A method for preparing a pollen and carotenoid composition and its application.

Abstract

This invention discloses a method for preparing a pollen and carotenoid composition and its application. The composition is prepared using the following raw materials in parts by weight: 100-10000 parts bee pollen and 0.1-100 parts carotenoids. The carotenoid crystals are then processed into carotenoid microcapsule powder using food colloids or similar methods at 50-70°C. The bee pollen and carotenoid microcapsule powder can be directly mixed to prepare solid beverages, hard capsules, etc.; alternatively, bee pollen can be granulated by adding 5-10% povidone solution, then mixed with the microcapsule powder raw material and excipients, and prepared into tablets under 5-15 kN pressure. The product obtained by this invention exhibits significantly improved storage and delivery stability in the combined application of carotenoid and pollen raw materials, effectively improving and expanding the application scenarios and synergistic effects of the two functional raw materials. It is suitable for the industrial production and functional creation applications of these two related raw materials.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of food and food processing technology, and more specifically to a method for preparing and applying a pollen and carotenoid composition. Background Technology

[0002] Pollen is a traditional health food ingredient in my country, rich in functional substances including proteins, vitamins, and flavonoids. It also contains bioactive components such as enzymes, which can regulate various bodily functions, balance nutrition, and enhance metabolism, making it an excellent raw material for functional product development. Carotenoids, on the other hand, are a class of natural pigments composed of isoprene units, possessing bright colors such as yellow, orange, and red. They are a major source of vitamin A in the body and also have antioxidant, immune-regulating, anti-cancer, and anti-aging effects. However, their conjugated double bond structure makes them highly susceptible to inactivation by light, heat, and oxygen, significantly impacting their processing and nutritional value.

[0003] In practical applications, it has been found that when pollen, especially pollen with broken cell walls, comes into contact with carotenoid raw materials, the degradation of carotenoid functional components is significantly accelerated due to the possible effects of pollen active enzymes and metal ions. This degradation process is further exacerbated after tableting. Currently, conventional microencapsulation focuses more on water dispersibility and particle size. While the stability of the powder alone meets requirements, contact with pollen, which affects stability, still promotes the degradation of microencapsulated carotenoids. In tableting processes, this can even lead to microcapsule rupture, pigment dissolution, and tablet staining. There is no significant improvement in this type of degradation phenomenon in powder and tablet applications, greatly reducing the application value of both. CN201911087043.7 states that in the processing of carotenoid raw materials, oils are added to increase the dispersibility of carotenoid raw materials, and a large amount of quaternary ammonium compounds are added. The presence of oils affects the strength of microcapsule powder particles, making them prone to rupture and oil dissolution under external forces. While the presence of some synthetic reagents improves processing characteristics, consumers are now demanding more from processing raw materials under the current clean label requirements.

[0004] Therefore, this invention addresses the phenomenon that carotenoid functional raw materials are easily degraded and lost, and that the degradation trend increases significantly after being blended with sensitive raw materials such as pollen. It proposes a solution for carotenoid microencapsulation, which is green, efficient, has high ingredient acceptability, and is highly feasible for industrialization. This improves the quality of the joint application of carotenoids and sensitive degradable raw materials such as pollen, expands application scenarios, and achieves synergistic effects and other health benefits. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a method for preparing a pollen and carotenoid composition and its application. The product obtained by the present invention exhibits significantly improved storage and delivery stability when used in conjunction with carotenoid raw materials and pollen raw materials, effectively improving and expanding the application scenarios and synergistic effects of the two functional raw materials, and is suitable for the industrial production and functional creation applications of the two related raw materials.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A method for preparing a pollen and carotenoid composition includes the following steps:

[0008] (1) Carotenoid crystals were prepared into carotenoid microcapsule powder by passing food colloids and functional ingredients at 50-70℃;

[0009] (2) Bee pollen and carotenoid microcapsule powder are directly mixed to prepare solid beverages, hard capsules and other products;

[0010] or,

[0011] 0.1-5% povidone is added to bee pollen for granulation, then mixed with carotenoid microcapsule powder and excipients, and finally compressed into tablets.

[0012] Preferably, the pollen and carotenoid composition comprises, by weight, 100-10000 parts bee pollen and 0.1-100 parts carotenoids.

