Chewing type plant-based soft capsule shell as well as preparation method and application thereof

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of soft capsule shells, and particularly relates to a chewing type plant-based soft capsule shell as well as a preparation method and application thereof. The preparation method comprises the following steps: preparing the following raw materials in parts by mass: 8-15 parts of composite starch, 0.3-0.8 part of pullulan, 0.3-0.8 part of carrageenan, 0.6-1 part of gellan gum, 1-1.5 parts of konjaku flour, 5-8 parts of mannitol, 5-10 parts of sorbitol, 10-20 parts of composite fibers and 50-70 parts of water; wherein the composite starch comprises hydroxypropyl starch, pea starch and mung bean starch; the composite fiber comprises hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, coconut meat powder and horseshoe gold powder. According to the technical scheme, the defects of low tensile strength, overhigh water sensitivity and the like of the rubber are overcome, the elasticity of the rubber is improved, the stability of the rubber is enhanced, and the binding rate of the rubber is increased. When the capsule is used for preparing food, the food is ensured to be free of any bad flavor, proper in content release, good in chewing performance and good in mouth feel in the chewing process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of soft capsule shell technology, specifically relating to a chewable plant-based soft capsule shell, its preparation method, and its application. Background Technology

[0002] Soft capsules are oral dosage forms that seal liquid, semi-solid, or solid drugs or active ingredients in a flexible capsule shell. Research on capsule shell materials has always been a focus of the industry. Currently, over 90% of pharmaceutical soft capsule materials used domestically and internationally are still animal gelatin, which has excellent gel strength and mature film-forming properties. For example, Chinese patent CN 101810336 A describes a chewable soft capsule and its preparation method, in which the capsule shell material is prepared using 25-65 parts by weight of gelatin, 1-25 parts of thickener, 18-65 parts of plasticizer, 4-16 parts of water, and a mixture of one, two, or more of the following: sweetener, flavoring, coloring, and acidulant. This results in a capsule shell material with moderate hardness, good temperature resistance, non-stickiness, non-deformation, stable storage, and good chewability.

[0003] With the rise of concepts such as all-natural and vegetarian, plant-based soft capsules have experienced rapid growth. However, current research has found that plant-based gums such as sodium alginate, HPMC, and pullulan have lower gel strength, elasticity, and thermal reversibility than gelatin. Therefore, using them as raw materials for capsule shell materials leads to difficulties in subsequent capsule molding and poor mechanical strength. Furthermore, plant-based capsule shell materials are often too hard or too brittle, lacking adequate chewing resistance, affecting the chewing experience, or they may have unpleasant odors, impacting the consumption experience and failing to achieve ideal chewing sensation and content release characteristics. Therefore, there is a significant market gap for plant-based capsule products, and how to provide a chewable plant-based soft capsule shell is a pressing problem to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a chewable plant-based soft capsule shell, its preparation method, and its application, which has good chewability and stable shell performance.

[0005] This invention provides a chewable plant-based soft capsule shell, comprising the following raw materials in parts by weight: The ingredients are: 8-15 parts of compound starch, 0.3-0.8 parts of pullulan, 0.3-0.8 parts of carrageenan, 0.6-1 parts of gellan gum, 1-1.5 parts of konjac flour, 5-8 parts of mannitol, 5-10 parts of sorbitol, 10-20 parts of compound fiber, and 50-70 parts of water. The composite starch includes: hydroxypropyl starch, pea starch, and mung bean starch; The composite fiber includes: hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, coconut meat powder, and horsehair powder.

[0006] Preferably, the mass ratio of hydroxypropyl starch, pea starch, and mung bean starch is 0.1-0.5:1:0.6-0.9; The mass ratio of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, coconut meat powder, and horse marigold powder is 0.4-0.8:1-1.2:1-1.2.

