Parallel continuous extraction process of deer-horn glue

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of animal glue preparation and processing, in particular to a deer-horn glue parallel continuous extraction process which sequentially comprises the steps of raw material pretreatment, grouped extraction, parallel staggered operation, vacuum concentration, refrigeration keep-alive, batch mixing and the like. A traditional 72-hour intermittent boiling process is shortened to 24-hour continuous circulation, dynamic extraction of antler raw materials and automatic linkage of gelatin juice are achieved, reduced-pressure low-temperature concentration and cold storage are combined, protein thermal denaturation and flavor loss are effectively avoided, active ingredients are distributed more uniformly in a multi-gelatin-juice cross mixing mode, and the product quality is improved. And finally, the deer-horn glue which is high in transparency, free of bubbles and compact in structure is obtained after the deer-horn glue is subjected to microbubble vacuum degassing treatment, and intermittent extraction of the deer-horn glue is changed into continuous extraction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention mainly relates to the field of animal glue preparation and processing technology, specifically to a parallel and continuous extraction process for deer antler glue. Background Technology

[0002] Deer antler glue is a high-protein animal glue product made primarily from the antlers of sika deer or red deer through long-term boiling, concentration, and drying. It has the effects of tonifying the kidneys and strengthening yang, strengthening muscles and bones, and nourishing blood and consolidating the body. It is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine preparations. However, with the increasing market demand for deer antler glue, the traditional manual intermittent boiling process is no longer able to meet the pace and quality requirements of modern production. Especially in large-scale production, problems such as long extraction cycles, many operation steps, high energy consumption, and large batch-to-batch differences exist. The production of deer antler glue generally adopts a series intermittent multiple extraction process. This process usually extracts the same batch of deer antlers six times in a row, boiling for 12 hours each time. The six extracts are then combined and concentrated into glue. The entire production cycle takes about 72 hours. The long-term high-temperature treatment causes the protein structure in the glue to be destroyed and the active ingredients to be lost. Moreover, frequent manual operation and intermediate storage increase the risk of microbial contamination. As a result, the production process has high energy consumption and low equipment utilization, making it difficult to meet the requirements of continuous production. The traditional process has obvious shortcomings in terms of product stability, energy efficiency, and hygiene and safety.

[0003] To address practical needs, existing technologies commonly employ a series of intermittent, multiple extraction processes. This involves extracting the same batch of deer antler raw material six times consecutively, boiling it for 12 hours each time, and then combining and concentrating the six extracts into a single gelatinous product. While this method ensures thorough extraction, it has significant drawbacks: firstly, each batch has a production cycle of up to 72 hours, resulting in low equipment utilization; secondly, the gelatinous product is prone to thermal degradation under prolonged high temperatures, leading to a darker color and reduced transparency; thirdly, multiple manual operations and temporary storage processes increase the risk of microbial contamination, affecting product hygiene, quality, and shelf life; and fourthly, the operation process is labor-intensive and not conducive to standardized and automated production management.

[0004] To avoid this situation, it is necessary to construct a continuous, automated, and high-efficiency extraction process system while maintaining the activity of the effective components of deer antler glue and the uniformity of product quality. This system aims to solve the problems of long cycle, high energy consumption, and unstable quality in traditional intermittent extraction methods. The parallel continuous extraction process for deer antler glue provided by this invention achieves continuous juice extraction and batch-synchronized concentration in multiple time periods through the staggered parallel operation of multiple sets of open jacketed kettles. This significantly shortens the production cycle, reduces manual intervention and liquid storage time, and effectively prevents the glue from deteriorating and proteins from degrading, thereby achieving the standardization and industrialization of the deer antler glue production process. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this invention is to provide a parallel and continuous extraction process for deer antler glue, which solves the problems of long extraction cycle, high energy consumption, easy protein denaturation, uneven product quality, and high risk of microbial contamination in the existing technology. The invention selects an alternating extraction method with multiple open jacketed kettles operating in parallel, combined with multi-stage processes such as low-temperature vacuum pre-concentration, cold storage preservation, and multi-stage glue mixing and concentration, to achieve continuous and standardized production of deer antler glue.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a parallel and continuous extraction process for deer antler glue, which is carried out according to the following steps:

[0007] Step 1: Cut the selected fresh and dried deer antler raw material into antler segments with a length of 30-50mm, soak them in a washing tank for 2-3 days, then wash them with drinking water about 10 times to remove surface impurities and blood stains. After that, spin them dry in a centrifuge at room temperature until there are no visible water droplets on the surface to obtain clean deer antler raw material.

[0008] Step 2: Place the antler raw material obtained in Step 1 into a stainless steel open jacketed pot, add drinking water, and make sure the liquid level is 5-8 cm above the surface of the antler. Heat the pot until it is kept at a gentle boil and continue to boil for 12 hours to obtain the first antler gelatin A1. Filter the A1 gelatin through a 200-mesh filter cloth to remove solids and then transfer it into a temporary storage tank.

[0009] Step 3: Leave the antler residue extracted in Step 2 in the pot, add an equal amount of fresh drinking water, keep boiling and repeat the extraction. The extraction cycle is once every 12 hours, for a total of 6 extractions of gelatin. Add the materials in five groups A, B, C, D and E in sequence, and number each extraction of gelatin as A1~A6, B1~B6, C1~C6, D1~D6 and E1~E6 respectively.

[0010] Step 4: The feeding process of each batch of gum obtained in Step 3 is carried out in parallel continuous mode, with a production cycle of 24 hours. The five groups A, B, C, D and E are fed in sequence. Group A is fed at 10:00 on the first day, Group B is fed at 10:00 on the second day, and so on until Group E is fed on the fifth day. This makes the open jacketed pots of each group run alternately on the time axis, thereby improving the 72-hour series extraction to 24-hour parallel continuous extraction.

