Low-temperature preparation process of herb synergistic jujube fruit vinegar type long-acting alcoholism-preventing liver-protecting beverage

Abstract

The application discloses a low-temperature preparation process of a long-acting alcoholism-relieving and liver-protecting beverage of a herb synergistic jujube fruit vinegar type, and belongs to the technical field of functional beverages. In view of the industry drawbacks of traditional alcoholism-relieving and liver-protecting fruit vinegar beverages, such as easy inactivation of heat-sensitive active ingredients caused by high-temperature processing, antagonism caused by ingredient compounding, and short-acting liver-protecting effect, a whole-process low-temperature active-locking preparation system is innovatively constructed. A full-set closed-loop processing process is adopted, including herb differentiation grading crushing, herb three-section gradient low-temperature neutral dynamic extraction and concentration, low-temperature precise compounding, low-temperature two-stage gradient homogenization and low-temperature sterile precision filtration, so as to construct a long-acting liver cell auxiliary protection system combining fast release, slow release and delayed release, and realize the synergistic effect of multi-target points, such as alcoholism-relieving and efficiency improvement, relief of post-drinking discomfort and long-acting protection against liver oxidative damage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of functional beverage preparation technology, specifically relating to the preparation process of a herbal synergistic Hovenia dulcis vinegar-type long-acting hangover relief and liver protection beverage. Background Technology

[0002] Alcohol is primarily metabolized by the liver in the human body. Excessive drinking leads to a large accumulation of ethanol and acetaldehyde, increasing the oxidative burden on the liver and easily causing dizziness, gastrointestinal discomfort, and oxidative damage to the body after drinking. Currently, mainstream herbal fruit vinegar drinks for hangover relief and liver protection on the market have several core technological defects, which seriously restrict the product efficacy and industrial application.

[0003] Most traditional processing methods employ an integrated process of high-temperature co-soaking, co-fermentation, and heat sterilization of herbal raw materials and jujube pulp, with processing temperatures often exceeding 60℃. However, core liver-protecting active ingredients such as puerarin and curcumin are heat-sensitive substances; high temperatures directly cause the breakage of many active groups and inactivation of the components, significantly reducing the product's hangover-relieving and liver-protecting effects. Furthermore, the finished product is prone to stratification, turbidity, and sedimentation during storage. Simultaneously, traditional processes involve the mixed extraction of multiple herbal raw materials, which can easily lead to antagonistic interactions, polymerization, and degradation of different herbal active ingredients, resulting in poor component stability and rapid efficacy decline. Therefore, traditional processes generally suffer from problems such as loss of active ingredients and short-lasting efficacy. In addition, most current product formulations are complex and diverse, often combining food and herbal ingredients, but their overall efficacy is singular, offering only immediate hangover relief and detoxification effects, while also considering taste and nutrition. They fail to achieve the comprehensive synergistic effects of alcohol blocking, accelerated metabolism, liver cell auxiliary protection, and antioxidant protection.

[0004] Addressing the industry pain points of existing technologies such as high-temperature deactivation, component antagonism, short-term efficacy, poor stability, and sterilization damage, this invention innovatively develops a new process system involving herbal independent low-temperature neutral extraction for ointment preparation, low-temperature compounding of mature fruit vinegar, and low-temperature sterile precision filtration. The entire process is carried out at a temperature ≤35℃, maximizing the preservation of heat-sensitive active ingredients. Through the synergistic mechanism of component slow release, it achieves long-lasting liver protection, combining process novelty, product stability, and industrial applicability. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a preparation process for a long-lasting hangover relief and liver protection beverage in the form of herbal synergistic jujube fruit vinegar, which solves the problems of traditional processes such as the inactivation of heat-sensitive active ingredients due to high temperatures, mutual antagonism of herbal ingredients, short-term efficacy of the beverage, poor storage stability, and secondary damage caused by heat sterilization.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, this invention provides a preparation process for a herbal synergistic Hovenia dulcis vinegar-based long-acting hangover relief and liver protection beverage. The process includes six core steps: raw material pretreatment, herbal independent low-temperature neutral extraction, low-temperature enzymatic hydrolysis of Hovenia dulcis vinegar, low-temperature precise compound blending, low-temperature two-stage gradient homogenization, low-temperature aseptic precision filtration, and aseptic filling. The entire process is carried out at a temperature ≤35℃, with a unified temperature control range and no temperature fluctuations throughout the production process. The specific process steps are as follows.

