Xuan-su Jian-pi type lung-softening paste and preparation method and application thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of Xuan Su Jianpi type moistens lung paste and preparation method thereof, belong to the technical field of food and medicine paste food, the moistens lung paste includes by weight parts: pear paste 28~42 parts, honey 32~50 parts, lily 14~20 parts, Chinese yam 14~20 parts, perilla seed 8~12 parts, dried tangerine or orange peel 8~13 parts, tuckahoe 8~13 parts, almond 6~10 parts, kudzu root 7~11 parts, ginger 4~8 parts, mint 1.8~3.5 parts and licorice 4~8 parts.The preparation method is: raw material is crushed and sieved, soaked with water, first pot decoction and mint is added, decoction residue is re-decocted, combined decoction is centrifuged and clarified, concentrated, pear paste and honey are added and stirred into paste.The moistens lung paste is formed by moistens lung body of substrate group, Xuan Fei Jiang Qi group, Jianpi group and moistens coordination group, improves the problem that traditional pear paste product is sweet and greasy, bitter, obvious precipitation and Xuan Su deficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of medicinal and edible pastes and food technology, specifically relating to a lung-moistening paste for promoting spleen function and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Pear syrup products typically use pear juice or pear paste as a moisturizing base, combined with ingredients such as honey, lily bulbs, licorice, loquat leaves, fritillaria cirrhosa, or malva nut, to prepare syrup-like products with lung-moistening, throat-soothing, or daily respiratory care properties. Existing pear syrup formulations mostly focus on "moisturizing" or "cough-relieving and lung-moistening" effects, and their formulations and processes usually involve conventional steps such as direct decoction of multiple ingredients, filtration, concentration, and honey flavoring.

[0003] The existing solutions still have the following shortcomings: First, they focus too much on moisturizing and nourishing, and are insufficient in comprehensively regulating the lung qi circulation, spleen and stomach function, and phlegm and dampness transformation, which can easily lead to problems such as being too sweet, greasy, or having a heavy flavor. Second, aromatic and dispersing ingredients such as perilla seeds, tangerine peel, ginger, and mint are prone to loss of flavor and volatile components during long-term boiling and concentration. Third, pastes containing starch, polysaccharides, and fine powder components are prone to fine powder precipitation after dilution, affecting product clarity and sensory quality. Fourth, existing pear paste products lack systematic screening of the synergistic relationship between formula ratio, water volume, secondary boiling time, and honey-pear paste compound ratio, making it difficult to balance the dissolution of active ingredients, sensory palatability, and large-scale stable production.

[0004] The aforementioned product formulations lack a systematic design, and the production process parameters are vague and have poor repeatability. Furthermore, these products generally suffer from low dissolution rates of active ingredients and unpleasant flavor and taste. Therefore, this application proposes a lung-moistening ointment preparation scheme with a clear formulation structure, standardized process parameters, high dissolution rate of active ingredients, and excellent sensory quality to overcome the shortcomings of existing products. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a lung-moistening paste for promoting spleen function and its preparation method, in order to solve the problems of existing pear paste products that are too moisturizing but not enough to promote spleen function, are too sweet and cloying, do not retain enough aroma, have obvious precipitation after dilution, and are difficult to balance the dissolution of active ingredients with sensory quality.

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

[0007] A lung-moistening paste for strengthening the spleen and stomach, by weight, comprises the following ingredients: 28-42 parts pear paste, 32-50 parts honey, 14-20 parts lily bulb, 14-20 parts yam, 8-12 parts perilla seed, 8-13 parts dried tangerine peel, 8-13 parts poria cocos, 6-10 parts almond, 7-11 parts kudzu root, 4-8 parts ginger, 1.8-3.5 parts peppermint, and 4-8 parts licorice.

[0008] The formula in this application focuses on restoring the lung's function of dispersing and descending qi, while also taking into account strengthening the spleen and consolidating the foundation, strictly adhering to the traditional Chinese medicine principle of "principal, assistant, adjuvant, and guide" in its formulation. Among them, pear syrup is the principal ingredient, lily bulb, yam, perilla seed, and dried tangerine peel are the assistant ingredients, poria cocos, apricot kernel, kudzu root, ginger, and mint are the adjuvant ingredients, licorice is the guide ingredient, and honey is the excipient.