[0011] Step 5: The A and B groups obtained in Step 4, including the first pass and the second, third, and fourth passes of the gelatin, are introduced into a vacuum evaporator as A1, A2, A3, A4, B1, and B2, respectively. Then, the gelatin is concentrated at low temperature under a negative pressure of 45-50 kPa, with the concentration temperature controlled at 70-80℃. Heating is stopped when the relative density of the gelatin is ≥1.02, forming a pre-concentrated gelatin in the form of hanging threads. The resulting gelatin is sealed and refrigerated at 0-4℃ to inhibit protein denaturation and microbial growth.

[0012] Step 6: Starting from the 5th and 6th passes of group A in step 4, combine and mix them with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th passes extracted at the same time. Batch X3 consists of A5, A6, B3, B4, C1, and C2; batch X4 consists of B5, B6, C3, C4, D1, and D2; and batch X5 consists of C5, C6, D3, D4, E1, and E2. Finally, combine and mix the 5th and 6th passes of groups D and E with the pre-concentrated and refrigerated gelatin from step 5. Batch X1 consists of A1, A2, E3, E4, D5, and D6; and batch X2 consists of B1, B2, A3, A4, E5, and E6. Continue to cook in a jacketed kettle at 85-95℃. During the concentration process, add soybean oil, rice wine, and rock sugar water obtained by dissolving rock sugar in sequence, so that the gelatin gradually becomes a thick, viscous deer antler gelatin.

[0013] Step 7: The deer antler glue obtained in Step 6 is vacuum degassed using a microbubble degassing system. The degassing pressure is controlled at no less than -0.085 MPa for 10 to 15 minutes to remove residual bubbles. Then, it is poured into a mold and cooled to room temperature. The process is then carried out in sequence: gel shaping, glue block curing, glue cutting and segmentation, glue drying and inner packaging, and finally outer packaging and warehousing.

[0014] Preferably, the extraction time in steps 2 and 3 is 12 hours, and each extraction is filtered and numbered. The numbering information corresponds one-to-one with the batch merging rules for subsequent batch traceability control of the concentrated product.

[0015] Preferably, the parallel continuous extraction in step 4 is achieved by a PLC automatic control system, with the temperature error of each open jacketed pot not exceeding ±1℃ and the juice extraction time deviation not exceeding ±10 minutes, to ensure the synchronicity and stability of the extraction of different batches of gelatin.

[0016] Preferably, after the parallel extraction in step 5 is completed, the vacuum degree is 45-50 kPa, the evaporation temperature is controlled at 70-80℃, and the evaporation rate is 0.8-1.2 L per hour to prevent the denaturation of the gum protein and loss of flavor caused by high temperature.

[0017] Preferably, the refrigerated storage temperature in step 5 is 0 to -4°C, and the glue is placed in a food-grade stainless steel sealed mold with a mirror-polished inner wall to prevent the glue from adhering and microorganisms from growing.

[0018] Preferably, in step 6, the vacuum degree of the vacuum jacket concentrator is controlled at -0.08 to -0.09 MPa. During the concentration process, a circulating heating mode is adopted to gradually increase the viscosity of the glue to 4800 to 6000 mPa·s. When the solid content reaches 73% to 77%, the concentration is completed. Standard protein determination methods are usually adopted, such as the Kjeldahl method or other recognized laboratory analysis techniques. Through precise experimental procedures, it is ensured that the protein content of the obtained deer antler glue should not be less than 82% to ensure its quality stability and medicinal effect.

[0019] Preferably, step 7 includes vacuum degassing the antler colloid obtained in step 6 using a microbubble degassing system. The degassing duration is 10 to 15 minutes and the degassing pressure is controlled at no less than -0.085 MPa. The moisture content is controlled within the range of 23% to 27%, and the viscosity fluctuation after cooling is less than ±5%.

[0020] Preferably, the batch combination rule in step 6 is as follows;

[0021] Batch X1 consists of A1, A2, E3, E4, D5, and D6;

[0022] Batch X2 consists of B1, B2, A3, A4, E5, and E6; batch X3 consists of C1, C2, B3, B4, A5, and A6; batch X4 consists of D1, D2, C3, C4, B5, and B6; batch X5 consists of E1, E2, D3, D4, C5, and C6.

[0023] Each batch of mixed gelatin contains six different extraction passes to ensure uniform coverage of the effective ingredients at different cooking stages. It is not limited to five batches; more batches can be extracted and mixed in parallel, and each batch contains six different extraction passes.

[0024] Preferably, the parallel and staggered operation between steps 3 and 4 shortens the single-batch production cycle from the traditional 72 hours to 24 hours, significantly reduces the storage and heat treatment time required for steps 5 and 6, increases production efficiency by 60%, reduces the frequency of manual operation to one-third of the original process, and reduces the risk of glue deterioration and microbial contamination caused by long-term high-temperature storage.

[0025] Preferably, the continuous production chain from step 1 to step 7 produces a deer antler glue product with a yellowish-brown or reddish-brown color that is relatively uniform, odorless, with intact protein structure and stable coagulation properties, making it suitable for the deep processing of pharmaceutical and derivative products.