[0007] I. Raw Materials

[0008] The raw material system is precisely formulated according to the synergistic mechanism of hangover relief and liver protection, and is divided into herbal extract system, jujube fruit vinegar system, and compound beverage system:

[0009] Herbal Extract System: Selected ingredients include dried sclerotium of Poria cocos, dried mature fruit of Milk thistle, dried rhizome of turmeric, dried kudzu root, raw licorice root and rhizome, and dried fruit of Ningxia wolfberry; all raw materials are food grade, and insect-infested, moldy, rotten, shriveled, and sandy impurities are removed; neutral deaerated purified water is used.

[0010] Japanese raisin tree fruit vinegar system: Select mature, mold-free Japanese raisins, preferably harvested after the first frost; purified water; active dry yeast for fruit wine, inoculated at 0.2-0.4 g / L of Japanese raisin tree fruit pulp; pasteurized acetic acid bacteria seed solution: viable count ≥10. 7 -10 8 CFU / ml, inoculation amount is 8-10% (V / V); food-grade pectinase added at 0.06%-0.12% of Japanese raisin tree fruit pulp; food-grade aseptic sucrose / white sugar;

[0011] Compound beverage system: purified water; sweetener;

[0012] The purified water is reverse osmosis sterile purified water with a conductivity ≤5μS / cm; the neutral degassed purified water is treated by vacuum spray degassed on the basis of purified water, with DO ≤0.4mg / L and temperature 28-32℃; the sweetener is selected from one or more of erythritol, steviol glycosides, xylitol, allulose, and mogrosides; the sweetener is further preferably erythritol and steviol glycosides / mogrosides, with a mass ratio of 4-6:1.

[0013] II. Staged Closed-Loop Preparation Process

[0014] S1. Raw material pretreatment:

[0015] Mature, mold-free Japanese jujubes are washed, pitted, and rotten fruits are removed. After rinsing with purified water, they are mixed with purified water at a ratio of 1:1.5-1:2.0 and pulped at 8000r / min to prepare fine Japanese jujube pulp with a particle size ≤80 mesh for later use.

[0016] Each herbal ingredient was graded and pulverized separately, then sealed for later use. Poria cocos was pulverized through a 50-70 mesh sieve; milk thistle and turmeric were pulverized through a 70-90 mesh sieve; kudzu root, wolfberry, and licorice were pulverized through a 30-50 mesh sieve. The appropriate particle size for Poria cocos allowed for moderate disruption of the mycelial cell walls, enabling controlled dissolution of water-soluble β-glucan fragments in low, medium, and high molecular weight ranges. If the particle size was too coarse, insufficient cell wall disruption resulted in inadequate release of medium and high molecular weight polysaccharides; if the particle size was too fine, mechanical shearing would exacerbate polysaccharide chain breakage, ultimately reducing the amount of oligosaccharides in the extract. The proportion of small molecule sugars increased significantly, while the medium and high molecular weight matrix was insufficient, leading to the collapse of the colloidal network. Milk thistle and turmeric have a high degree of lignification, and a 70-90 mesh sieve can moderately break the hard cell walls, which can improve the dissolution rate of fat-soluble silymarin and curcumin, while avoiding excessive pulverization that would cause a large amount of oil and resin impurities to dissolve. Kudzu root, wolfberry, and licorice have a soft texture and loose structure, and pulverization with a 30-50 mesh is sufficient to meet the requirements for permeability of extraction, avoiding excessive pulverization that would cause fine powder suspension, filtration difficulties, and component oxidation loss.

[0017] S2. Preparation of extract by herbal independent low-temperature neutral enhanced extraction:

[0018] This invention employs a segmented low-temperature neutral dynamic impregnation and concentration enhancement process, with a total processing temperature of ≤35℃ and complete protection from light. It avoids high-temperature heat damage and the addition of no chemical additives, thus completely preventing the degradation and inactivation of heat-sensitive active ingredients such as flavonoids, polyphenols, and saponins from the source.

[0019] The pulverized herbal raw materials were separately placed into independent, light-proof, and sealed extraction equipment. Neutral, degassed, purified water was used as the extraction solvent to avoid the hydrolytic damage of flavonoids, saponins, and polyphenols caused by acidic or alkaline environments. The material-to-liquid ratio was set at 1:8-1:12, and a three-stage gradient constant-temperature dynamic extraction process was adopted: the first stage was low-speed immersion at 33-35℃ for 1.5-2 hours to gently activate the permeability of the herbal cell walls and loosen the fibrous tissue structure, laying the foundation for the dissolution of active ingredients; the second stage was constant-temperature dynamic extraction at 30-32℃ for 2.0-2.5 hours; and the third stage was constant-temperature extraction at 27-29℃ for 2.0-2.5 hours to fully extract the bound active ingredients. Low-shear magnetic stirring was used throughout the process at a speed of 15-20 r / min to accelerate the diffusion of intracellular active ingredients outward through gentle fluid disturbance and avoid the oxidation and degradation of components caused by high-speed stirring.