[0009] Ancient texts record that pear syrup has the effects of clearing heat and moistening the lungs, nourishing yin and benefiting the stomach, and is often used for cough and phlegm caused by external pathogens affecting the lungs. The assistant ingredient, lily bulb, primarily "moistens," enhancing the yin-nourishing and lung-moistening effects of the principal ingredient. It is a food and medicine that enters the heart and lung meridians, nourishing yin and clearing the lungs, calming the mind and spirit, and possessing antibacterial and sedative pharmacological activities. The assistant ingredient, yam, primarily "tonifies," strengthening the spleen and benefiting the lungs, tonifying both qi and yin. It is sweet and neutral in nature, entering the spleen, lung, and kidney meridians, and is a food and medicine that gently tonifies the three jiaos. The assistant ingredient, perilla seed, primarily "descends," a key medicine for descending qi and relieving asthma. It is pungent and warm, entering the lung and large intestine meridians, descending qi and resolving phlegm, stopping cough and relieving asthma, moistening the intestines and promoting bowel movements, mainly treating cough and asthma due to phlegm and constipation due to lung qi deficiency. The assistant ingredient, dried tangerine peel, primarily "transforms," ​​warm in nature and sweet and pungent in taste, regulating qi, strengthening the spleen, drying dampness and resolving phlegm. The adjuvant ingredient, poria, assists the spleen and stomach in their digestive functions. It is neutral in nature and sweet and bland in taste, possessing the functions of promoting diuresis and eliminating dampness, strengthening the spleen and calming the mind. The adjuvant apricot kernel assists perilla seed in lowering qi, relieving cough and asthma, and moistening the intestines to promote bowel movements. It is used for cough and asthma, chest fullness with excessive phlegm, and constipation due to intestinal dryness. It is slightly toxic, but processing can reduce its toxicity and enhance its efficacy. The adjuvant kudzu root relieves muscle tension and promotes body fluid production, with the effect of clearing and relaxing muscles. It is sweet, pungent, and cool in nature, and enters the spleen, stomach, and lung meridians. It can relieve muscle tension, reduce fever, and quench thirst. The adjuvant ginger warms the middle and harmonizes, preventing cold and dampness from injuring the stomach. It is pungent and warm, and can relieve exterior cold, resolve phlegm, stop cough, and detoxify. The adjuvant peppermint is light and dispersing, and should be added later to retain its volatile components. It is pungent and cool, and enters the lung and liver meridians. It can disperse wind-heat, clear the head and eyes, benefit the throat and promote rash eruption, and soothe the liver and regulate qi. The guiding herb licorice root tonifies the spleen and replenishes qi, clears heat and detoxifies, resolves phlegm and stops cough, relieves spasms and pain, and is especially good at harmonizing the various herbs. Honey is the main excipient and flavoring agent in the paste, and also moistens the lungs and stops cough. It has antibacterial, antioxidant, immune-regulating, and intestinal-function-regulating effects.

[0010] Preferably, the lung-moistening paste comprises, by weight: 34.80 parts pear paste, 40.20 parts honey, 17.15 parts lily bulb, 17.15 parts yam, 10.00 parts perilla seed, 10.71 parts dried tangerine peel, 10.71 parts poria cocos, 8.57 parts almond, 9.00 parts kudzu root, 6.44 parts ginger, 2.70 parts peppermint, and 6.44 parts licorice.

[0011] This invention does not rely solely on a single type of moisturizing pear syrup as its core, but rather constructs a composite formula consisting of a "lung-moistening and fluid-generating matrix group—a lung-clearing and qi-regulating group—a spleen-strengthening and dampness-resolving group—a fluid-generating and harmonizing group." Specifically, pear syrup, lily bulb, and honey constitute the lung-moistening and fluid-generating matrix group; perilla seed, almond, ginger, and mint constitute the lung-clearing and qi-regulating group; yam, poria cocos, tangerine peel, and licorice constitute the spleen-strengthening and dampness-resolving group; and kudzu root constitutes the fluid-generating and harmonizing group. This structure, while providing a moisturizing effect, also addresses the functions of clearing and regulating qi, strengthening the spleen, resolving dampness, and harmonizing the flavor.

[0012] This invention also provides a method for preparing a spleen-strengthening and lung-moistening paste, comprising the following steps: pulverizing and sieving lily bulb, yam, perilla seed, tangerine peel, poria cocos, apricot kernel, kudzu root, ginger, and licorice; soaking them in water and then decocting them in a first batch; adding mint at the end of the first decoction and filtering to obtain a first decoction; adding water again to the dregs and decocting them in a second batch, and filtering to obtain a second decoction; combining the first and second decoctions, clarifying them by centrifugation, and then concentrating them; adding pear paste and honey to the concentrate, stirring to form a paste, and then filling it into a container to obtain the spleen-strengthening and lung-moistening paste.

[0013] As described above, the first pot of decoction is prepared by bringing the mixture to a boil over high heat and then simmering it over low heat. The mint is added 3 to 8 minutes before the end of the first pot of decoction.

[0014] Preferably, the mint is added 5 minutes before the end of the first simmering.

[0015] In the preparation method described above, the first pot of decoction is cooked for 2.0 to 3.0 hours.

[0016] Preferably, the first batch of simmering time is 2.5 hours.