[0026] The principle involved in the technical solution of this invention is as follows: by operating multiple sets of extraction devices in parallel, continuous extraction of deer antler raw materials and dynamic connection of collagen are realized. Each set of open jacketed pots operates in rotation according to a set rhythm, ensuring that the extraction processes of different batches are connected, thereby forming a stable cycle system in the entire production process. In the extraction stage, the effective components of deer antler raw materials are gradually dissolved after multiple boilings. The parallel operation keeps the extraction progress of different batches synchronized, avoiding the quality fluctuation of collagen caused by time difference in traditional intermittent processes. The setting of pre-concentration and refrigeration links allows the intermediate collagen to be kept alive in time and maintain its physicochemical stability. In the mixing and concentration stage, by orderly combining collagen from different extraction batches, each batch of product contains the effective components of each boiling stage, which improves the uniformity and repeatability of the product as a whole. This makes the extraction, concentration and molding process of deer antler collagen continuous, stable and standardized, thereby achieving the comprehensive technical effect of improving efficiency, ensuring quality and reducing the risk of contamination.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the technical solution of the present invention are as follows:

[0028] 1. Existing traditional deer antler glue processing generally adopts a long-cycle boiling process with a single pot in series. The extraction cycle for each batch usually requires more than 72 hours, resulting in low equipment utilization and significant batch-to-batch differences. This invention constructs a parallel continuous staggered operation mechanism of five groups (A, B, C, D, and E) of open jacketed pots that can be fed in multiple groups. By using a PLC automation system for precise control of temperature and juice extraction time, the production cycle for a single batch is shortened from the traditional 72 hours to 24 hours, achieving an efficiency improvement of more than 3 times. Parallel extraction allows the equipment to run continuously for 24 hours, avoiding energy waste caused by empty pots, thereby greatly improving production cycle and industrial-scale capabilities.

[0029] 2. Traditional processes struggle to achieve synchronization, controllability, and batch consistency across extraction passes, easily leading to instability issues such as protein breakage and loss of gelatinous flavor. This new process enables full control over the gelatinous liquid process from extraction and concentration to refrigeration. Through a numbering system of A1 to E6 and fixed mixing rules of X1 to X5, each batch of final colloid consists of six different passes, significantly improving the uniformity, traceability, and stability of the resulting gelatinous liquid and solving the problems of large batch variations and uncontrollable quality in traditional processes.

[0030] 3. In the existing technology, due to the high concentration temperature and long holding time of traditional methods, the protein structure of deer antler glue is easily denatured by heat, resulting in the loss of active substances. The present invention achieves the integrity protection of the original protein structure through a multi-stage protection system of low temperature negative pressure concentration + cold storage pretreatment + and controls the moisture content at 23% to 27%, ensuring the solidification, solubility and storage stability of the finished product.

[0031] 4. Traditional deer antler glue is prone to problems such as uneven color, off-flavors, and poor coagulation, making it difficult to meet the needs of modern pharmaceuticals. This invention improves the extraction path, optimizes the batch mixing method, and implements strict vacuum concentration conditions, resulting in a finished deer antler glue that is dark brown to dark brown in color, uniform in color, odorless, highly transparent, and has a fine and viscous texture. The protein structure is intact and the coagulation performance is stable. The resulting deer antler glue not only retains the traditional characteristics in terms of medicinal value, but also significantly improves its adaptability to deep processing due to the standardization of the process, making it widely applicable in the field of modern Chinese medicine preparations. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the traditional series intermittent extraction method of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the improved parallel continuous extraction method of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solutions in specific embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the structural schematic diagrams. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0035] A parallel-continuous extraction process for deer antler glue is carried out according to the following steps:

[0036] Step 1: Cut the selected fresh and dried deer antler raw material into antler segments with a length of 30-50mm, soak them in a washing tank for 2-3 days, then wash them with drinking water about 10 times to remove surface impurities and blood stains. After that, spin them dry in a centrifuge at room temperature until there are no visible water droplets on the surface to obtain clean deer antler raw material.

[0037] Step 2: Place the antler raw material obtained in Step 1 into a stainless steel open jacketed pot, add drinking water, and make sure the liquid level is 5-8 cm above the surface of the antler. Heat the pot until it is kept at a gentle boil and continue to boil for 12 hours to obtain the first antler gelatin A1. Filter the A1 gelatin through a 200-mesh filter cloth to remove solids and then transfer it into a temporary storage tank.

[0038] Step 3: Leave the antler residue extracted in Step 2 in the pot, add an equal amount of fresh drinking water, keep boiling and repeat the extraction. The extraction cycle is once every 12 hours, for a total of 6 extractions of gelatin. Add the materials in five groups A, B, C, D and E in sequence, and number each extraction of gelatin as A1~A6, B1~B6, C1~C6, D1~D6 and E1~E6 respectively.

[0039] Step 4: The feeding process of each batch of gum obtained in Step 3 is carried out in parallel continuous mode, with a production cycle of 24 hours. The five groups A, B, C, D and E are fed in sequence. Group A is fed at 10:00 on the first day, Group B is fed at 10:00 on the second day, and so on until Group E is fed on the fifth day. This makes the open jacketed pots of each group run alternately on the time axis, thereby improving the 72-hour series extraction to 24-hour parallel continuous extraction.

[0040] Step 5: The A and B groups obtained in Step 4, including the first pass and the second, third, and fourth passes of the gelatin, are introduced into a vacuum evaporator as A1, A2, A3, A4, B1, and B2, respectively. Then, the gelatin is concentrated at low temperature under a negative pressure of 45-50 kPa, with the concentration temperature controlled at 70-80℃. Heating is stopped when the relative density of the gelatin is ≥1.02, forming a pre-concentrated gelatin in the form of hanging threads. The resulting gelatin is sealed and refrigerated at 0-4℃ to inhibit protein denaturation and microbial growth.

[0041] Step 6: Starting from the 5th and 6th passes of group A in step 4, combine and mix them with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th passes extracted at the same time. Batch X3 consists of A5, A6, B3, B4, C1, and C2; batch X4 consists of B5, B6, C3, C4, D1, and D2; and batch X5 consists of C5, C6, D3, D4, E1, and E2. Finally, combine and mix the 5th and 6th passes of groups D and E with the pre-concentrated and refrigerated gelatin from step 5. Batch X1 consists of A1, A2, E3, E4, D5, and D6; and batch X2 consists of B1, B2, A3, A4, E5, and E6. Continue to cook in a jacketed kettle at 85-95℃. During the concentration process, add soybean oil, rice wine, and rock sugar water obtained by dissolving rock sugar in sequence, so that the gelatin gradually becomes a thick, viscous deer antler gelatin.