[0013] More preferably, the pollen and carotenoid composition comprises, by weight, 200-5000 parts bee pollen and 1-80 parts carotenoids.

[0014] Preferably, the carotenoid crystals include one or more of β-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin.

[0015] Preferably, the food colloid includes one or more of gum arabic, flaxseed gum, seaweed gum, and chia seed gum.

[0016] Preferably, the functional components include plant proteins and / or plant phenols and / or modified polysaccharides.

[0017] Preferably, the plant protein includes soybean protein, flaxseed protein, sesame protein, pea protein, and related legume and oilseed proteins; the plant phenols include sea buckthorn flavonoids, linolenic acid, rapeseed polyphenol-related flavonoids, phenolic acids, and lignin phenolic components; the modified polysaccharide includes water-soluble resistant cellulose, resistant starch, cyclodextrin, low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose, and calcium carboxymethyl cellulose.

[0018] Preferably, the preparation in step (1) is carried out by spray granulation at 50-70°C and 10-25 bar.

[0019] More preferably, the preparation in step (1) is carried out by spray granulation at 50-60°C and 15-20 bar.

[0020] Preferably, the particle size of the carotenoid microcapsule powder is 0.15-0.85 mm.

[0021] More preferably, the particle size of the carotenoid microcapsule powder is 0.25-0.425 mm.

[0022] Preferably, the granulation in step (3) involves preparing a 5-10% aqueous solution of povidone and then adding bee pollen for granulation at a temperature of 40-60°C.

[0023] More preferably, the granulation temperature is 45-50℃.

[0024] Preferably, the excipients in step (3) include one or more of microcrystalline cellulose, modified polysaccharides, magnesium stearate, and silicon dioxide, and the pressing pressure is 5-15 KN.

[0025] More preferably, the pressing pressure is 6-12 kN.

[0026] Another object of the present invention is to provide the application of the product obtained by the above-described method for preparing the pollen and carotenoid composition in food and pharmaceuticals.

[0027] As can be seen from the above technical solution, compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following technical effects:

[0028] This invention addresses the limitation of carotenoid raw materials, which, even after conventional microencapsulation, do not show significant improvement in their accelerated degradation when in contact with pro-oxidative degradation functional materials such as pollen, thus hindering their application. By leveraging the emulsifying, antioxidant, and physical encapsulation properties of plant gums, plant proteins, and plant polyphenols, this invention provides comprehensive physical and chemical protection for carotenoid raw materials. It avoids solvents, quaternary ammonium salts, and other consumer-sensitive raw materials. The process can achieve complete industrial production at relatively low temperatures, making it green, efficient, and friendly to photosensitive raw materials such as those affected by light, heat, and oxygen.

[0029] This invention uses plant-based adhesive wall materials and does not use plant oils for solubilization and dispersion, thereby increasing the strength of microcapsule particles, reducing the impact of oil dissolution on carotenoid raw materials, and increasing the particle size of finished microcapsule particles while balancing the particle application characteristics to meet normal solid application scenarios. This further reduces the external contact of carotenoid microcapsule powder and improves its physicochemical stability and particle pressure stress stability.

[0030] By optimizing the formulation, it was determined that the use of povidone in pollen tablet processing meets the tablet output requirements under lower pressure. By controlling the pressure, the damage to the integrity of microcapsule particles caused by compression pressure is effectively reduced, and the continuous deterioration of carotenoid raw materials by pollen during storage after tablet processing is greatly reduced. This forms a green, efficient, and stable application and solution for the co-application of pollen, a sensitive raw material for oxidative degradation, and carotenoid raw materials, thereby increasing the application scenarios of both and enhancing their synergistic health benefits. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a pollen and carotenoid composition, comprising the following steps:

[0034] (1) Take 10 parts of β-carotene crystal raw material, 40 parts of gum arabic, 30 parts of flaxseed gum, 10 parts of soybean protein, 10 parts of water-soluble resistant cellulose, and 0.5 parts of flaxseed extract, dissolve them in water to form a suspension, and spray granulate them at 55℃ and 18bar to form microcapsule particles (0.15-0.425mm particle size distribution).

[0035] (2) Mix 500 parts of broken-cell rapeseed pollen with 100 parts of the microcapsule particles in (1) above to obtain a mixture;

[0036] (3) Mix 600 parts of the above (2) mixture, 500 parts of inulin, 200 parts of blueberry powder, 10 parts of phospholipids, and 5 parts of silicon dioxide to make a solid beverage.