[0020] After a single extraction, a 0.45μm precision microporous primary filter is used to remove coarse fibers and suspended impurities. The filter residue is then re-extracted once with an equal proportion of degassed neutral purified water, using the same re-extraction process parameters as the primary extraction. The two filtrates are then combined. Each herbal filtrate is then purified and sequentially subjected to room temperature reverse osmosis pre-concentration and scraped membrane low-temperature vacuum concentration. The room temperature reverse osmosis pre-concentration temperature is controlled at 25-28℃, the operating pressure at 1.4-1.8MPa, cross-flow circulation, and the membrane flux at 12-22L / (m³). 2•h), control the scraping film low-temperature vacuum concentration temperature at 30-35℃, vacuum degree at -0.097~-0.095MPa (gauge pressure), and configure a Roots-water ring vacuum unit. Finally, a high-purity single herbal extract with a solids content of 35-40% Brix is ​​obtained.

[0021] The individual herbal extracts are mixed to obtain a compound herbal extract. The compound herbal extract is formulated in the following proportions by weight: 20-24 parts of kudzu root extract, 16-20 parts of milk thistle extract, 13-17 parts of turmeric extract, 18-22 parts of poria cocos extract, 13-17 parts of wolfberry extract, and 8-12 parts of licorice extract. The sum of all components is mixed to 100 parts by weight.

[0022] Poria cocos extract dissolves water-soluble β-glucan fragments in low, medium, and high molecular weight ranges. Low molecular weight fragments assist in rapid release, promoting the rapid dissolution of puerarin, glycyrrhizic acid, and small molecule active substances from wolfberry. Medium molecular weight fragments synergistically work with glycyrrhizic acid and wolfberry polysaccharide networks to form micelles for steady-state release of lipid-soluble molecules (silymarin and curcumin). Higher molecular weight fragments gradually hydrate and depolymerize with the medium environment, achieving delayed release of active substances. The complementary effects and synergistic targeting of each component achieve a comprehensive enhancement effect of immediate hangover relief and long-term protection.

[0023] S3. Preparation of Jujube Fruit Vinegar:

[0024] (1) Activation of active dry yeast for fruit wine: Add 2-5% by mass of sterile sucrose / white sugar aqueous solution (the amount added is 20 times the weight of dry yeast), control the activation temperature at 32-34℃, activate for 25-40 min, and wait for the bacterial solution to foam evenly and the bacterial cells to be suspended stably to obtain highly active activated fruit wine yeast solution.

[0025] (2) Fruit vinegar fermentation

[0026] Add pectinase to the Japanese raisin tree fruit pulp; then seal the system and enzymatically hydrolyze at 30-35℃ for 3-4 hours to fully decompose the fruit pulp pectin, reduce pulp viscosity, and increase juice yield and clarity. After enzymatic hydrolysis, filter to remove residue to obtain clear pulp; adjust the sugar content of the clear pulp to 12-15°Brix using food-grade glucose / white sugar; inoculate with highly active activated fruit wine yeast liquid and carry out anaerobic alcoholic fermentation at 28-32℃ for 7-10 days. The alcoholic fermentation endpoint is reached when the alcohol content stabilizes at 6.5-7.5% vol and the residual sugar is 5-7°Bx. The fruit residue is removed by filtration to obtain Japanese raisin tree fruit wine. The alcohol content of the Japanese raisin tree fruit wine is adjusted to 5.0-5.6% vol, and the initial sugar content is 4-6°Bx. Pasteurella acetic acid bacteria seed liquid is added, and the aeration rate is precisely controlled at 0.8-1.0L / (L・min). Acetic acid fermentation is carried out at a constant temperature of 30-33℃ for 12-15 days, with a total acidity of 4.5-5.5g / 100ml, residual sugar ≤0.5%, and residual alcohol ≤0.5% vol, reaching the fermentation endpoint. After fermentation, the temperature is rapidly reduced, and the residue and most of the bacteria are removed by gradient filtration. The filtrate is transferred to an aging tank and aged in a sealed, light-proof environment at 12-18℃ for 7-21 days. The flavor is homogenized and the organic acid system is stabilized through esterification. After fine filtration and sterilization, a mature Japanese raisin tree fruit vinegar stock liquid with pure flavor, stable composition, and excellent slow-release performance is obtained.