[0017] In the preparation method described above, the second decoction time is 1.5 to 2.5 hours.

[0018] Preferably, the second decoction time is 2.0 hours.

[0019] In the preparation method described above, the ratio of the raw material to the water added in the first pot is 1:15-30 kg / L.

[0020] Preferably, the ratio of the raw material to the water added in the first pot is 1:23 kg / L.

[0021] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a method for preparing the active components of the above-mentioned spleen-strengthening and lung-moistening paste. The method involves water dispersion, ethanol extraction, low-temperature centrifugation, low-temperature alcohol removal, and vacuum freeze-drying to separate the lung-moistening paste into an ethanol-extracted fraction R1 rich in crude polyphenols and crude flavonoids, and an alcohol-precipitated polysaccharide fraction R2 rich in crude polysaccharides. These fractions are used to evaluate and confirm the main active substance basis of the lung-moistening paste of the present invention.

[0022] The method for preparing the active components is not a necessary step in the routine production of the finished lung-moistening ointment, but rather a test method for verifying the efficacy of the invention and confirming the active components. When it is necessary to prepare lung-moistening ointment extract powder or to conduct cellular efficacy evaluation, the ethanol extract component R1 and the alcohol-precipitated polysaccharide component R2 can be obtained according to this method.

[0023] The present invention also provides the application of the above-mentioned spleen-strengthening and lung-moistening paste, for use in preparing paste foods, beverage bases or daily respiratory care foods.

[0024] The Xuansu Jianpi-type lung-moistening ointment described in this invention can also be used to prepare drugs that relieve respiratory inflammation-related symptoms.

[0025] As described above, the respiratory inflammation-related symptoms include dry throat, itchy throat, cough, or a feeling of tightness in the throat.

[0026] As described above, the drug has the effect of inhibiting lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory damage to airway epithelial cells.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: The formula in this application improves the problems of traditional pastes being bitter, cloyingly sweet, or heavy by reducing the amount of highly bitter ingredients such as kudzu root, peppermint, and perilla seeds, and by redetermining the compounding ratio of honey and pear syrup.

[0028] The preparation process of this application reduces the flavor loss of aromatic and dispersing raw materials during long-term simmering by adding peppermint later and compounding honey and pear paste later, thereby improving the cooling sensation and aroma layers of the finished product.

[0029] This application reduces the risk of fine powdery sedimentation after the final product is diluted 10 times by centrifugation and clarification of the combined decoction, thereby improving the product's appearance and drinking experience.

[0030] In the preparation process of this application, the amount of water added, the first decoction time, the second decoction time, and the honey-pear paste seasoning ratio are systematically screened to maintain high levels of total phenols, total polysaccharides, and total flavonoids.

[0031] This application obtains two active fractions, R1 and R2, through ethanol extraction and alcohol precipitation. Experiments further demonstrate that the crude polyphenols, crude flavonoids, and crude polysaccharides in the lung-moistening ointment of this invention have a clear protective effect on lung cells against cell damage caused by inflammation, providing a clear theoretical basis for product quality control and efficacy evaluation.

[0032] The experimental results of this application show that, under the optimized process, the total phenols, total polysaccharides and total flavonoids of the finished product reach approximately 6.23 mg / mL, 43.83 mg / mL and 6.20 mg / mL, respectively. It also has a strong in vitro free radical scavenging ability and shows protective activity in the BEAS-2B cell inflammatory injury model. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the preparation process of the lung-moistening ointment of the present invention; Figure 2 Evaluation chart of the contribution of single-ingredient raw materials to bitterness; Figure 3 QDA evaluation charts for aroma of samples with different water addition amounts; Figure 4QDA evaluation charts for the taste of samples with different amounts of water added; Figure 5 QDA verification charts for aroma and flavor under different water addition amounts; Figure 6 QDA evaluation chart for taste under different water addition amounts; Figure 7 The QDA evaluation chart for the aroma of the finished lung-moistening paste; Figure 8 The QDA evaluation chart for the taste of the finished lung-moistening paste; Figure 9 The effect of different ratios of pear syrup and honey on the flavor of the finished product; Figure 10 Cell viability of BEAS-2B cells after 24 h of treatment with different concentrations of LPS; Figure 11 Figure showing the effect of R1 ethanol extract on LPS-induced BEAS-2B cell viability; Figure 12 Figure showing the effect of R2 alcohol precipitate on LPS-induced BEAS-2B cell viability; Figure 13 Figure showing the effect of R1 ethanol extract on LPS-induced inflammatory pathways in BEAS-2B cells; Figure 14 The figure shows the effect of R2 ethanol extract on LPS-induced inflammatory pathways in BEAS-2B cells. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below. The specific embodiments listed below are merely descriptions of the principles and features of the present invention, and the examples are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 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.