[0042] Step 7: The deer antler glue obtained in Step 6 is vacuum degassed using a microbubble degassing system. The degassing pressure is controlled at no less than -0.085 MPa for 10 to 15 minutes to remove residual bubbles. Then, it is poured into a mold and cooled to room temperature. The process is then carried out in sequence: gel shaping, glue block curing, glue cutting and segmentation, glue drying and inner packaging, and finally outer packaging and warehousing.

[0043] Furthermore, the extraction time in both steps 2 and 3 is 12 hours, and each extraction is filtered and numbered. The numbering information corresponds one-to-one with the batch merging rules for subsequent batch traceability control of the concentrated product.

[0044] Furthermore, the parallel continuous extraction in step 4 is achieved through a PLC automatic control system. The temperature error of each open jacketed pot does not exceed ±1℃, and the juice extraction time deviation does not exceed ±10 minutes, so as to ensure the synchronicity and stability of the extraction of different batches of gelatin.

[0045] Furthermore, after the parallel extraction in step 5 is completed, the vacuum degree is 45-50 kPa, the evaporation temperature is controlled at 70-80℃, and the evaporation rate is 0.8-1.2 L per hour to prevent the denaturation of the gum protein and loss of flavor caused by high temperature.

[0046] Furthermore, the refrigerated storage temperature in step 5 is 0 to -4°C, and the glue is placed in a food-grade stainless steel sealed mold with a mirror-polished inner wall to prevent the glue from adhering and microorganisms from growing.

[0047] Furthermore, in step 6, the vacuum degree of the vacuum jacket concentrator is controlled at -0.08 to -0.09 MPa. During the concentration process, a circulating heating mode is adopted to gradually increase the viscosity of the glue to 4800 to 6000 mPa·s. When the solid content reaches 73% to 77%, the concentration is completed. Standard protein determination methods are usually adopted, such as the Kjeldahl method or other recognized laboratory analysis techniques. Through precise experimental procedures, it is ensured that the protein content of the obtained deer antler glue should not be less than 82% to guarantee its quality stability and medicinal effect.

[0048] Further, step 7 includes vacuum degassing the antler colloid obtained in step 6 using a microbubble degassing system. The degassing duration is 10 to 15 minutes and the degassing pressure is controlled at no less than -0.085 MPa. The moisture content is controlled within the range of 23% to 27%, and the viscosity fluctuation after cooling is less than ±5%.

[0049] Furthermore, the mixed batch combination rules in step 6 are as follows;

[0050] Batch X1 consists of A1, A2, E3, E4, D5, and D6;

[0051] Batch X2 consists of B1, B2, A3, A4, E5, and E6; batch X3 consists of C1, C2, B3, B4, A5, and A6; batch X4 consists of D1, D2, C3, C4, B5, and B6; batch X5 consists of E1, E2, D3, D4, C5, and C6.

[0052] Each batch of mixed gelatin contains six different extraction passes to ensure uniform coverage of the effective ingredients at different cooking stages. It is not limited to five batches and can be extracted and mixed in parallel more times, with each batch containing six different extraction passes.

[0053] Furthermore, the parallel and staggered operation between steps 3 and 4 shortens the single-batch production cycle from the traditional 72 hours to 24 hours. The storage and heat treatment time required for steps 5 and 6 is significantly reduced, production efficiency is increased by 60%, the frequency of manual operation is reduced to one-third of the original process, and the risk of glue deterioration and microbial contamination caused by long-term high-temperature storage is reduced.

[0054] Furthermore, the continuous production chain from step 1 to step 7 produces a deer antler glue product with a yellowish-brown or reddish-brown color that is relatively uniform, odorless, with an intact protein structure and stable coagulation properties, making it suitable for the deep processing of pharmaceutical and derivative products.

[0055] The principle involved in the technical solution of this invention is as follows: by operating multiple sets of extraction devices in parallel, continuous extraction of deer antler raw materials and dynamic connection of collagen are realized. Each set of open jacketed pots operates in rotation according to a set rhythm, ensuring that the extraction processes of different batches are connected, thereby forming a stable cycle system in the entire production process. In the extraction stage, the effective components of deer antler raw materials are gradually dissolved after multiple boilings. The parallel operation keeps the extraction progress of different batches synchronized, avoiding the quality fluctuation of collagen caused by time difference in traditional intermittent processes. The setting of pre-concentration and refrigeration links allows the intermediate collagen to be kept alive in time and maintain its physicochemical stability. In the mixing and concentration stage, by orderly combining collagen from different extraction batches, each batch of product contains the effective components of each boiling stage, which improves the uniformity and repeatability of the product as a whole. This makes the extraction, concentration and molding process of deer antler collagen continuous, stable and standardized, thereby achieving the comprehensive technical effect of improving efficiency, ensuring quality and reducing the risk of contamination.