[0027] S4, Low-Temperature Precision Compound Blending:

[0028] The optimal proportions of this invention are as follows: 5-9 parts of compound herbal extract, 80-100 parts of jujube fruit vinegar stock solution, 6-10 parts of purified water, and 0.5-1.5 parts of sweetener, taken by weight. To balance the best sensory taste, system stability, and 24-hour long-lasting liver protection activity, the optimal proportions are: 7 parts of compound herbal extract, 90 parts of jujube fruit vinegar stock solution, 9 parts of purified water, and 1 part of sweetener.

[0029] Stir at a low temperature of 30-35℃ for 20-30 minutes at a stirring speed of 30-50 r / min until the system is completely homogeneous. Avoid high temperature and high speed stirring to prevent denaturation and oxidation loss of heat-sensitive components. The sweetener is low in sugar and calorie, which can effectively neutralize the slightly astringent taste of herbs and enhance the sweet and mellow flavor of fruit vinegar. At the same time, it does not damage the acid-base environment of the system or the complex stable structure of organic acids and herbal components, ensuring the best taste and efficacy of the finished product.

[0030] After extraction and concentration of herbal active ingredients, they are compounded with Japanese raisin tree fruit vinegar to avoid the damage of the endogenous colloidal network of Poria cocos polysaccharides by high acidity. Japanese raisin tree fruit vinegar contains Japanese raisin tree polyphenols, dihydromyricetin, saponins, and various organic acids, which produce multiple synergistic effects with the herbal extracts of Poria cocos polysaccharides, silybin, curcumin, puerarin, glycyrrhizic acid, and Lycium barbarum polysaccharides. Pharmacologically, the active components of Japanese raisin tree fruit vinegar and herbal active ingredients achieve multi-target complementarity in liver protection and antioxidant effects. Organic acids regulate the intestinal environment and improve the absorption and utilization efficiency of fat-soluble active ingredients. In terms of physicochemical sustained-release, the endogenous polyphenols and saponins of Japanese raisin tree can participate in the endogenous colloidal microdomains constructed by Poria cocos polysaccharides and glycyrrhizic acid, assisting in colloidal stability. This ensures both the rapid release effect of puerarin and glycyrrhizic acid and maintains the steady-state-delayed release behavior of silybin and curcumin. In terms of stability, the endogenous antioxidant components of Japanese raisin tree fruit vinegar further inhibit the oxidative degradation of curcumin and silybin, improving the activity retention rate during product storage.

[0031] S5, Low-temperature two-stage gradient homogenization:

[0032] The uniformly prepared liquid is fed into a low-temperature, high-pressure homogenizer for two-stage gradient homogenization. The overall homogenization temperature is strictly controlled to ≤35℃ throughout the process, with no temperature rise or heat accumulation, completely eliminating thermal damage and structural deactivation of heat-sensitive active ingredients. The specific process and its effects are as follows:

[0033] The compounded liquid is pumped into a high-pressure homogenizer for primary homogenization at a pressure of 15-18 MPa, which mainly completes particle crushing. Secondary homogenization at a pressure of 22-25 MPa provides back pressure and immediately deagglomerates the particles generated in the primary homogenization, optimizes the interface state of the dispersion system, reduces the risk of precipitation and stratification during subsequent storage, and firmly stabilizes the three-stage complexed sustained-release structure of fast release + sustained release + delayed release.

[0034] S6. Low-temperature aseptic precision filtration and aseptic filling:

[0035] Employing a 0.22μm sterile microporous cross-flow membrane filtration process, the entire process undergoes precise temperature control at a constant 25–35℃ cold treatment, eliminating any high-temperature heat treatment and completely preventing secondary thermal degradation of heat-sensitive active ingredients. The process precisely controls the transmembrane pressure at 0.15MPa and the cross-flow rate at 6m / s, effectively killing bacteria, molds, pathogens, and other microorganisms in the feed solution with a sterilization rate ≥99.9%, while fully preserving the active ingredients and flavor compounds. The 25–35℃ constant temperature range ensures optimal rheological properties, stable membrane flux, and a stable slow-release structure, preventing issues such as increased viscosity at ultra-low temperatures, micro-precipitation of components, and dissociation of the slow-release structure. Immediately after low-temperature sterile precision filtration, the product undergoes aseptic filling, sealing, and labeling to produce a long-lasting hangover relief and liver protection beverage.

[0036] Description of the formulation system: This invention has two independent formulation systems. S1 is the weight of the beverage compound, and S2 is the weight of the concentrated single-ingredient extract compound. The two formulations are independently designed and work synergistically. The process can be completely reproduced and there is no numerical conversion relationship.