[0035] The pear paste in this embodiment is sourced from Xishan Flower House Pear Paste, Dangshan Pear Fresh Food Co., Ltd. The pear paste uses pear as its sole ingredient.

[0036] The honey is Huiqingtang Vitex Honey.

[0037] The remaining medicinal ingredients were purchased from pharmacies.

[0038] Example 1 A lung-moistening paste for strengthening the spleen and stomach includes the following ingredients in parts: 28-42 parts pear paste, 32-50 parts honey, 14-20 parts lily bulb, 14-20 parts yam, 8-12 parts perilla seed, 8-13 parts dried tangerine peel, 8-13 parts poria cocos, 6-10 parts almond, 7-11 parts kudzu root, 4-8 parts ginger, 1.8-3.5 parts peppermint, and 4-8 parts licorice.

[0039] The lily bulb, yam, perilla seed, dried tangerine peel, poria cocos, apricot kernel, kudzu root, ginger, and licorice were pulverized and sieved. After soaking in water, the first decoction was prepared and soaked for 2 hours. After boiling over high heat for 20 minutes, the heat was reduced to low heat and the first decoction was prepared for 2.0-3.0 hours. Peppermint was added at the end of the first decoction (the last 5 minutes), and the decoction was filtered to obtain the first decoction. Water was added to the dregs again for the second decoction, which was prepared for 1.5-2.5 hours (after boiling over high heat for 10 minutes, the heat was reduced to low heat). The decoction was filtered to obtain the second decoction. The first and second decoctions were combined, centrifuged to clarify, and then concentrated. The concentration was reduced to 1 / 4 of the original volume. Pear paste and honey were added to the concentrate, stirred into a paste, and then bottled to obtain the lung-nourishing paste for strengthening the spleen and stomach.

[0040] See the preparation process flow chart. Figure 1 .

[0041] Example 2: Preferred Formula for Lung-Nourishing Paste The formula of the lung-moistening ointment in this application was optimized. An evaluation team of 10 students from Beijing Technology and Business University conducted a quantitative sensory evaluation using the QDA (quantitative descriptive analysis) method. Perilla seed, dried tangerine peel, kudzu root, ginger, and mint were selected as the main bitter-contributing ingredients. Their sensory characteristics, flavor contribution, and volatile aroma components were systematically examined. The evaluation results are as follows: Figure 2 As shown. Sensory evaluation results of single-ingredient decoction and concentration extraction showed that the contribution of each ingredient to the bitterness of the paste varied significantly. Kudzu root was the primary bitter-contributing ingredient, followed by dried tangerine peel, mint, and perilla seeds, while ginger had a relatively small impact on the overall bitterness. Based on the above analysis results, the optimized formula obtained in this embodiment is: pear paste 34.80g, honey 40.20g, lily bulb 17.15g, yam 17.15g, perilla seeds 10.00g, dried tangerine peel 10.71g, poria cocos 10.71g, almond 8.57g, kudzu root 9.00g, ginger 6.44g, mint 2.70g, and licorice root 6.44g. The initial water addition was 3.00L.

[0042] The adjusted formula maintains the coordinated effects of clearing the lungs, lowering qi, and promoting body fluid production, while reducing bitterness and astringency to improve palatability.

[0043] Example 3: Optimization of water addition The formulation in this embodiment is the same as that in Example 2, and the preparation method is the same as that in Example 1. Using the amount of water added as the key variable, five gradients were set for the initial soaking water volume: 3.00 L, 3.50 L, 4.00 L, 4.50 L, and 5.00 L. The samples to be tested were prepared, and the contents of total phenols, total polysaccharides, and total flavonoids were determined. The results are shown in Table 1. Total phenols were determined using a total phenol (TP) content determination kit (catalog number G0117F), total polysaccharides using a polysaccharide content determination kit (catalog number G0593F), and total flavonoids using a total flavonoid content determination kit (catalog number G0118F). All kits were sourced from Suzhou Gres Biotechnology.

[0044] Table 1. Content of active ingredients under different water addition amounts

[0045] As shown in Table 1, under the condition of 4.00L, the total polysaccharides and total flavonoids reached the better level, and the total phenols were also in the higher range.

[0046] Nine evaluators used the quantitative descriptive sensory evaluation method (QDA) to complete a quantitative sensory analysis of taste and aroma. The results of the effect of different water addition amounts on the product's sensory properties are shown below. Figures 3-6 In terms of aroma, the differences in vanilla and medicinal aromas among the groups were small and generally stable; the aromas of roasted potato and sweetness gradually increased with increasing water volume, with the 5.00 L group showing significantly better aroma performance in both aspects than the other groups. In terms of taste, sweetness initially increased and then decreased with increasing water volume, with the 4.00 L group exhibiting the best sweetness; bitterness, astringency, and coolness showed no significant differences among the groups. Considering both aroma and taste, the 4.00 L water volume resulted in the best overall sensory quality, with a harmonious aroma and moderate sweetness.