[0007] Preferably, the ingredients, by weight, include the following raw materials: The mixture consists of 8 parts of compound starch, 0.3 parts of pullulan, 0.5 parts of carrageenan, 0.6 parts of gellan gum, 1 part of konjac flour, 5 parts of mannitol, 6 parts of sorbitol, 20 parts of compound fiber, and 60 parts of water. In the composite starch, the mass ratio of hydroxypropyl starch, pea starch, and mung bean starch is 0.2:1:0.8. In the composite fiber, the mass ratio of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, coconut meat powder, and horse marigold powder is 0.4:1:1.1.

[0008] Preferably, the method for preparing the pea starch or mung bean starch is as follows: The bean samples were soaked in a 0.5%-1% citric acid solution at 25-30℃ for 5-8 hours, and then exploded with nitrogen to obtain the pretreated bean samples. The pretreated bean sample was mixed with water at a mass ratio of 1:2-3, then freeze-pulverized, washed and dried to obtain pea starch or mung bean starch.

[0009] Preferably, the nitrogen explosion temperature is 55-65℃, the pressure is 3-5MPa, and the pressure holding time is 15-30s.

[0010] Preferably, the method for preparing the coconut meat powder or horsehair powder is as follows: The plant sample was crushed and mixed with water to denature it, resulting in the treated plant sample. The treated plant samples were mixed with a compound enzyme and subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis, enzyme inactivation, and vacuum drying to obtain coconut meat powder or Dioscorea opposita powder. The complex enzyme includes cellulase and flavor protease.

[0011] Preferably, during mixed denaturation, the mass ratio of plant sample to water is 1:15-20; The temperature for mixed denaturation is 80-90℃, and the time is 1-2 hours.

[0012] Preferably, during enzymatic hydrolysis, the mass ratio of the treated plant sample to the compound enzyme is 100:2-4; In the complex enzyme, the mass ratio of cellulase to flavor protease is 1:0.5-1; The enzymatic hydrolysis is performed at a temperature of 55-60℃ for 6-8 hours.

[0013] This invention provides a method for preparing the chewable plant-based soft capsule shell described in the above technical solution, comprising the following steps: Mix the compound starch, pullulan, carrageenan, gellan gum, konjac flour, mannitol, sorbitol, compound fiber and water evenly at 70-98℃ to eliminate air bubbles, and it can be used to compress chewable capsules.

[0014] This invention provides the application of the chewable plant-based soft capsule shell described above in food preparation.

[0015] Beneficial effects: This invention provides a chewable plant-based soft capsule shell, comprising, by weight, the following raw materials: 8-15 parts of compound starch, 0.3-0.8 parts of pullulan, 0.3-0.8 parts of carrageenan, 0.6-1 parts of gellan gum, 1-1.5 parts of konjac powder, 5-8 parts of mannitol, 5-10 parts of sorbitol, 10-20 parts of compound fiber, and 50-70 parts of water; wherein the compound starch includes hydroxypropyl starch, pea starch, and mung bean starch; and the compound fiber includes hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, coconut meat powder, and Lysimachia christinae powder.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1) This invention uses hydroxypropyl starch, pea starch and mung bean starch in a specific compound to overcome the defects of low tensile strength and high water sensitivity of the rubber, and is conducive to improving the compatibility of the compound starch and improving the elasticity of the rubber. It is not only suitable for chewing and has a good taste, but also has stable performance.

[0017] 2) The present invention, by mixing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, coconut meat powder, and Lysimachia christinae powder, enhances the stability of the capsule shell, improves its binding rate, and increases its integrity. This ensures no unpleasant flavor during chewing, appropriate release of contents, and excellent chewing performance. Therefore, the chewable plant-based soft capsule shell prepared by the present invention can be used in food preparation. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Unless otherwise specified, the raw materials, equipment and methods used in this invention are all conventional choices.