[0037] The beneficial effects of the present invention after adopting the above structure are as follows:

[0038] (1) The novelty and synergistic advantages of the extraction process are outstanding: The innovative segmented low-temperature neutral dynamic extraction and concentration synergistic process is constructed. The entire process is carried out at a temperature of ≤35℃, without chemical additives or high-temperature damage, which breaks through the industry pain points of traditional high-temperature extraction, such as the inactivation of heat-sensitive components, low dissolution rate of static extraction, and loss of components in acid and alkali extraction. Through multiple synergistic methods such as gradient temperature control, low-shear dynamic extraction, room temperature reverse osmosis pre-concentration and scraped membrane low-temperature vacuum concentration, the problem of extracting active components from herbs is effectively solved. The high-purity herbal extract can be adapted to the low-addition golden ratio, avoiding the bitter taste and system precipitation problems caused by high doses of herbs.

[0039] (2) Long-lasting and multi-dimensional efficacy: The multi-organic acids and polysaccharides in the jujube fruit vinegar form intermolecular hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic association with the multi-target active ingredients of herbs, constructing a three-level time-sequential sustained-release system of "rapid release-steady state-delayed release", realizing the time-sequential regulation of rapid onset-steady state maintenance-delayed repair, achieving 24-hour ultra-long-lasting efficacy of protection before drinking, absorption during drinking, metabolic repair after drinking, and all-weather liver repair, and sustainably penetrating and repairing chronic alcohol damage to the liver.

[0040] (3) The whole process of antioxidant and activation lock-in, the independent extraction avoids the antagonism of herbal ingredients, the low temperature compounding has no component loss, and the low temperature sterile precision filtration process has no secondary damage. The finished product has a uniform and bright color, no browning risk, and the active ingredients have very low decay during the shelf life. The efficacy, flavor and color stability are excellent during the storage process.

[0041] (4) Scientific formulation with significant synergistic benefits: With Japanese raisin tree as the core functional matrix, it is scientifically compounded with six liver-protecting herbs such as kudzu root, milk thistle, turmeric, poria cocos, wolfberry, and licorice to form a closed-loop long-acting system that provides immediate hangover relief (kudzu root) + reduces liver oxidative damage (milk thistle) + eliminates free radicals (turmeric) + provides long-lasting stomach protection (poria cocos) + nourishes the liver and kidneys in the long term (wolfberry) + harmonizes and stabilizes the body (licorice). This system constructs a full-chain targeted liver protection system that "improves alcohol metabolism efficiency, reduces blood acetaldehyde accumulation, eliminates free radicals produced by alcohol metabolism in the body, relieves headache caused by excessive drinking, and regulates liver lipid metabolism". The components complement each other, with no antagonism or side effects, making it suitable for both emergency hangover relief and long-term liver protection.

[0042] (5) Low-temperature two-stage gradient homogenization and stabilization: The present invention is equipped with a low-temperature two-stage gradient homogenization and stabilization process. The first stage of homogenization completes the shearing and crushing of large particles, and the second stage of homogenization relies on back pressure to disperse newly formed agglomerates in time, so as to avoid secondary agglomeration of crushed particles in the tank. Through the two-stage gradient homogenization, the particle size distribution of the system is narrower, reducing sedimentation, stratification and floating oil phenomena during long-term storage of finished products, and achieving long-term uniform and stable beverage. Attached Figure Description

[0043] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the process flow of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0045] The following will refer to the process flow diagram of the present invention. Figure 1 The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0046] Example 1

[0047] 1. Raw material pretreatment: Dried Poria cocos sclerotia, dried mature milk thistle fruit, dried turmeric rhizome, dried kudzu root, raw licorice root and rhizome, and dried Ningxia wolfberry fruit are selected. All raw materials are food grade, and insect-infested, moldy, rotten, shriveled, and sandy impurities are removed. Poria cocos is crushed through a 60-mesh sieve; milk thistle and turmeric are sieved through an 80-mesh fine sieve; kudzu root, wolfberry, and licorice are sieved through a 40-mesh sieve. All herbal powders are sealed and kept dry. Mature, rot-free, and disease-free fresh Japanese raisin tree fruit is selected, washed with clean water, pitted manually, rinsed with pure water, and mixed with purified water at a ratio of 1:1.8. The mixture is then pulped at 8000 r / min to obtain a uniform and fine Japanese raisin tree fruit pulp.