[0047] Based on the results of total phenol, total polysaccharide and total flavonoid content, and combined with the sensory evaluation results, 4.00 L of water was determined to be the preferred amount to be added, based on the preferred formulation dosage in Example 2.

[0048] Example 4: Optimization of cooking time The formulation in this embodiment is the same as that in Example 2, and the preparation method is the same as that in Example 1. Based on the preferred amount of water added (4L), the effects of the first decoction time and the second decoction time on the content of total phenols, total polysaccharides and total flavonoids were investigated. First, the first decoction time was taken as the factor to be investigated, and five gradient treatments of 1h, 1.5h, 2h, 2.5h and 3h were set. On this basis, in order to fully extract the residual active ingredients in the dregs and maximize the utilization rate of raw materials, the gradient optimization of the second decoction time was carried out simultaneously. According to the process of filtering the liquid after the first decoction and the second decoction of the dregs, a paired time gradient of the first decoction time + the second decoction time was set, and the specific combinations were: 1h + 0.5h, 1.5h + 1h, 2h + 1.5h, 2.5h + 2h, and 3h + 2.5h. The dregs from the first decoction of each group were filtered and separated separately. Five extraction gradients were set up for 0.5h, 1h, 1.5h, 2h, and 2.5h, respectively, for secondary extraction. The amount of water added was half that of the first decoction, while other process conditions remained consistent. The first and second decoctions of each group were centrifuged at 4℃ and 10000 rpm, and the supernatant was concentrated to 50 mL and bottled for later use. No honey or pear paste was added throughout the process to avoid interference with the detection. The contents of core active ingredients such as total phenols, total polysaccharides, and total flavonoids were determined and comprehensively evaluated. The results are shown in Tables 2-4.

[0049] Table 2. Content of active ingredients in the first batch at different cooking times.

[0050] Table 3. Content of active ingredients at different re-decoction times in the second batch.

[0051] Table 4. Content of active ingredients in combined decoctions at different time combinations

[0052] As shown in Table 4, the total polysaccharide content reached approximately 43.83 mg / mL, the total flavonoid content reached approximately 6.20 mg / mL, and the total phenol content remained at approximately 6.23 mg / mL under the 2.5 h + 2.0 h combination. The overall performance of the three indicators was the best. Therefore, the optimal time combination was determined to be 2.5 h for the first decoction and 2.0 h for the second decoction.

[0053] Example 5: Optimization of the compound ratio of honey and pear syrup Nine portions of lung-moistening paste were prepared, with the amount of ingredients being 1 / 4 of that in Example 2. The initial soaking water volume was 1L. The first batch was simmered for 2.5 hours, and the second batch was simmered again for 2.0 hours. Nine sets of honey-pear paste were prepared for these lung-moistening pastes (see the table below). The samples were selected through a blinded preference vote by 15 consumers.

[0054] Table 5. Honey-Pear Syrup Addition Ratio

[0055] See results Figure 9 The results of this consumer sensory preference test show that the No. 3 ratio (10.05g honey and 8.70g pear syrup) had the highest consumer preference rate, reaching 40%, significantly higher than all other groups, indicating the best market acceptance. The No. 6 ratio (11.85g honey and 6.90g pear syrup) had a preference rate of 20%, ranking second. The No. 2 and No. 8 ratios both had a consumer preference rate of approximately 13.3%, tying for third place. The No. 1 and No. 9 ratios both had a preference rate of approximately 6.7%, indicating relatively low consumer acceptance. The No. 4, No. 5, and No. 7 ratios received no consumer favor, with a preference rate of 0%. Based on the analysis of the above preference rate data, the No. 3 ratio of honey to pear syrup best matches the dietary preferences of ordinary consumers in terms of taste harmony and overall flavor performance; therefore, it was determined to be the optimal flavor ratio for this product. After conversion based on the baseline batch size, the preferred honey dosage is 40.20 parts, and the pear syrup dosage is 34.80 parts.

[0056] Example 6 A lung-moistening paste for strengthening the spleen and stomach includes the following ingredients in the indicated proportions: 34.80g pear paste, 40.20g honey, 17.15g lily bulb, 17.15g yam, 10.00g perilla seed, 10.71g dried tangerine peel, 10.71g poria cocos, 8.57g almond, 9.00g kudzu root, 6.44g ginger, 2.70g peppermint, and 6.44g licorice.