[0019] To further illustrate the present invention, the solutions provided by the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] Example 1 The steps for preparing a chewable plant-based soft capsule shell are as follows: (1) Preparation of compound starch Soak peas in a 0.5% citric acid solution at 25-26℃. Pea After soaking for 8 hours, the peas were obtained; the soaked peas were then subjected to nitrogen explosion once at 55℃ and 5MPa for 30 seconds to obtain exploded peas; the exploded peas were mixed with water at a mass ratio of 1:2, and the mixture was pulverized at 0-1℃. After filtering through 120-mesh gauze, the filtrate was collected; the filtrate was allowed to stand at 4℃ for 12 hours, and the supernatant was removed to obtain a precipitate; the precipitate was dried to obtain pea starch. Soak mung beans in a 0.5% citric acid solution at 25-26℃. Radiant vine (L.)R.Wilczek)8h, obtained soaked mung beans; kept at 55℃ and 5MPa pressure for 30s, the soaked mung beans were burst once with nitrogen to obtain burst mung beans; the burst mung beans were mixed with water at a mass ratio of 1:2, and the mixture was crushed at 0-1℃, filtered through 120 mesh gauze, and the filtrate was collected; the filtrate was allowed to stand at 4℃ for 12h, the supernatant was removed, and the precipitate was obtained; the precipitate was dried to obtain mung bean starch; Hydroxypropyl starch, pea starch, and mung bean starch were mixed evenly in a mass ratio of 0.2:1:0.8 to obtain a composite starch.

[0021] (2) Preparation of composite fibers coconut meat ( Cocos nucifera L.) is cleaned, dried, and pulverized to obtain pulverized material; the pulverized material is mixed with water at a mass ratio of 1:20 and denatured at 80℃ for 1 hour to obtain the treated slurry; the treated slurry is mixed with a compound enzyme (the compound enzyme is composed of cellulase and flavor protease mixed at a mass ratio of 1:0.5) at a mass ratio of 100:2 and enzymatically hydrolyzed at 55℃ for 6 hours to obtain the enzymatic hydrolysate; after inactivating the enzyme in the enzymatic hydrolysate, it is filtered and the filtrate is vacuum dried to obtain coconut meat powder; Horse hoof gold ( Dichondra micrantha Urban) is cleaned, dried, and pulverized to obtain pulverized material; the pulverized material is mixed with water at a mass ratio of 1:20 and denatured at 80℃ for 1 hour to obtain a treated slurry; the treated slurry is mixed with a compound enzyme (the compound enzyme is composed of cellulase and flavor protease mixed at a mass ratio of 1:0.5) at a mass ratio of 100:2 and enzymatically hydrolyzed at 55℃ for 6 hours to obtain an enzymatic hydrolysate; after inactivating the enzyme in the enzymatic hydrolysate, it is filtered and the filtrate is vacuum dried to obtain horsehair powder; Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, coconut meat powder, and horse marigold powder were mixed evenly in a mass ratio of 0.4:1:1.1 to obtain composite fiber.

[0022] (3) Chewable plant-based soft capsule shell By weight, the capsule shell of chewable plant-based softgels is composed of the following ingredients: The mixture consists of 8 parts of compound starch, 0.3 parts of pullulan, 0.5 parts of carrageenan, 0.6 parts of gellan gum, 1 part of konjac flour, 5 parts of mannitol, 6 parts of sorbitol, 20 parts of compound fiber, and 60 parts of water. At 85°C, the compound starch, pullulan, carrageenan, gellan gum, konjac flour, mannitol, sorbitol, compound fiber, and water are mixed evenly to eliminate air bubbles, which can then be used to compress chewable capsules.

[0023] Example 2 The steps for preparing a chewable plant-based soft capsule shell are as follows: (1) Preparation of compound starch The only difference from Example 1 is that in Example 2, hydroxypropyl starch, pea starch and mung bean starch are mixed evenly in a mass ratio of 0.1:1:0.9 to obtain a composite starch.

[0024] (2) Preparation of composite fibers The only difference from Example 1 is that in Example 2, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, coconut meat powder and horse marigold powder are mixed evenly in a mass ratio of 0.8:1.1:1.1 to obtain composite fiber.