[0056] Example 1

[0057] Fresh, dried sika deer antlers are selected. After removing coarse surface impurities, the antlers are cut into segments approximately 40mm in length. These segments are then placed in a washing tank and completely submerged in drinking water. The tank is soaked for 2-3 days, with the water changed once during this period. After soaking, the antlers are rinsed with drinking water approximately 10 times until no obvious bloodstains or suspended impurities remain on the surface. The antler segments are then placed in a centrifugal dryer with a room-temperature air source and spun dry until no visible water droplets remain on the surface, yielding clean antler raw material. This clean antler raw material is then loaded into a stainless steel open-top jacketed kettle at a rate of 100kg per batch. Drinking water is added until the liquid level is approximately 5-8cm above the antler surface. The PLC control system is activated to heat the mixture to a gentle boil and maintain this gentle boil. Continue simmering for 12 hours to obtain the first deer antler glue extract A1. Filter A1 through a 200-mesh stainless steel filter to remove solids, then transfer it to a corresponding temporary storage tank and record the A1 number information. After filtering out the first extract, the remaining deer antler material is not removed from the pot. Add the same volume of fresh drinking water as the previous extract, and continue simmering for 12 hours under PLC-controlled constant temperature gentle boiling to obtain the second extract A2. This second extract A2 is also filtered through a 200-mesh filter and temporarily stored with a number. This extraction cycle is repeated every 12 hours for 6 consecutive extractions. The extracts are numbered A1~A6, B1~B6, C1~C6, D1~D6, and E1~E6 in 5 parallel groups. The extraction time deviation for each extraction is controlled. The extraction time is ±10 minutes. Feeding and cooking are carried out in a parallel continuous operation mode, with a 24-hour production cycle. Five open-top jacketed kettles are sequentially named Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D, and Group E. Group A feeds in at 10:00 AM on the first day for the first extraction, Group B feeds in at 10:00 AM on the second day, and so on until Group E feeds in at 10:00 AM on the fifth day. This staggered operation of the groups on the timeline results in a total extraction time of 72 hours for a single kettle from the first to the sixth extraction. However, the entire production line has different groups undergoing different extraction cycles on any given day, thus transforming the traditional 72-hour serial extraction into a 24-hour parallel continuous extraction. During parallel operation, it is not simply a matter of... Instead of feeding the first and second batches of gum sap from each group into a single batch, the process is carried out in batches based on the final concentrated gum sap. Pre-concentration and refrigeration are selectively performed according to the interval between the extraction time of each gum sap and the planned final concentration time. For gum sap extracted earlier than 24 hours after the extraction time of the sixth gum sap in a given batch, such as A1 and A2 in batch X1 and B1, B2, A3, and A4 in batch X2, each is separately introduced into a vacuum evaporator after extraction and concentrated at low temperature under a negative pressure of 45–50 kPa, with the evaporation temperature controlled at 70–80°C. Concentration is achieved when the relative density of the gum sap is ≥1.02. When the mixture exhibits a distinct hanging thread-like appearance, heating is stopped, yielding the pre-concentrated gelatin for the corresponding pass. This pre-concentrated gelatin is immediately dispensed into food-grade stainless steel sealed molds. The inner walls of the molds are mirror-polished to reduce adhesion. The molds are then temporarily stored in a 0–2°C refrigerated environment to inhibit protein denaturation and microbial growth. For batches where 1–6 passes of gelatin can be collected within the same 24-hour time window, such as batch X3 (composed of C1, C2, B3, B4, A5, A6), batch X4 (composed of D1, D2, C3, C4, B5, B6), and batch X5 (composed of E1, E2, D3, D4, C5, C6), after each pass of gelatin is dispensed sequentially, there is no need for pre-concentration and refrigeration. The gelatin is then directly combined according to the batch combination rules. The mixture is then sent to the final concentration stage. As the parallel extraction progresses into the later stages, after the final stages of gelatinous extract (D5, D6, E3, E4, E5, E6, etc.) are extracted sequentially, the corresponding batches of pre-concentrated gelatinous extract from the cold storage, including A1, A2, B1, B2, A3, A4, etc., are retrieved to form batches X1 to X5, which then enter the subsequent concentration and gelling process. Batch X1 consists of A1, A2, E3, E4, D5, and D6; batch X2 consists of B1, B2, A3, A4, E5, and E6; batch X3 consists of C1, C2, B3, B4, A5, and A6; batch X4 consists of D1, D2, C3, C4, B5, and B6; and batch X5 consists of E1, E2, D3, D4, C5, and C6. Each batch contains... The gelatin solution contains six different extraction passes to ensure uniform coverage of effective components at different cooking stages. Batch X1 to X5 of the gelatin solution, mixed according to the above rules, are sequentially fed into a vacuum jacketed concentrator. Under a vacuum of approximately -0.08 to -0.09 MPa, the jacket steam temperature is controlled at 85 to 90°C. A circulating heating mode is used to ensure a uniform temperature rise throughout the material. During concentration, soybean oil, rice wine, and rock sugar water (obtained from dissolved rock sugar) are added sequentially while stirring until the viscosity of the gelatin solution gradually increases to approximately 4800 to 6000 mPa·s. Concentration is stopped when the online solids content reaches approximately 73% to 77%, resulting in a thick, viscous deer antler gelatin solution. The obtained gelatin solution is then transferred to a microbubble degassing system at a temperature not lower than -0.0... Continuous degassing under a vacuum of 85 MPa was performed to remove large residual air bubbles from the system. The hot sap was then poured into pre-sterilized flat molds and allowed to cool naturally to room temperature to complete gel setting and block solidification. After demolding, the sap was cut into regular blocks according to specifications and slowly dried under clean, ventilated conditions, controlling the moisture content to approximately 23%–27% and viscosity fluctuation to less than ±5%. Finally, the sap was inner-packaged and outer-packaged for warehousing. The resulting deer antler glue was yellowish-brown to reddish-brown, with a smooth cross-section, uniform color, and no odor. Its coagulation and solubility properties were stable. This verifies that the above-described parallel continuous extraction process, combined with pre-concentration and refrigeration during the initial stage and batch extraction at the tail end, can significantly shorten the single-batch production cycle, improve production efficiency, and ensure stable and controllable product quality.