[0057] Crush and sieve all solid ingredients except honey, pear syrup, and mint. Soak 4L of the ingredients in water for 2 hours. Then, perform the first decoction, bringing it to a boil over high heat and then simmering over low heat. Add mint 5 minutes before the end of the first decoction, and filter to obtain the first decoction. Add half the amount of water used in the first decoction to the dregs for a second decoction, and filter to obtain the second decoction. The decoction time is 2.5 hours + 2.0 hours. Combine the first and second decoctions, centrifuge at 4℃ and 10000 rpm for 10 minutes, and collect the supernatant for concentration. After concentrating to the desired volume or to a flag-like consistency, add pear syrup and honey, stir well, and fill into sealed containers to obtain the lung-moistening paste.

[0058] In the above preparation process, peppermint is added later to retain its refreshing flavor and aromatic characteristics; centrifugation clarification is used to reduce fine powder precipitation after dilution of the finished product; honey and pear paste are combined after concentration to reduce the adverse effects of prolonged high-temperature treatment on flavor and texture.

[0059] Sensory evaluation of the above products was conducted by 18 evaluators who had received basic training, who scored the core indicators of the two dimensions of aroma and taste. Figure 7 ,8 As shown, the finished lung-clearing paste exhibits a balanced aroma structure with "roasted sweet potato and sweet aroma as the core, and a light and refreshing aroma as an auxiliary," resulting in a rich, harmonious, and natural overall aroma. It also boasts a balanced taste structure characterized by "sweetness as the dominant flavor, coolness as a distinctive feature, sourness as a harmonizing element, and a slight bitterness." The finished lung-clearing paste, after process and formula optimization, demonstrates excellent performance in both aroma and taste, satisfying consumers' expectations for a rich and sweet flavor in paste-like products while enhancing the overall sensory experience through its refreshing aroma and cool texture.

[0060] Comparative Example 1 A lung-moistening paste, weighing out the following ingredients: 34.80g pear paste, 40.20g honey, 17.15g lily bulb, 17.15g yam, 12.86g perilla seed, 10.71g dried tangerine peel, 10.71g poria cocos, 8.57g almond, 12.86g kudzu root, 6.44g ginger, 4.29g mint, and 6.44g licorice root, with an initial soaking volume of 4L.

[0061] The preparation process was the same as in Example 6, and the resulting paste had a significant bitter taste and poor overall sensory quality. Evaluation of individual ingredients revealed that kudzu root was the primary contributor to bitterness, followed by dried tangerine peel, mint, and perilla seeds. Compared to Comparative Example 1, the formulation of this lung-moistening paste improved palatability by reducing the amounts of kudzu root, mint, and perilla seeds.

[0062] Comparative Example 2 The formulations of this comparative example and Example 6 are exactly the same, and the preparation processes are basically the same. The only difference is that after combining the first and second decoctions, the centrifugation clarification step is omitted, and the mixture is directly concentrated. Pear paste and honey are added to the concentrate, and the mixture is stirred to obtain a lung-moistening paste. After being diluted 10 times, a clear fine powder precipitate is visible at the bottom of this lung-moistening paste. Compared with the comparative example, the preparation process of this application adds a centrifugation clarification step before concentration, which helps to separate fine powder and insoluble particles and improves the appearance of the diluted product.

[0063] Experimental Example 1: Active Ingredients and Antioxidant Capacity of the Finished Product Samples from Example 6 were selected. Turbid samples were centrifuged and the supernatant was collected for testing. The DPPH free radical scavenging ability was detected using a DPPH free radical scavenging ability kit (catalog number G0128F), and the ABTS free radical scavenging ability was detected using an ABTS free radical scavenging ability kit (catalog number G0127F). Both kits were purchased from Suzhou Greens Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

[0064] Table 6 Optimized Process Finished Product Indicators

[0065] The results show that the lung-moistening ointment prepared by this invention exhibits good performance in terms of active ingredient content and in vitro antioxidant capacity, and can be used as a reference indicator for product standardization control and batch-to-batch stability evaluation.

[0066] Example 2: Preparation of active components R1 and R2 in lung-moistening ointment To further evaluate the cell-protective effects of different active components in the lung-moistening ointment of the present invention, the lung-moistening ointment prepared in Example 6 was subjected to ethanol extraction and ethanol precipitation to prepare ethanol extract component R1 and ethanol-precipitated polysaccharide component R2.

[0067] Accurately weigh 30.00g of the lung-moistening ointment from Example 6, place it in a clean beaker, add pure water to dissolve it and make up to 60mL, heat it in a water bath at 60-70℃ and stir continuously to fully disperse the sample until there are no obvious lumps in the system, and obtain the lung-moistening ointment pre-dispersion.