[0048] 2. Herbal Independent Low-Temperature Neutral Enhanced Extraction: Six kinds of grassland powders were separately placed into independent, light-proof, sealed extraction tanks. Vacuum-sprayed degassed neutral purified water (DO≤0.4mg / L, temperature 28-32℃) was used as the extraction solvent at a material-to-liquid ratio of 1:10. A three-stage gradient low-temperature dynamic extraction process was employed: immersion at 33℃ for 1.8h, low-shear stirring extraction at 31℃ for 2.2h, and constant-temperature extraction at 28℃ for 2.2h, with a stirring speed of 18r / min. After extraction, the mixture was finely filtered through a 0.45μm filter. The first filtrate was collected, and the filter residue was re-immersed once with an equal volume of neutral purified water under the same parameters. The two filtrates were combined. Each herbal independent filtrate was then purified and sequentially subjected to room-temperature reverse osmosis pre-concentration and scraped-membrane low-temperature vacuum concentration. The room-temperature reverse osmosis pre-concentration temperature was controlled at 26℃, the operating pressure at 1.6MPa, cross-flow circulation, and the membrane flux at 17L / (m²). 2•h), control the scraping film low-temperature vacuum concentration temperature at 33℃, vacuum degree at -0.096MPa (gauge pressure), and configure a Roots-water ring vacuum unit to finally obtain a high-purity single herbal extract.

[0049] The individual herbal extracts were mixed to obtain a compound herbal extract. The compound herbal extract was formulated in the following proportions by weight: 22 parts kudzu root extract, 18 parts milk thistle extract, 15 parts turmeric extract, 20 parts poria cocos extract, 15 parts wolfberry extract, and 10 parts licorice extract. The total weight of each component was then mixed to 100 parts.

[0050] 3. Preparation of Jujube Fruit Vinegar:

[0051] (1) Activation of active dry yeast for fruit wine: Add 3% by mass of sterile sucrose / white sugar aqueous solution to the active dry yeast for fruit wine (the amount added is 20 times the weight of the dry yeast), control the activation temperature at 33℃, activate for 30 min, and wait until the bacterial solution foams evenly and the bacterial cells are suspended and stable to obtain highly active activated fruit wine yeast solution.

[0052] (2) Fruit vinegar fermentation

[0053] Pectinase was added to the Japanese raisin tree fruit pulp at a concentration of 0.2% of the pulp. The system was then sealed and enzymatically hydrolyzed at 33°C for 3.5 hours to fully decompose the fruit pulp pectin. After hydrolysis, the pulp was filtered to remove residue, resulting in a clear pulp. The sugar content of the clear pulp was adjusted to 13°Brix using food-grade white sugar. 0.3 g / L of highly active activated fruit wine yeast solution was added to the Japanese raisin tree fruit pulp, and the mixture was anaerobic and fermented at 30°C for 8 days. The residual sugar was measured at 5.6°Brix, and the alcohol content was 6.8% vol, indicating the end of alcoholic fermentation. The pulp was then filtered to remove residue, yielding Japanese raisin tree fruit wine. The alcohol content of the fruit wine was adjusted to 5.4% vol, and the residual sugar to 5.0°Brix. 9% V / V Pasteurella acetic acid seed culture (≥10 viable cells) was then added. 7 -10 8 The volume of acetic acid was precisely controlled at 0.9 L / (L・min), and the mixture was fermented at a constant temperature of 32℃ for 14 days. The total acidity was measured to be 4.8 g / 100ml, the residual sugar to be 0.4%, and the residual alcohol to be 0.4% vol, reaching the endpoint of acetic acid fermentation. After fermentation, the mixture was rapidly cooled, and after coarse filtration and 0.45μm fine filtration, the residue and most of the microorganisms were removed. The filtrate was transferred to an aging tank and aged at 16℃ in a sealed, light-proof environment for 15 days. Esterification was used to homogenize the flavor and stabilize the organic acid system. After fine filtration and sterilization, a mature jujube fruit vinegar stock solution with pure flavor, stable composition, and excellent slow-release properties was obtained.

[0054] 4. Low-temperature compound preparation: Take 7 parts by weight of compound herbal extract, 90 parts of jujube fruit vinegar stock solution, 9 parts of purified water, and 1 part of sweetener (erythritol:stevioside = 4:1), place them in a constant temperature mixing tank, stir at 32℃ and 40r / min for 25 minutes until the liquid system is completely homogeneous, ensuring that the beverage is sweet and sour, without herbal astringency, and the system is uniform and stable.

[0055] 5. Low-temperature two-stage gradient homogenization: The prepared liquid is subjected to two-stage low-temperature homogenization, with the temperature maintained below 35℃ throughout the process. The first-stage homogenization pressure is 16MPa, and the second-stage homogenization pressure is 23MPa. Through the two-stage gradient homogenization, the particle size of the liquid is refined, the slow-release structure is stabilized, and sedimentation, stratification, and floating oil phenomena are reduced during long-term storage of the finished product, so as to achieve long-term uniformity and stability of the beverage.

