteria: Use MRS medium, sterilize at 121℃ for 20 minutes, inoculate the medium at 3~6% inoculation rate, and culture statically at 35~40℃ for 24~48 hours;

[0046] Activation of Kombucha: Use YEPD medium, sterilize at 121℃ for 20 minutes, inoculate the medium at 3~6%, and shake culture at 30~35℃ and 160~200 rpm for 24~48 hours;

[0047] Activation of Eurotium cristatum: Scrape the spores of the Eurotium cristatum preserved on the slant, inoculate them into malt extract broth (MEB) liquid culture medium, place them in a shaker at 25-30°C and 160-200 rpm for 2-4 days to obtain a suspension of Eurotium cristatum;

[0048] S4: inoculating the seed liquid of the fermented microorganism obtained after the activation treatment in S3 into the water decoction of Chuanxiong and the pure dew of Chuanxiong respectively and fermenting them, so as to obtain multiple groups of samples after the fermentation treatment of each fermented microorganism;

[0049] S5: Quality testing: The bitterness of multiple groups of samples was tested by combining sensory evaluation (bitterness scoring by professional sensory evaluators) and electronic tongue to determine the best microbial species to improve the bitterness of Chuanxiong.

[0050] The sensory evaluation table of unfermented Chuanxiong decoction and fermented Chuanxiong decoction by various strains is as follows:

[0051]

[0052] The electronic tongue radar images of the water decoction of Chuanxiong fermented by yeast, lactic acid bacteria, red tea fungus, and Eurotium cristatum are shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 , 4 , 6, 8;

[0053] The sensory evaluation table of unfermented Chuanxiong pure dew and fermented Chuanxiong pure dew by various strains is as follows:

[0054]

[0055] The electronic tongue radar images of Chuanxiong pure dew fermented by yeast, lactic acid bacteria, red tea fungus, and Eurotium cristatum are as follows: Figure 1 , 3 , 5, and 7 as shown.

[0056] Analysis of the above data shows that all four strains have improved the bitterness of decoctions and hydrosols, and Eurotium cristobalis is the best strain, as evidenced by both sensory evaluation and electronic tongue evaluation. The bitterness of the decoctions and hydrosols after fermentation was greatly reduced, with the bitterness of the decoction reduced by 76% and the bitterness of the hydrosol reduced by 64%.

[0057] Those skilled in the art should understand that those skilled in the art can implement variations by combining the prior art and the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here. Such variations do not affect the essential content of the present invention, and will not be described in detail here.

[0058] The above describes the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned specific embodiments, and the devices and structures that are not described in detail should be understood to be implemented in a common manner in the art; any technician familiar with the art can use the above-disclosed methods and technical contents to make many possible changes and modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, or modify them into equivalent embodiments of equivalent changes, which does not affect the essential content of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solutions of the present invention are still within the scope of protection of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1. Fermentation microorganisms are selected based on the principle that they have the ability to grow in the environment of Chinese herbal medicine and their metabolites are non-toxic; S2, treating Chuanxiong to obtain a fermentation substrate; S3, respectively activating the fermentation microorganisms selected in S1 to obtain seed liquids of all fermentation microorganisms; S4, inoculating the seed liquid of the fermentation microorganism obtained after the activation treatment in S3 into the fermentation substrate and fermenting it, so as to obtain multiple groups of samples after the fermentation treatment of each fermentation microorganism; S5. Conduct bitterness test on multiple groups of samples obtained in S4 to determine the best microbial species for improving the bitter taste of Chuanxiong.

2. The method for improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fermentation microorganisms selected by S1 are yeast, lactic acid bacteria, kombucha and Eurotium cristatum.

3. The method for improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The processing in S2 refers to preparing Chuanxiong into a decoction or a pure dew.

4. The method for improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation according to claim 2, characterized in that: The specific steps of yeast activation treatment are: use YEPD culture medium, high pressure sterilization at 121°C for 20 minutes, inoculate the culture medium with 3~6% inoculation, and shake culture at 30~35°C and 160~200rpm for 24~48 hours.

5. The method for improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation according to claim 2, characterized in that: The specific steps of the activation treatment of lactic acid bacteria are: use MRS culture medium, high pressure sterilization at 121°C for 20 minutes, inoculate the culture medium with 3~6% inoculation, and culture at 35~40°C for 24~48 hours.

6. The method of improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation according to claim 2, characterized in that: The specific steps for the activation treatment of kombucha are: use YEPD culture medium, high pressure sterilization at 121°C for 20 minutes, inoculate the culture medium with a 3-6% inoculation rate, and shake culture at 30-35°C and 160-200rpm for 24-48 hours.

7. The method of improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation according to claim 2, characterized in that: The specific steps of the activation treatment of the crown-like spores are as follows: scrape the spores of the crown-like spores preserved on the slant, inoculate them into the malt extract broth liquid culture medium, place them in a shaking box at 25~30℃ and 160~200 rpm for 2~4 days, and obtain the crown-like spores suspension.

8. The method of improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bitter taste detection is carried out by combining sensory evaluation and electronic tongue.

9. The method for improving the bitterness of Chuanxiong by using microbial fermentation according to claim 2, characterized in that: The best microbial species for improving the bitter taste of Chuanxiong is Eurotium cristatum.

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