[0068] The pre-dispersed solution of the lung-moistening ointment was transferred to a 1.5L separatory funnel, and 270 mL of anhydrous ethanol was added to create an alcohol precipitation environment. The funnel was tightly sealed and shaken for 2 min, with intermittent venting during shaking, followed by standing for 5 min. The shaking and standing process was repeated three times. The resulting mixture was transferred to a centrifuge bottle and allowed to stand at 4°C for 1 h. Then, it was centrifuged at 10,000 rpm for 10 min, and the supernatant was collected and designated as the first ethanol extract E1. The precipitate was retained for later use.

[0069] Add 200 mL of 80% ethanol to the above precipitate, transfer to a separatory funnel for a second extraction, shake for 2 min and release gas intermittently, repeat 3 times, let stand for 30-60 min and centrifuge, collect the supernatant and record it as the second ethanol extract E2; the precipitate after centrifugation is used as the alcohol-precipitated polysaccharide fraction.

[0070] The first ethanol extract E1 and the second ethanol extract E2 were combined and the ethanol was removed by rotary evaporation at a temperature not exceeding 50°C to obtain a concentrated paste extract rich in crude polyphenols and crude flavonoids, denoted as R1. The alcohol-precipitated polysaccharide fraction was then freeze-dried under vacuum to obtain a powder extract rich in crude polysaccharides, denoted as R2.

[0071] The obtained R1 and R2 were used to evaluate the cell protective activity in the subsequent LPS-induced BEAS-2B cell inflammatory injury model. Among them, R1 corresponds to the ethanol extraction fraction, and R2 corresponds to the alcohol-precipitated polysaccharide fraction.

[0072] Experimental Example 3: Cellular Level Evaluation An inflammatory injury model was constructed using LPS-induced normal human lung epithelial cells BEAS-2B. The R1 ethanol extract and R2 alcohol-precipitated polysaccharide extract obtained in Experiment 2 were used as test samples, and cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay.

[0073] BEAS-2B cells were cultured in DMEM medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum at 37°C and 5% CO2 saturated humidity incubator. When the cell confluence reached 90%, the cells were passaged by digestion with 0.25% trypsin, and cells in the logarithmic growth phase were used for experiments.

[0074] This experiment used three concentrations of LPS (2.5, 5, and 10 μg / mL) to treat BEAS-2B cells for 24 hours. Cell viability was assessed to confirm that LPS can damage the activity of normal human lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Figure 10 As shown, the results indicated that after treatment with 2.5, 5, and 10 μg / mL LPS for 24 h, the cell viability remained stable at approximately 85%, which can be used as modeling conditions for subsequent evaluation. This protocol was verified to be consistent with that reported in the literature, effectively replicating the inflammatory damage state of cells and providing a reliable model basis for subsequent drug intervention experiments.

[0075] The experiment used 5 μg / mL LPS to create a cell model. After pretreatment for 1 h, different concentrations of R1 and R2 were added, and the cells were cultured for another 24 h to detect cell viability and compare it with the model group.

[0076] The CCK-8 assay used relative cell viability as the core quantitative indicator. A multi-functional microplate reader was used to read the raw OD values ​​at 450 nm, with standardized correction and outlier removal performed throughout the process. The OD value correction rules for each group in the 96-well plate were as follows: Blank wells contained only culture medium, without cell or drug intervention, and were used to reduce background absorbance. The raw OD values ​​of all groups were first corrected by subtracting the average OD value of the blank wells. The normal control group (Con) consisted of BEAS-2B cells without LPS or lung-nourishing extract intervention; the corrected OD value was the benchmark for calculating 100% cell viability. The model group received only LPS intervention and was used for comparison between drug efficacy groups. The drug-only treatment groups received only different concentrations of R1 and R2 extracts, without LPS intervention, and were used to assess the cytotoxicity of the extracts. The drug-treated groups were treated with LPS modeling followed by different concentrations of R1 and R2 extracts, and were the core groups for anti-inflammatory activity analysis.

[0077] All groups were configured with three parallel replicates, and the cell seeding density of the 96-well plates was 5 × 10⁶ cells / well. 4 Cells / mL, 100 μL of cell suspension was seeded in each well. For data processing, the mean and standard deviation of OD values ​​after calibration were calculated for each replicate well. Abnormal well data that deviated from the mean ± 2 standard deviations were removed. The mean ± standard deviation (Mean ± SD) of the remaining valid data was recalculated.

[0078] The general formula for calculating the relative cell survival rate across all groups in this experiment is: Relative cell survival rate (%) = (corrected OD value of the corresponding group / corrected OD value of the normal control group) × 100%. The calculation result is the core basic data for all subsequent statistical analyses.

[0079] Group R1 was designed with five concentration gradients: 0, 0.0625, 0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 mg / mL. Group R2 was designed with five concentrations: 0, 0.0625, 0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 mg / mL. Results are shown below. Figure 11 , Figure 12 Within the range of 0.0625-0.5 mg / mL, the cell viability after treatment with R1 and R2 was above 80%, with no significant difference compared to the control group (p>0.05). Therefore, neither treatment showed significant toxicity in in vitro experiments. For LPS-treated cells, although the repair of LPS-induced cell damage by R1 and R2 was not significant, there was a tendency for repair to varying degrees with increasing dosage.