[0056] 6. Low-temperature aseptic precision filtration and aseptic filling: The process adopts 0.22μm precision microporous cross-flow membrane filtration technology, with temperature controlled at 30℃ throughout (optimal range of 25-35℃), controlling transmembrane pressure at 0.15MPa and cross-flow rate at 6m / s, achieving a sterilization rate of ≥99.9%; after sterilization, aseptic filling and sealing are carried out immediately to produce a long-lasting hangover relief and liver protection beverage.

[0057] Comparative Example 1: Mixed Extraction Control Group (Hovenia dulcis fruit vinegar was added to the herbal extraction process for simultaneous extraction)

[0058] Compared with Example 1, the retention rates of Poria cocos water-soluble polysaccharides, silymarin, and curcumin decreased to 64%, 57%, and 49%, respectively, indicating a reduction in the content of effective components and loss of steady-state-delayed release characteristics. This is because the jujube fruit vinegar contains organic acids such as acetic acid and malic acid, resulting in a low pH value. Mixed extraction causes acid hydrolysis and breakage of the Poria cocos water-soluble polysaccharide molecular chains, disrupting the colloidal association network structure of Poria cocos polysaccharides and leading to the aggregation and precipitation of fat-soluble active ingredients, thus failing to achieve a sustained-release effect. Furthermore, the stability of the fruit vinegar beverage system deteriorates, making it prone to precipitation during storage.

[0059] Comparative Example 2: High-temperature sterilization control group (after precise low-temperature compound preparation, sterilized at 90℃ for 30 minutes)

[0060] Compared with Example 1, the retention rates of water-soluble polysaccharides, silymarin, and curcumin in Poria cocos decreased to 79%, 61%, and 48%, respectively, indicating a decrease in the content of effective components, a shorter steady-state time, and a weakened delayed-release effect. Turbidity and precipitation easily occurred during storage. This is because curcumin and silymarin are heat-sensitive and easily oxidized active substances, and high temperatures (90°C) accelerate their oxidative degradation. Simultaneously, high temperatures promote the thermal degradation of some of the high molecular chains of Poria cocos polysaccharides, and partially disintegrate the endogenous colloidal network. Some curcumin and silymarin deeply embedded in the colloid are converted into a free state, resulting in faster initial release and a decreased long-term delayed-release capacity in vitro.

[0061] Comparative Example 3: Control groups with different particle sizes (graded grinding was canceled, and all herbal raw materials were uniformly ground to 100 mesh).

[0062] Compared with Example 1, the retention rates of water-soluble polysaccharides, silymarin, and curcumin in Poria cocos decreased to 87%, 74%, and 68%, respectively, resulting in a decrease in the content of effective components, a shorter steady-state time, and a weakened delayed-release effect. Turbidity and precipitation easily occurred during storage. Excessive grinding of Poria cocos caused polysaccharide chain breakage due to mechanical shearing, reducing the proportion of high molecular weight polysaccharides. Ultrafine grinding of curcumin and silymarin resulted in the dissolution of a large amount of oil and wax impurities, which competed for hydrophobic binding sites and interfered with the endogenous association of glycyrrhizic acid-Poria cocos polysaccharides. Although the specific surface area increased and more small molecules were leached out in the short term, the gradient molecular weight polysaccharide matrix required for sustained release was damaged, and the association stability of lipid-soluble components deteriorated.

[0063] Comparative Example 4: Control group where herbal raw materials and Japanese raisin tree fruit pulp were fermented simultaneously (herbal raw materials were added to the enzymatic hydrolysis stage of Japanese raisin tree fruit pulp and underwent alcoholic fermentation and acetic acid fermentation together with the Japanese raisin tree fruit pulp).

[0064] Compared with Example 1, the retention rates of Poria cocos water-soluble polysaccharides, silymarin, and curcumin decreased to 51%, 43%, and 36%, respectively, and the three-stage in vitro release characteristic was not observed. This is because ethanol in the alcoholic fermentation environment disrupts the colloidal hydrogen bond network of polysaccharides; Poria cocos polysaccharides, curcumin, and silymarin are easily degraded under alcohol and acidic fermentation conditions; simultaneously, a large amount of pectin and cellulose impurities dissolve during fermentation, interfering with the in-situ association of the endogenous matrix and preventing the formation of a "rapid-release-steady-state-delayed-release" colloidal microdomain structure. Although this process can dissolve some herbal components into the fermentation broth, it sacrifices sustained-release performance and results in significant activity loss.

[0065] Comparative Example 5: High-temperature extraction control group of herbal raw materials (herbal raw materials were extracted in deaerated neutral purified water at 90℃ for 3 hours, with the stirring speed controlled at 18 r / min).