[0025] (3) Chewable plant-based soft capsule shell The only difference from Example 1 is that the amount of each raw material used in Example 2 is as follows: By weight, the capsule shell of chewable plant-based softgels is composed of the following ingredients: The mixture consists of 15 parts of compound starch, 0.3 parts of pullulan, 0.5 parts of carrageenan, 0.6 parts of gellan gum, 1 part of konjac flour, 5 parts of mannitol, 6 parts of sorbitol, 10 parts of compound fiber, and 70 parts of water. Comparative Example 1 The steps for preparing a chewable plant-based soft capsule shell are as follows: (1) Preparation of compound starch After washing the peas, mix them with water at a mass ratio of 1:2. Crush the mixture at 0-1℃, filter it through 120-mesh gauze, and collect the filtrate. Let the filtrate stand at 4℃ for 12 hours, remove the supernatant, and obtain the precipitate. Dry the precipitate to obtain pea starch. After washing the mung beans, mix them with water at a mass ratio of 1:2. Crush the mixture at 0-1℃, filter it through 120-mesh gauze, and collect the filtrate. Let the filtrate stand at 4℃ for 12 hours, remove the supernatant, and obtain the precipitate. Dry the precipitate to obtain mung bean starch. Hydroxypropyl starch, pea starch, and mung bean starch were mixed evenly in a mass ratio of 0.2:1:0.8 to obtain a composite starch.

[0026] (2) Preparation of composite fibers Same as step (2) in Example 1; (3) Chewable plant-based soft capsule shell The same as step (3) in Example 1.

[0027] Comparative Example 2 The steps for preparing a chewable plant-based soft capsule shell are as follows: (1) Preparation of compound starch Regularly purchase pea starch and mung bean starch; Hydroxypropyl starch, pea starch, and mung bean starch were mixed evenly in a mass ratio of 0.2:1:0.8 to obtain a composite starch.

[0028] (2) Preparation of composite fibers Same as step (2) in Example 1; (3) Chewable plant-based soft capsule shell The same as step (3) in Example 1.

[0029] Comparative Example 3 The steps for preparing a chewable plant-based soft capsule shell are as follows: (1) Preparation of compound starch The only difference from Example 1 is that potatoes were used instead of mung beans in Comparative Example 3.

[0030] (2) Preparation of composite fibers Same as step (2) in Example 1; (3) Chewable plant-based soft capsule shell The same as step (3) in Example 1.

[0031] Comparative Example 4 The steps for preparing a chewable plant-based soft capsule shell are as follows: (1) Preparation of compound starch Same as step (1) in Example 1; (2) Preparation of composite fibers Clean, dry, and grind the coconut meat (Cocos nucifera L.) to obtain coconut meat powder; Clean, dry, and crush the Dichondra micrantha Urbanis to obtain Dichondra micrantha powder; Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, coconut meat powder, and Lysimachia christinae powder were mixed evenly in a mass ratio of 0.4:1:1.1. (3) Chewable plant-based soft capsule shell The same as step (3) in Example 1.

[0032] Comparative Example 5 The steps for preparing a chewable plant-based soft capsule shell are as follows: (1) Preparation of compound starch Same as step (1) in Example 1; (2) Chewable plant-based soft capsule shell By weight, the capsule shell of chewable plant-based softgels is composed of the following ingredients: The mixture consists of 8 parts of compound starch, 0.3 parts of pullulan, 0.5 parts of carrageenan, 0.6 parts of gellan gum, 1 part of konjac flour, 5 parts of mannitol, 6 parts of sorbitol, 20 parts of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, and 60 parts of water. At 85°C, the compound starch, pullulan, carrageenan, gellan gum, konjac flour, mannitol, sorbitol, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and water are mixed evenly to eliminate air bubbles, which can then be used to compress chewable capsules.