[0037] (4) 300 parts of the mixture in (2) above, 600 parts of resistant starch, 50 parts of microcrystalline cellulose, and 50 parts of magnesium stearate are mixed and filled into hard capsules.

[0038] Example 2

[0039] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a pollen and carotenoid composition, comprising the following steps:

[0040] (1) Take 10 parts of lycopene crystal raw material, 25 parts of water-soluble resistant cellulose, 20 parts of flaxseed gum, 20 parts of seaweed gum, 10 parts of gum arabic, 5 parts of flaxseed protein, and 0.1 parts of lignan powder, dissolve them in water to form a suspension, and spray granulate them at 56℃ and 16bar to form microcapsule particles (0.18-0.425mm particle size distribution);

[0041] (2) 100 parts of broken-cell rapeseed pollen were granulated at 46°C with 25 parts of 8% concentration of povidone.

[0042] (3) Mix 500 parts of the rapeseed pollen granulation powder from (2) above with 100 parts of the microcapsule powder from (1) above to make powder;

[0043] (4) 600 parts of the above (3) mixed powder, 250 parts of microcrystalline cellulose, 100 parts of low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose, 25 parts of silicon dioxide, 25 parts of magnesium stearate, granulated and sieved, and compressed into tablets under 8KN pressure.

[0044] Example 3

[0045] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a pollen and carotenoid composition, comprising the following steps:

[0046] (1) Take 10 parts of lutein crystal raw material, 30 parts of seaweed gum, 25 parts of resistant starch, 10 parts of flaxseed gum, 10 parts of gum arabic, 5 parts of flaxseed protein, and 0.1 parts of sea buckthorn flavonoids, dissolve them in water to form a suspension, and spray granulate them at 50℃ and 20bar to form microcapsule particles (0.18-0.425mm particle size distribution);

[0047] (2) 100 parts of broken-cell pine pollen were granulated at 48°C with 25 parts of 10% concentration of povidone.

[0048] (3) Mix 500 parts of the rapeseed pollen granulation powder from (2) above with 100 parts of the microcapsule powder from (1) above to make powder;

[0049] (4) 600 parts of the above (3) mixed powder, 250 parts of microcrystalline cellulose, 100 parts of cyclodextrin, 25 parts of silicon dioxide, and 25 parts of magnesium stearate are granulated, sieved, and compressed into tablets under 10KN pressure.

[0050] Example 4

[0051] This embodiment provides a method for preparing a pollen and carotenoid composition, comprising the following steps:

[0052] (1) Take 5 parts of β-carotene crystal raw material, 5 parts of zeaxanthin crystal, 25 parts of water-soluble resistant cellulose, 25 parts of flaxseed gum, 20 parts of seaweed gum, 10 parts of gum arabic, 10 parts of phospholipid, and 0.1 parts of lignan powder, dissolve them in water to form a suspension, and spray granulate them at 58℃ and 15 bar to form microcapsule particles (0.15-0.25mm particle size distribution);

[0053] (2) Mix 300 parts of broken cell wall pine pollen, 200 parts of broken cell wall rapeseed pollen, and 100 parts of the microcapsule particles mentioned above (1);

[0054] (3) Mix 600 parts of the above (2) mixture, 300 parts of stachyose, 200 parts of inulin, 200 parts of citrus fruit powder, 10 parts of phospholipids, and 5 parts of silicon dioxide to make a solid beverage.

[0055] (4) 300 parts of the mixture in (2) above, 600 parts of resistant starch, 50 parts of microcrystalline cellulose, and 50 parts of magnesium stearate are mixed and filled into hard capsules.

[0056] Comparison of processing characteristics of the prepared compositions

[0057] Comparative Example 1

[0058] In Implementation Case 2, an equal amount of water was used to replace the povidone solution, while the other proportions remained the same as in Example 2.

[0059] Comparative Example 2

[0060] In Implementation Case 2, the povidone solution was adjusted to 2%, while the remaining proportions were the same as in Example 2.

[0061] Comparative Example 3

[0062] In Implementation Case 2, the povidone solution was adjusted to a 2% hydroxypropyl methylcellulose solution, while the remaining proportions were the same as in Example 2.