[0058] Example 2

[0059] First, select fresh, dried sika deer antlers and cut them into segments approximately 35-45mm in length. Place these segments in a washing tank, completely submerge them in drinking water, and soak for 1.5-2.5 days, changing the water 1-2 times during this period. After soaking, rinse continuously with drinking water 8-12 times until there are no obvious bloodstains or suspended impurities on the surface of the antlers. Then, place the antler segments in a centrifugal dryer with a room-temperature air source and spin dry until no visible water droplets are visible on the surface, obtaining clean antler raw material. Load the clean antler raw material into a stainless steel open-top jacketed kettle at a rate of 90kg per batch, add drinking water until the liquid level is approximately 4-7cm above the antler surface, and activate the PLC control system to heat to a gentle boil and maintain this gentle boil. After continuous boiling for 12 hours, the first deer antler glue extract A1 is obtained. A1 is filtered through a 200-mesh stainless steel filter to remove solids and then transferred to a corresponding temporary storage tank, where it is recorded as A1. After the first extract is filtered out, the remaining deer antler material is not removed from the pot. An equal volume of fresh drinking water is added, and the mixture is boiled for another 12 hours under PLC-controlled constant temperature and gentle boiling to obtain the second extract A2. This second extract A2 is also filtered through a 200-mesh filter and temporarily stored, numbered accordingly. This extraction cycle is repeated every 12 hours for a total of 6 extractions. The extracts are numbered A1~A6, B1~B6, C1~C6, D1~D6, and E1~E6 in 5 parallel groups. The extraction time deviation for each extraction is controlled. Within ±10 minutes, the feeding and cooking processes still employ a parallel continuous operation mode, with a 24-hour production cycle. The five open-top jacketed kettles are sequentially named Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D, and Group E. Group A begins feeding at 10:00 AM on the first day for the first extraction, Group B begins feeding at 10:00 AM on the second day, and so on until Group E begins feeding at 10:00 AM on the fifth day. This staggered operation of the groups on the timeline results in a total extraction time of 72 hours for a single kettle from the first to the sixth extraction. Furthermore, on any given day, different groups are in different extraction batches. During parallel operation, the first and second extractions of gelatinous juice from each group (A1, A2, B1, B2, etc.) are not simply interleaved into the same batch. Instead of uniformly introducing the concentrated sap into a vacuum evaporator for pre-concentration, the criterion is whether the combined batches of the final concentrated sap can gather the 1st to 6th batches of sap within the same 24-hour time window. Selective vacuum pre-concentration and refrigeration are performed on the sap in the initial stage: For the early sap in batches X1 and X2 that require multiple production days to be matched with the sap from the end of the same batch, such as A1, A2, B1, B2, A3, and A4, after each sap is extracted, it is separately introduced into a vacuum evaporator according to the original sap batch number and concentrated at low temperature under a negative pressure of 50-55 kPa, with the evaporation temperature controlled at 65-75℃. When the relative density of the sap reaches 1.03-1.05. When the mixture exhibits a distinct hanging thread pattern, heating is stopped, yielding the pre-concentrated gelatin for the corresponding pass. This pre-concentrated gelatin is immediately dispensed into food-grade stainless steel sealed molds. The inner walls of the molds are mirror-polished to reduce adhesion. The molds are then temporarily stored in a -2 to 2°C refrigerated environment to inhibit protein denaturation and microbial growth. For batches where the gelatin for passes 1 through 6 can be collected within a 24-hour window, such as batch X3 (composed of C1, C2, B3, B4, A5, A6), batch X4 (composed of D1, D2, C3, C4, B5, B6), and batch X5 (composed of E1, E2, D3, D4, C5, C6), after the corresponding passes have been dispensed, they are directly combined according to the batch combination rules and sent to the final concentration stage. The process is streamlined, eliminating the need for pre-concentration and refrigeration. As the parallel extraction progresses into its later stages, once the final extractions (D5, D6, E3, E4, E5, E6, etc.) are completed sequentially, the aforementioned pre-concentrated gelatinous liquids are retrieved from the refrigerated warehouse. Batch X1 consists of A1, A2, E3, E4, D5, and D6; batch X2 consists of B1, B2, A3, A4, E5, and E6; batch X3 consists of C1, C2, B3, B4, A5, and A6; batch X4 consists of D1, D2, C3, C4, B5, and B6; and batch X5 consists of E1, E2, D3, D4, C5, and C6. Each batch contains gelatinous liquids from six different extraction passes to ensure uniform coverage of the effective components at different stages of the extraction process. The X1 to X5 batches of gelatinous sap, mixed according to the above rules, are sequentially fed into a vacuum jacketed concentrator. Under a vacuum of approximately -0.075 to -0.09 MPa, the jacket steam temperature is controlled at 85 to 88°C. A circulating heating mode is used to ensure a uniform temperature rise throughout the material. Soybean oil and rice wine are added twice during the concentration process. Rock sugar is pre-dissolved into a 50% to 60% sugar solution and added in batches while stirring until the viscosity of the gelatinous sap gradually increases to approximately 4500 to 5800 mPa·s. Concentration is stopped when the online solids content reaches approximately 72% to 76%, yielding a thick, viscous deer antler gelatinous sap. The resulting sap is then transferred to a microbubble degassing system at a temperature not lower than -0.085 MPa. Continuous degassing was performed under a vacuum of MPa to remove larger excess air bubbles. The hot extract was then poured into pre-sterilized flat molds and allowed to cool naturally to room temperature for gelation and solidification. After demolding, the extract was cut into regular blocks and placed in a clean hot air drying room for slow drying at 40–45°C, controlling the moisture content to approximately 22%–26% and viscosity fluctuation to less than ±5%. Finally, the extract was inner-packaged and outer-packaged for warehousing. The resulting deer antler glue was yellowish-brown to reddish-brown, with a smooth cross-section, uniform color, and no odor. Its coagulation and solubility properties were stable. This also verifies that this parallel continuous extraction process can significantly shorten the single-batch production cycle and ensure stable and controllable product quality even under different process parameters.