[0033] Soft capsules were prepared using the plant-based soft capsule shells from Examples 1-2 and Comparative Examples 1-5, with flaxseed oil as the filling material. All the treated soft capsules were dried to 12% moisture content, sealed in bottles (20 capsules per bottle), and stored in a high-humidity environment (95% humidity, 25°C) for 7 months. The adhesion of the capsules in the bottles was observed at 1 month, 4 months, and 7 months, and the results are shown in Table 1.

[0034] Table 1. Adhesion of capsules under different treatments

[0035] As can be seen from the data in Table 1, after preparing the skin using the raw materials in Examples 1, 2, 1, 3 and 5, the resulting soft capsules do not stick together.

[0036] Soft capsules were prepared using the plant-based soft capsule shells from Examples 1-2, Comparative Examples 1, 3, and 5. The contents of the soft capsules were all flaxseed oil. All treated soft capsules were dried to 15% moisture content. Resilience testing was performed on each soft capsule: a rheometer was used in compression-rebound mode with a parallel plate (the parallel plate had a frosted surface and an area slightly larger than the test sample). The test plate was compressed at a rate of 10 μm / s, with a compression ratio of 40%. After each compression segment, the capsules were raised to their original height at the same speed. When the normal force value during the rising phase was the same as the initial value, the initial height h0, the height after compression hs, and the height after rebound he were recorded. The rebound rate was calculated using the following formula. Each treatment of soft capsules was repeated 5 times in parallel. The rebound results for each treatment are shown in Table 2. The rebound rate (X) is calculated as follows: Resilience rate (X) = (he - hs) / (h0 - hs) × 100%.

[0037] The rebound scoring criteria are as follows: 5 points: X>75%, excellent elasticity; 4 points: 75% ≥ X > 60%, good elasticity; 3 points: 60% ≥ X > 45%, elasticity is average; 2 points: 45% ≥ X > 30%, moderate elasticity; 1 point: 30% ≥ X, poor elasticity.

[0038] Table 2. Soft capsule rebound scores under different treatments

[0039] As shown in Table 2, compared with the comparative example, the soft capsules in Examples 1 and 2 have better resilience, while the soft capsules prepared in Comparative Example 5 have the worst resilience. Therefore, the soft capsules prepared in Examples 1 and 2 have better chewing elasticity.

[0040] The plant-based soft capsule shells from Examples 1-2, Comparative Example 1, and Comparative Example 3 were used to prepare soft capsules. The contents of the soft capsules were all flaxseed oil. The soft capsules of each treatment were dried to 15% moisture content. The Acceptable Index of Sensory Test (AIST) was conducted: 100 subjects were selected and could only try one type of soft capsule at a time. After a 3-hour interval, they tried another type of soft capsule. After the subjects tasted the soft capsules, they evaluated the overall chewable soft capsule products in terms of ease of chewing, melting speed of the shell, and taste. The number of subjects who could accept the soft capsules in each treatment was counted, and the Acceptable Index of Sensory Test (%) was calculated as: Total number of subjects who could accept the soft capsules / Total number of subjects who participated in the test 100%. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0041] Table 3. Acceptability index of different treatments in different population groups

[0042] Based on the data in Table 3, it can be seen that, compared with the comparative example, the soft capsules prepared in Examples 1 and 2 have a human taste acceptance index as high as 85%-89%, are easy to chew, have a moderate melting speed, and have a good taste. In contrast, the soft capsules prepared in the comparative example have relatively poor chewing performance and a low human taste acceptance index.

[0043] In summary, this invention, by mixing 8-15 parts of composite starch, 0.3-0.8 parts of pullulan, 0.3-0.8 parts of carrageenan, 0.6-1 parts of gellan gum, 1-1.5 parts of konjac flour, 5-8 parts of mannitol, 5-10 parts of sorbitol, 10-20 parts of composite fiber, and 50-70 parts of water, overcomes the defects of low tensile strength and high water sensitivity of the rubber sheet, improves the elasticity of the rubber sheet, enhances the stability of the rubber sheet, increases the binding rate of the rubber sheet, and ensures that there is no unpleasant flavor during chewing, the contents are released appropriately, and the chewing performance and taste are excellent.