[0063] Comparative Example 4

[0064] In Implementation Case 2, the povidone solution was adjusted to an 8% hydroxypropyl methylcellulose solution, while the remaining proportions were the same as in Example 2.

[0065] Comparative Example 5

[0066] In Implementation Case 3, the povidone solution was adjusted to an 8% hydroxypropyl methylcellulose solution, while the remaining proportions were the same as in Example 2;

[0067] The tablet hardness and other quality were tested by different compression pressures and different adhesives. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0068] Table 1 Comparison of Application Characteristics

[0069]

[0070]

[0071] Note: "—" indicates that the product is not yet formed or cannot be detected.

[0072] As can be seen from the table above, pollen raw materials are difficult to compress into tablets, especially under low compression pressure. However, by screening, povidone can significantly improve the quality of pollen tablets compared to hydroxypropyl methylcellulose under the same pressure conditions, and can also obtain tablets of ideal quality under lower industrial compression pressure.

[0073] Stability comparison of the prepared compositions

[0074] Comparative Example 6

[0075] Commercially available β-carotene microcapsule powder has a wall material mainly composed of modified starch, phospholipids, edible oil, and ascorbic acid, with a 10% carotene content.

[0076] Comparative Example 7

[0077] Commercially available lycopene microcapsule powder has a wall material mainly composed of modified starch, phospholipids, edible oil, and ascorbic acid, with a lycopene content of 10%.

[0078] Comparative Example 8

[0079] Commercially available lycopene microcapsule powder has a wall material mainly composed of gelatin, modified starch, mixed tocopherols, and polyglycerol fatty acid esters, with a lycopene content of 10%.

[0080] Comparative Example 9

[0081] In Implementation Case 2, lycopene microcapsule powder (particle size distribution <0.15mm) was prepared and screened using the same process and ingredients.

[0082] The raw materials were bottled and sealed, and stored at 37℃ and 75% humidity. Samples were taken at 0, 10, 20, and 30 days to examine the percentage retention of effective carotenoid components compared to the initial levels. Digestible bioavailability was characterized by comparing the evaluation samples using the INFOGEST static in vitro simulation system, and by simulating the retention ratio of effective components after digestion into the intestine compared to the initial levels. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0083] Table 2. Storage and delivery performance of powdered carotenoids

[0084]

[0085] Note: The microcapsule powder in the above sample states refers to pure carotenoid microcapsule powder from each case, and the pollen blend is a blend of microcapsule powder and pollen. "—" indicates that it was not evaluated.

[0086] Comparative Examples 6-9 in the table above are all relatively fine powders. The results show that while the individual microencapsulated powders of each comparative example performed well during storage, they all exhibited a significant degradation trend after being mixed with pollen. In contrast, samples from Examples 1-3 maintained high stability after being mixed with pollen, and Example 2 demonstrated better simulated digestion and delivery stability than the comparative examples. These results indicate that the embodiments of this invention can significantly improve the effect of pollen-based raw materials on the pro-oxidative degradation of carotenoid components. Furthermore, appropriately increasing the particle size of the carotenoid microencapsulated powder is beneficial to its storage and delivery stability.

[0087] Table 3. Carotenoid storage and delivery after tableting.

[0088]

[0089] Note: The above samples were prepared under different pressures with the same formulation for each case.

[0090] In the samples mentioned above, comparative examples 7-9 all showed some precipitation and staining of carotenoid components after tableting, with the precipitation being more pronounced at 30KN than at 10KN. For example 2, only the tablets prepared at 30KN showed some initial staining and precipitation of carotenoid components after 30 days of accelerated storage. In all comparative examples and embodiments, tablets prepared at 30KN had a significant impact on the storage and delivery stability of carotenoid components, with only the tablets prepared at 10KN in example 2 showing better performance. These results indicate that the present invention can significantly improve the application of carotenoid pollen tablets. Through the application of povidone, appropriate wall materials and particle sizes, and the combined application of tableting processes, the stability of pollen and carotenoid tablets in various development scenarios is effectively improved, ensuring the synergistic effect of their nutritional components.

[0091] The comparison results in Tables 1-3 show that the composition process of the present invention can effectively improve the processing characteristics of the target raw materials and greatly enhance the performance of easily depleted functional components in storage and delivery, significantly improve their processing and nutritional value, is easy to industrialize, and has good health and social benefits.