[0060] Example 3

[0061] First, fresh, dried sika deer antlers are selected. After removing coarse surface impurities, the antlers are cut into segments approximately 40mm in length. After soaking for 2-3 days, repeated washing, and centrifugal drying, clean antler raw materials are obtained. Unlike Example 1, this example, to accommodate greater production capacity, sets each group of open-top jacketed kettles as two parallel kettles of the same type. The two kettles in the same group are fed and juiced synchronously at the same time, collectively designated as Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D, and Group E. Each kettle is fed 70kg per batch. Drinking water is added until the liquid level is about 5-8 cm above the surface of the antlers. Under the control of a PLC system, the mixture is heated to a gentle boil and maintained for 12 hours, yielding the first batch of antler gelatin juice for each group: A1, B1, C1, D1, and E1. After filtration through a 200-mesh stainless steel filter cloth, each batch is temporarily stored and numbered. Subsequently, each batch is extracted once every 12 hours, for a total of 6 extractions, forming the juice extraction sequence A1-A6, B1-B6, C1-C6, D1-D6, and E1-E6. Each batch is extracted from the first to the sixth extraction. The total extraction time was 72 hours. The feeding cycle remained at 24 hours per production cycle. Group A started feeding at 10:00 AM on day 1, Group B at 10:00 AM on day 2, and so on until Group E started feeding at 10:00 AM on day 5. This allowed the five groups of pots to operate in parallel with each other on the timeline. Since each group contained two parallel pots, the overall system capacity was approximately twice that of Example 1. However, the parallel continuous extraction pattern at the group level remained unchanged. In the pre-concentration stage, this example still adopted the "batch combination + time window" method. The selective pre-concentration strategy was adopted, but combined with system scale-up, two vacuum evaporators were configured to operate in parallel and alternately: for the development stage of the X1 and X2 batches, where the juice extraction time was more than 24 hours after the sixth extraction of the juice, such as A1, A2, B1, B2, A3, A4, etc., after their respective extraction, they were sent to any one of the vacuum evaporators according to the batch number, and low-temperature concentration was carried out under negative pressure conditions of 45-50 kPa, with the evaporation temperature controlled at 70-80℃, when the relative density was measured to be ≥1.02. When the mixture exhibits a distinct hanging thread-like pattern, heating is stopped, yielding the pre-concentrated gelatin for the corresponding extraction stage. This pre-concentrated gelatin is immediately dispensed into food-grade stainless steel sealed molds with a mirror-polished finish and temporarily stored at 0–-4°C. For batches X3, X4, and X5, which can collect 1–6 extractions of gelatin within the same 24-hour window, the batches are directly combined after each extraction stage is complete, without proceeding to the pre-concentration and refrigeration processes. As parallel extraction progresses into the later stages, after the final extraction stages (D5, D6, E3, E4, E5, E6, etc.) are completed, the remaining gelatin will be extracted. The pre-concentrated gelatin from the aforementioned batches were retrieved from the cold storage. Batch X1 consisted of A1, A2, E3, E4, D5, and D6; batch X2 consisted of B1, B2, A3, A4, E5, and E6; batch X3 consisted of C1, C2, B3, B4, A5, and A6; batch X4 consisted of D1, D2, C3, C4, B5, and B6; and batch X5 consisted of E1, E2, D3, D4, C5, and C6. Each batch still contained gelatin extracted six times at different times. The X1 to X6 batches were then mixed according to the above rules. Five batches of gelatinous slurry were sequentially fed into a vacuum jacketed concentrator for final concentration under a vacuum of -0.08 to -0.095 MPa. The steam temperature in the jacket was controlled at 83–90°C. A combination of circulating heating and online stirring was used to ensure a uniform temperature rise in the material. During the concentration process, all the soybean oil was added first, followed by the rice wine in three separate additions. Depending on the needs, rock sugar crystals could be added directly or a saturated rock sugar solution could be prepared first and then added slowly until the viscosity of the gelatinous slurry reached approximately 5000–6000 mPa·s and the online solids content reached approximately 73%. Concentration was stopped at 77% to obtain a thick, paste-like deer antler glue. The glue was then transferred to a microbubble degassing system and continuously degassed under a vacuum of at least -0.085 MPa to thoroughly remove any large residual air bubbles. While still hot, the glue was poured into pre-sterilized flat molds and allowed to cool naturally to room temperature to complete gel setting and block solidification. After demolding, the glue was cut into regular blocks according to specifications and slowly dried in a clean, well-ventilated environment, controlling the moisture content to approximately 23%–27% and viscosity fluctuation to less than ±5%. Finally, inner and outer packaging were completed, and the glue was stored.