[0044] Although the above embodiments have provided a detailed description of the present invention, they are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. People can obtain other embodiments based on these embodiments without creative effort, and these embodiments all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A chewable plant-based soft capsule shell, characterized in that, By weight, it includes the following raw materials: The ingredients are: 8-15 parts of compound starch, 0.3-0.8 parts of pullulan, 0.3-0.8 parts of carrageenan, 0.6-1 parts of gellan gum, 1-1.5 parts of konjac flour, 5-8 parts of mannitol, 5-10 parts of sorbitol, 10-20 parts of compound fiber, and 50-70 parts of water. The composite starch includes: hydroxypropyl starch, pea starch, and mung bean starch; The composite fiber includes: hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, coconut meat powder, and horsehair powder.

2. The chewable plant-based soft capsule shell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mass ratio of hydroxypropyl starch, pea starch, and mung bean starch is 0.1-0.5:1:0.6-0.9; The mass ratio of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, coconut meat powder, and horse marigold powder is 0.4-0.8:1-1.2:1-1.

2.

3. The chewable plant-based soft capsule shell according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, By weight, it includes the following raw materials: The mixture consists of 8 parts of compound starch, 0.3 parts of pullulan, 0.5 parts of carrageenan, 0.6 parts of gellan gum, 1 part of konjac flour, 5 parts of mannitol, 6 parts of sorbitol, 20 parts of compound fiber, and 60 parts of water. In the composite starch, the mass ratio of hydroxypropyl starch, pea starch, and mung bean starch is 0.2:1:0.

8. In the composite fiber, the mass ratio of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, coconut meat powder, and horse marigold powder is 0.4:1:1.

1.

4. The chewable plant-based soft capsule shell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method for preparing the pea starch or mung bean starch is as follows: The bean samples were soaked in a 0.5%-1% citric acid solution at 25-30℃ for 5-8 hours, and then exploded with nitrogen to obtain the pretreated bean samples. The pretreated bean sample was mixed with water at a mass ratio of 1:2-3, then freeze-pulverized, washed and dried to obtain pea starch or mung bean starch.

5. The chewable plant-based soft capsule shell according to claim 4, characterized in that, The nitrogen explosion temperature is 55-65℃, the pressure is 3-5MPa, and the pressure holding time is 15-30s.

6. The chewable plant-based soft capsule shell according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preparation method of the coconut meat powder or horse chestnut powder is as follows: The plant sample was crushed and mixed with water to denature it, resulting in the treated plant sample. The treated plant samples were mixed with a compound enzyme and subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis, enzyme inactivation, and vacuum drying to obtain coconut meat powder or Dioscorea opposita powder. The complex enzyme includes cellulase and flavor protease.

7. The chewable plant-based soft capsule shell according to claim 6, characterized in that, During mixed denaturation, the mass ratio of plant sample to water is 1:15-20; The temperature for mixed denaturation is 80-90℃, and the time is 1-2 hours.

8. The chewable plant-based soft capsule shell according to claim 6, characterized in that, During enzymatic hydrolysis, the mass ratio of the treated plant sample to the compound enzyme is 100:2-4; In the complex enzyme, the mass ratio of cellulase to flavor protease is 1:0.5-1; The enzymatic hydrolysis is performed at a temperature of 55-60℃ for 6-8 hours.

9. A method for preparing the capsule shell of a chewable plant-based soft capsule according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Mix the compound starch, pullulan, carrageenan, gellan gum, konjac flour, mannitol, sorbitol, compound fiber and water evenly at 70-98℃ to eliminate air bubbles, and it can be used to compress chewable capsules.

10. The use of the chewable plant-based soft capsule shell according to any one of claims 1-8 in the preparation of food.

Images