[0066] Compared with Example 2, the retention rates of water-soluble polysaccharides, silymarin, and curcumin in Poria cocos decreased to 73%, 54%, and 41%, respectively, resulting in a lower content of active ingredients, a shorter steady-state time, and a weaker delayed-release effect. This is because the high temperature of 90°C accelerates the oxidative decomposition of curcumin and silymarin; on the other hand, the high temperature promotes the thermal degradation of high-molecular-weight water-soluble polysaccharides in Poria cocos, causing the molecular weight distribution to shift towards smaller molecules, resulting in a lack of high-molecular-weight polysaccharide fragments required for delayed release; the high temperature also exacerbates the partial hydrolysis of glycyrrhizic acid. Although the high temperature results in a faster extraction rate, it destroys the intrinsic matrix with a gradient molecular weight necessary for constructing the three-stage sustained-release mechanism, yielding only a large amount of small-molecule extracts, making it difficult to achieve a steady-state-delayed-release effect.

[0067] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A preparation process for a herbal synergistic Hovenia dulcis fruit vinegar-based long-acting hangover relief and liver protection beverage, characterized in that, The entire processing temperature is ≤35℃, and includes the following steps: S1. Raw material pretreatment; S2, preparation of herbal independent low-temperature neutral enhanced extraction paste; S3. Preparation of jujube fruit vinegar; S4, Low-temperature precision compound blending; S5, low-temperature two-stage gradient homogenization; S6, low-temperature aseptic precision filtration, aseptic filling.

2. The preparation process of a herbal synergistic Hovenia dulcis fruit vinegar-based long-acting hangover relief and liver protection beverage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The raw material pretreatment includes: selecting six dried, mold-free herbs: kudzu root, milk thistle, turmeric, white poria cocos, wolfberry, and licorice; each herb is graded and pulverized independently, with poria cocos passing through a 50-70 mesh sieve, milk thistle and turmeric passing through a 70-90 mesh sieve, and kudzu root, wolfberry, and licorice passing through a 30-50 mesh sieve; and selecting mature, mold-free Japanese jujubes, which are then washed, pitted, and pulped to obtain Japanese jujube pulp.

3. The preparation process of a herbal synergistic Hovenia dulcis fruit vinegar-based long-acting hangover relief and liver protection beverage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The herbal independent low-temperature neutral enhanced extraction and preparation process includes: each herbal powder is extracted independently using degassed neutral purified water with DO ≤ 0.4 mg / L as the extraction solvent, under light-proof and low-oxygen conditions throughout the process, employing a three-stage gradient low-temperature dynamic extraction process with a material-to-liquid ratio of 1:8-1:12; after each extraction, the powder is precisely filtered at 0.45 μm, and the filter residue is re-extracted under the same conditions, and the filtrates are combined; the filtrates are then pre-concentrated by ambient temperature reverse osmosis and concentrated by a scraped membrane low-temperature vacuum concentration system to obtain single herbal extracts, which are then mixed to obtain composite herbal extracts.

4. The preparation process of a herbal synergistic Hovenia dulcis fruit vinegar-type long-acting hangover relief and liver protection beverage according to claim 3, characterized in that, The process parameters for the three-stage gradient low-temperature dynamic extraction include: initial wetting temperature 33-35℃, wetting time 1.5-2.0h, middle stage dynamic extraction temperature 30-32℃, time 2.0-2.5h, final stage constant temperature extraction temperature 27-29℃, time 2.0-2.5h, and low-shear stirring speed 15-20r / min throughout the process.

5. The preparation process of a herbal synergistic Hovenia dulcis fruit vinegar-type long-acting hangover relief and liver protection beverage according to claim 3, characterized in that, The compound herbal extract is composed of the following individual herbal extracts in parts by weight: 20-24 parts of kudzu root extract, 16-20 parts of milk thistle extract, 13-17 parts of turmeric extract, 18-22 parts of poria cocos extract, 13-17 parts of wolfberry extract, and 8-12 parts of licorice extract; the total weight of all components in the compound herbal extract is 100 parts by weight.

6. The preparation process of a herbal synergistic Hovenia dulcis fruit vinegar-based long-acting hangover relief and liver protection beverage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The low-temperature precise compound formulation includes: taking 5-9 parts of the prepared herbal independent low-temperature neutral enhanced extract paste, 80-100 parts of the prepared jujube fruit vinegar, 6-10 parts of purified water, and 0.5-1.5 parts of sweetener, and mixing them evenly at a low temperature and low speed of 30-35℃.

7. A herbal synergistic drink containing jujube fruit vinegar for long-lasting hangover relief and liver protection, characterized in that... It is prepared by the preparation method according to any one of claims 1-6.

Images