[0092] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on its differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. For the apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the methods disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the method section.

[0093] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method of preparing a pollen and carotenoid composition, characterized in that, Comprising the following steps: (1) Take beta-carotene crystal raw material 10 parts, gum arabic 40 parts, flaxseed gum 30 parts, soybean protein 10 parts, water-soluble resistant cellulose 10 parts, flaxseed extract 0.5 parts, water-soluble suspension, 55℃, 18bar spray granulation into microcapsule particles with particle size distribution of 0.15-0.425mm; (2) Mix 500 parts of broken wall rape pollen with 100 parts of the above (1) microcapsule particles to obtain a mixture; (3) Mix 600 parts of the above (2) mixture, 500 parts of chicory powder, 200 parts of blueberry powder, 10 parts of phospholipid, and 5 parts of silicon dioxide to prepare a solid beverage; Or, (3) Mix 300 parts of the above (2) mixture, 600 parts of resistant starch, 50 parts of microcrystalline cellulose, and 50 parts of magnesium stearate, and fill to prepare hard capsules.

2. A method of preparing a pollen and carotenoid composition, characterized in that, Comprising the following steps: (1) Take lycopene crystal raw material 10 parts, water-soluble resistant cellulose 25 parts, flaxseed gum 20 parts, seaweed gum 20 parts, gum arabic 10 parts, flaxseed protein 5 parts, and lignan powder 0.1 parts, and water-soluble suspension, 56℃, 16bar spray granulation into microcapsule particles with particle size distribution of 0.18-0.425mm; (2) Mix 100 parts of broken wall rape pollen with 25 parts of 8% povidone and granulate at 46℃; (3) Mix 500 parts of the above (2) rape pollen granulation powder with 100 parts of the above (1) microcapsule particles to prepare powder; (4) Mix 600 parts of the above (3) mixed powder, 250 parts of microcrystalline cellulose, 100 parts of low-substituted hydroxypropyl cellulose, 25 parts of silicon dioxide, and 25 parts of magnesium stearate, sieve, and press into tablets under 8KN pressure to obtain tablets.

3. A method of preparing a pollen and carotenoid composition, characterized in that, Comprising the following steps: (1) Take lutein crystal raw material 10 parts, seaweed gum 30 parts, resistant starch 25 parts, flaxseed gum 10 parts, gum arabic 10 parts, flaxseed protein 5 parts, and sandechin 0.1 parts, and water-soluble suspension, 50℃, 20bar spray granulation into microcapsule particles with particle size distribution of 0.18-0.425mm; (2) Mix 100 parts of broken wall pine pollen with 25 parts of 10% povidone and granulate at 48℃; (3) Mix 500 parts of the above (2) rape pollen granulation powder with 100 parts of the above (1) microcapsule particles to prepare powder; (4) Mix 600 parts of the above (3) mixed powder, 250 parts of microcrystalline cellulose, 100 parts of cyclodextrin, 25 parts of silicon dioxide, and 25 parts of magnesium stearate, sieve, and press into tablets under 10KN pressure to obtain tablets.

4. A method of preparing a pollen and carotenoid composition, characterized in that, Comprising the following steps: (1) Take beta-carotene crystal raw material 5 parts, corn xanthophyll crystal 5 parts, water-soluble resistant cellulose 25 parts, flaxseed gum 25 parts, seaweed gum 20 parts, gum arabic 10 parts, phospholipid 10 parts, and lignan powder 0.1 parts, and water-soluble suspension, 58℃, 15bar spray granulation into microcapsule particles with particle size distribution of 0.15-0.25mm; (2) Mix 300 parts of broken wall pine pollen and 200 parts of broken wall rape pollen with 100 parts of the above (1) microcapsule particles; (3) the mixture of (2) 600 parts, stachydrine 300 parts, dandelion powder 200 parts, citrus fruit powder 200 parts, phospholipid 10 parts, silicon dioxide 5 parts, mixed to make a solid beverage; Or, (3) the mixture of (2) 300 parts, resistant starch 600 parts, microcrystalline cellulose 50 parts, magnesium stearate 50 parts, mixed and filled to make a hard capsule.

Images