[0080] Based on the results of this cell viability experiment, subsequent transcriptome sequencing was performed using two drug concentrations: 0.25 mg / mL and 0.5 mg / mL. The results are shown below. Figure 13 , 14 R1 and R2 significantly reduced the expression of inflammatory factors in LPS-induced inflammatory damage in BEAS-2B cells. Therefore, it is clear that R1 and R2 exhibit both anti-inflammatory activity and no significant cytotoxicity, providing the necessary cellular and molecular mechanisms for their application.

[0081] Experimental Example 4: Human Trial Observation Ten participants were enrolled for a 10-day trial, with a daily dosage of 15g. Participants included individuals with no underlying symptoms, long-term smokers, those experiencing post-cold cough, and those with chronic dry and itchy throat.

[0082] The trial observation results showed that the effective improvement time for 10 subjects was 5.50 ± 2.22 days; most subjects began to report relief from discomfort such as dry throat, cough, phlegm, or tightness in the throat within 3 to 6 days of taking the medication. These results are preliminary trial observations and do not replace the conclusions of randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical studies.

[0083] Table 7 Evaluation of Human Functions

[0084] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lung-moistening paste for promoting spleen function and strengthening the spleen, characterized in that, By weight, its ingredients include: 28-42 parts pear paste, 32-50 parts honey, 14-20 parts lily bulb, 14-20 parts yam, 8-12 parts perilla seed, 8-13 parts dried tangerine peel, 8-13 parts poria cocos, 6-10 parts almond, 7-11 parts kudzu root, 4-8 parts ginger, 1.8-3.5 parts peppermint, and 4-8 parts licorice.

2. The lung-moistening and spleen-strengthening ointment according to claim 1, characterized in that, By weight, its ingredients include: 34.80 parts pear paste, 40.20 parts honey, 17.15 parts lily bulb, 17.15 parts yam, 10.00 parts perilla seed, 10.71 parts dried tangerine peel, 10.71 parts poria cocos, 8.57 parts almond, 9.00 parts kudzu root, 6.44 parts ginger, 2.70 parts mint, and 6.44 parts licorice. The pear paste uses pear as the sole ingredient.

3. The lung-moistening paste for strengthening the spleen and stomach according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lung-moistening ointment has a total phenol content of 5.8–6.6 mg / mL, a total polysaccharide content of 40–47 mg / mL, and a total flavonoid content of 5.8–6.6 mg / mL.

4. A method for preparing the spleen-tonifying and lung-moistening paste according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The process includes the following steps: pulverize and sieve lily bulbs, yam, perilla seeds, dried tangerine peel, poria cocos, apricot kernels, kudzu root, ginger, and licorice root; soak them in water and then decoct them in the first batch; add mint at the end of the first decoction and filter to obtain the first decoction; add water again to the dregs and decoct in the second batch, then filter to obtain the second decoction; combine the first and second decoctions, centrifuge to clarify, and then concentrate; add pear paste and honey to the concentrate, stir to form a paste, and then bottle to obtain a lung-moistening paste for strengthening the spleen and stomach.

5. The preparation method of the spleen-tonifying and lung-moistening paste according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first pot of decoction is prepared by bringing the water to a boil over high heat and then simmering it over low heat. The mint is added 3 to 8 minutes before the end of the first pot of decoction. The first pot of decoction is prepared for 2.0 to 3.0 hours, and the second pot of decoction is prepared for 1.5 to 2.5 hours.

6. The preparation method of the spleen-tonifying and lung-moistening paste according to claim 5, characterized in that: The mint was added 5 minutes before the end of the first decoction, and the first decoction time was 2.5 hours; the second decoction time was 2.0 hours.

7. The method for preparing the spleen-tonifying and lung-moistening paste according to any one of claims 5 to 6, characterized in that: The ratio of the raw material to the water added in the first batch is 1:15-30 kg / L.

8. The method for preparing the spleen-tonifying and lung-moistening paste according to any one of claims 5 to 6, characterized in that: Before adding pear paste and honey, the combined decoction was centrifuged and clarified. The centrifugation conditions were: temperature 4℃, speed 8000~12000rpm, centrifugation for 5~15 min.

9. The application of the Xuan Su Jian Pi type lung-moistening paste according to any one of claims 1 to 2 in the preparation of paste foods, beverage bases or daily respiratory care foods.

10. The use of the Xuan Su Jian Pi type lung-moistening ointment according to any one of claims 1 to 2 in the preparation of a medicament for relieving respiratory inflammation-related symptoms.

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