[0062] Finally, it should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, other people skilled in the art can still make modifications or equivalent substitutions to some of the technical features by referring to the technical solutions described in the previous embodiments. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A parallel continuous extraction process for deer antler glue, comprising the following steps: Step 1: Cut the selected fresh and dried deer antler raw material into antler segments with a length of 30-50mm, soak them in a washing tank for 2-3 days, then wash them with drinking water about 10 times to remove surface impurities and blood stains. After that, spin them dry in a centrifuge at room temperature until there are no visible water droplets on the surface to obtain clean deer antler raw material. Step 2: Place the antler raw material obtained in Step 1 into a stainless steel open jacketed pot, add drinking water, and make sure the liquid level is 5-8 cm above the surface of the antler. Heat the pot until it is kept at a gentle boil and continue to boil for 12 hours to obtain the first antler gelatin A1. Filter the A1 gelatin through a 200-mesh filter cloth to remove solids and then transfer it into a temporary storage tank. Step 3: Leave the antler residue extracted in Step 2 in the pot, add an equal amount of fresh drinking water, keep boiling and repeat the extraction. The extraction cycle is once every 12 hours, for a total of 6 extractions of collagen. Each extraction of collagen is numbered A1~A6, B1~B6, C1~C6, D1~D6, and E1~E6 respectively. Step 4: The feeding process of each batch of gum obtained in Step 3 is carried out in parallel continuous mode, with a production cycle of 24 hours. The five groups A, B, C, D and E are fed in sequence. Group A is fed at 10:00 on the first day, Group B is fed at 10:00 on the second day, and so on until Group E is fed on the fifth day. This makes the open jacketed pots of each group run alternately on the time axis, thereby improving the 72-hour series extraction to 24-hour parallel continuous extraction. Step 5: The A and B groups obtained in Step 4, including the first pass and the second, third, and fourth passes of the gelatin, are introduced into a vacuum evaporator as A1, A2, A3, A4, B1, and B2, respectively. Then, the gelatin is concentrated at low temperature under a negative pressure of 45-50 kPa, with the concentration temperature controlled at 70-80℃. Heating is stopped when the relative density of the gelatin is ≥1.02, forming a pre-concentrated gelatin in the form of hanging threads. The resulting gelatin is sealed and refrigerated at 0-4℃ to inhibit protein denaturation and microbial growth. Step 6: Starting from the 5th and 6th passes of group A in step 4, combine and mix them with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th passes extracted at the same time. Batch X3 consists of A5, A6, B3, B4, C1, and C2; batch X4 consists of B5, B6, C3, C4, D1, and D2; and batch X5 consists of C5, C6, D3, D4, E1, and E2. Finally, combine and mix the 5th and 6th passes of groups D and E with the pre-concentrated and refrigerated gelatin from step 5. Batch X1 consists of A1, A2, E3, E4, D5, and D6; and batch X2 consists of B1, B2, A3, A4, E5, and E6. Continue to cook in a jacketed kettle at 85-95℃. During the concentration process, add soybean oil, rice wine, and rock sugar water obtained by dissolving rock sugar in sequence, so that the gelatin gradually becomes a thick, viscous deer antler gelatin. Step 7: The deer antler glue obtained in Step 6 is vacuum degassed using a microbubble degassing system. The degassing pressure is controlled at no less than -0.085 MPa for 10 to 15 minutes to remove residual bubbles. Then, it is poured into a mold and cooled to room temperature. The process is then carried out in sequence: gel shaping, glue block curing, glue cutting and segmentation, glue drying and inner packaging, and finally outer packaging and warehousing.

2. The parallel and continuous extraction process for deer antler glue according to claim 1: characterized in that: The extraction time in both steps 2 and 3 is 12 hours, and each extraction is filtered and numbered. The numbering information corresponds one-to-one with the batch merging rules for subsequent batch traceability control of the concentrated product.

3. The parallel and continuous extraction process for deer antler glue according to claim 1: characterized in that: The parallel continuous extraction in step 4 is achieved by a PLC automatic control system. The temperature error of each open jacketed pot does not exceed ±1℃ and the juice extraction time deviation does not exceed ±10 minutes, so as to ensure the synchronicity and stability of the extraction of different batches of gelatin.

4. The parallel and continuous extraction process for deer antler glue according to claim 1: characterized in that: After the parallel extraction in step 5 is completed, the vacuum degree is 45-50 kPa, the evaporation temperature is controlled at 70-80℃, and the evaporation rate is 0.8-1.2 L per hour to prevent the denaturation of the gum protein and loss of flavor caused by high temperature.

5. The parallel and continuous extraction process for deer antler glue according to claim 1: characterized in that: The refrigerated storage temperature in step 5 is 0 to -4°C, and the glue is placed in a food-grade stainless steel sealed mold with a mirror-polished inner wall to prevent the glue from adhering and microorganisms from growing.

6. The parallel and continuous extraction process for deer antler glue according to claim 1: characterized in that: In step 6, the vacuum degree of the vacuum jacket concentrator is controlled at -0.08 to -0.09 MPa. During the concentration process, a circulating heating mode is used to gradually increase the viscosity of the glue to 4800 to 6000 mPa·s. When the solid content reaches 73% to 77%, the concentration is completed. Standard protein determination methods are usually used, such as the Kjeldahl method or other recognized laboratory analysis techniques. Through precise experimental procedures, it is ensured that the protein content of the obtained deer antler glue is not less than 82% to guarantee its quality stability and medicinal effect.

7. The parallel and continuous extraction process for deer antler glue according to claim 1: characterized in that: Step 7 includes vacuum degassing the antler colloid obtained in step 6 using a microbubble degassing system. The degassing duration is 10 to 15 minutes and the degassing pressure is controlled at no less than -0.085 MPa. The moisture content is controlled within the range of 23% to 27%, and the viscosity fluctuation after cooling is less than ±5%.

8. The parallel and continuous extraction process for deer antler glue according to claim 1: characterized in that: The mixed batch combination rules for step 6 are as follows; Batch X1 consists of A1, A2, E3, E4, D5, and D6; Batch X2 consists of B1, B2, A3, A4, E5, and E6; batch X3 consists of C1, C2, B3, B4, A5, and A6; batch X4 consists of D1, D2, C3, C4, B5, and B6; batch X5 consists of E1, E2, D3, D4, C5, and C6. Each batch of mixed gelatin contains six different extraction passes to ensure uniform coverage of the effective ingredients at different cooking stages. It is not limited to five batches; more batches can be extracted and mixed in parallel, and each batch contains six different extraction passes.

9. The parallel and continuous extraction process for deer antler glue according to claim 1: characterized in that: The parallel and staggered operation between steps 3 and 4 shortens the single-batch production cycle from the traditional 72 hours to 24 hours. The storage and heat treatment time required for steps 5 and 6 is significantly reduced, production efficiency is increased by 60%, the frequency of manual operation is reduced to one-third of the original process, and the risk of glue deterioration and microbial contamination caused by long-term high-temperature storage is reduced.

10. The parallel and continuous extraction process for deer antler glue according to claim 1: characterized in that: The continuous production chain from step 1 to step 7 produces a deer antler glue product with a yellowish-brown or reddish-brown color that is relatively uniform, odorless, with an intact protein structure and stable coagulation properties, making it suitable for the deep processing of pharmaceuticals and derivative products.

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