A device for improving the content of afg in rhizome medicinal and edible materials

Abstract

The utility model discloses a device that improves rhizome kind of medicinal and edible material AFG content belongs to medicinal and edible material processing technical field. The device includes cavity, control module, control module installs on the cavity, probe, the probe is installed inside the cavity, and is connected with control module, steam device, steam device is provided with steam generator, steam generator sets up the outside of cavity, and is connected with the cavity, heating structure, installs inside the cavity, and is connected with control module. The device can adjust steaming, drying temperature, moisture content and so on, forms higher concentration maltose after steaming treatment, and is in the suitable moisture content interval of easy to occur Maillard reaction, and provides enough heat preservation time, can fast and effective accumulation AFG, also not to make Maillard reaction excessive occurrence, guarantees the quality of product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome medicinal and edible substances, belonging to the field of medicinal and edible substance processing technology. Background Technology

[0002] Food and medicinal substances typically require processing to maximize their effectiveness. During this processing, the polysaccharides originally present in the raw materials degrade, initially forming maltose. During the drying stage, maltose undergoes a Maillard reaction with arginine, forming early Maillard reaction products such as argininofructose glucose (AFG). AFG is a crucial active ingredient in processed raw materials like red ginseng and nine-times-steamed and nine-times-dried Polygonatum, promoting blood flow and improving age-related erectile dysfunction in men, thus significantly impacting product efficacy. Therefore, regulating the processing of food and medicinal substances and increasing the AFG content in processed raw materials is essential for their efficient utilization.

[0003] Unprocessed root and rhizome-based medicinal and edible substances, such as Cistanche deserticola, cultivated ginseng, and Polygonatum sibiricum, have low maltose content. Improper processing can also lead to low AFG content in the finished product, resulting in insufficient efficacy. The initial steaming step in traditional processing is crucial for increasing the maltose content of the raw materials, and consequently, the AFG content in the processed product. Currently, the processing of medicinal and edible substances still relies on traditional manual operations, with employees controlling the AFG formation reaction based on experience. However, this method suffers from poor stability and lacks repeatability. This results in unstable quality of processed medicinal and edible substances and products made from them, severely hindering the healthy development of the industry.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a device that can control the initial steaming conditions in the processing of root and rhizome medicinal and edible substances, increase the maltose content in the raw materials, thereby increasing the AFG content in the processed product and stabilizing the processing operation, in order to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] This invention provides a device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome-based medicinal and edible substances, solving the problems of poor stability and lack of repeatability in existing artificial processing methods, as well as the inability to precisely control steaming conditions and increase the maltose content in raw materials, thereby increasing the AFG content in the processed product, using existing equipment.

[0006] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: This invention provides a device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome medicinal and edible substances, including... cavity; A control module is mounted on the cavity. A probe, which is installed inside the cavity and connected to the control module; A steam device, wherein the steam device is equipped with a steam generator, the steam generator is located outside the cavity and communicates with the cavity; A heating structure is installed inside the cavity and connected to the control module.

[0007] In one embodiment of this utility model, the steam device includes a third pipe and a nozzle. The two ends of the third pipe are connected to the steam generator and the nozzle, respectively. The nozzle is installed inside the cavity, and at least one nozzle is provided. This allows for the simultaneous injection of steam into the cavity, ensuring uniform spraying, and enabling the steaming process for substances that are both medicinal and edible.

[0008] In one embodiment of this invention, the steam device includes a first control valve connected to the third pipeline. The first control valve is used to control the opening or closing of the third pipeline.

[0009] In one embodiment of this invention, the steam device further includes a heating source connected to the steam generator. The heating source is used to heat the water in the steam generator to produce steam.

[0010] In one embodiment of this invention, a vacuum pump and a control valve are included. The control valve is equipped with a second control valve and a third control valve. The vacuum pump and the control valve are connected to a control module. The vacuum pump can evacuate the cavity and remove excess moisture from the cavity, thus performing vacuum drying treatment on medicinal and edible substances.

[0011] In one embodiment of this invention, the cavity includes a first pipe and a second pipe, a second control valve is connected to the first pipe, and a third control valve and the vacuum pump are sequentially installed on the second pipe. The control valve is used to control the connection or closure of the pipes.

[0012] In one embodiment of this utility model, the cavity includes a door and a first sensing element. The door is located on one side of the cavity, the control module is installed on the door, and the first sensing element is installed on the second pipe and connected to the control module.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cavity further includes a partition, and at least one partition is provided and installed inside the cavity.

[0014] In one embodiment of this utility model, the heating structure includes a heating element and a second sensing element. The heating element is installed inside the housing of the cavity, and the second sensing element is installed inside the cavity. The heating element and the second sensing element are connected to the control module.

[0015] In one embodiment of this invention, a drain pipe and a fourth control valve are included. The drain pipe is connected to the cavity, and the fourth control valve is installed on the drain pipe. The drain pipe is used to drain excess water that collects at the bottom of the cavity after steam condenses.

[0016] Beneficial effects This invention provides a device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome-based medicinal and edible substances. The device includes a cavity, a control module, a probe, a steam generator, and a heating device. The steam generator delivers steam into the cavity to steam the medicinal and edible substances. The probe monitors the moisture content of the substances in real time. By controlling the output power of the heating device, the temperature within the cavity can be controlled. A vacuum pump dries the substances within the cavity. This device can adjust parameters such as temperature and moisture content during steaming and drying. After steaming, a high concentration of maltose is formed, with a suitable moisture content range (20%–30%) conducive to Maillard reaction. It also provides sufficient holding time, avoiding the defects of traditional drying processes such as continuous moisture evaporation, uncertain time the sample remains within the suitable moisture content range, low and unstable AFG content in the product, and sometimes the generation of byproducts such as 5-HMF. This device can rapidly and effectively accumulate AFG without causing excessive Maillard reaction, ensuring that the obtained AFG component is further consumed in the reaction and guaranteeing product quality. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the apparatus for processing root and rhizome-based medicinal and edible substances provided by this utility model.

[0018] Figure 2 A three-dimensional view of the cavity provided by this utility model.

[0019] In the picture: 1. Cavity; 101. Door; 102. First pipe; 103. Second pipe; 104. First sensing element; 105. Partition; 2. Control module; 3. Probe; 4. Steam device; 401. First control valve; 402. Steam generator; 403. Third pipe; 404. Nozzle; 405. Heating source; 5. Heating structure; 501. Heating element; 502. Second sensing element; 6. Vacuum pump; 7. Control valve; 701. Second control valve; 702. Third control valve; 8. Drain pipe; 9. Fourth control valve. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0021] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0022] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0023] like Figures 1 to 2As shown, this application provides a device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome-based medicinal and edible substances. Based on moisture content measurement results, it can replenish, maintain, or remove moisture in real time to facilitate the Maillard reaction, allowing the medicinal and edible substances to rapidly and effectively accumulate AFG components. This root and rhizome-based medicinal and edible substance processing device includes a cavity 1, which is a closed chamber structure, and its shape can be a cube, cuboid, or cylinder. A control module 2 is located on one side of the cavity 1, and a probe 3 is installed inside. The probe 3 is connected to the control module 2. The medicinal and edible substances are placed in the cavity 1 for processing. The probe 3 is a moisture detection device, which can be an insertion type or a non-contact probe, capable of measuring the moisture content in the medicinal and edible substances in real time and feeding it back to the control module 2. Multiple probes 3 can be set to improve detection accuracy and avoid errors. The device is also equipped with a steam device 4 and a heating structure 5. The heating structure 5 is installed inside the cavity 1 and can heat and dry the medicinal and edible substances inside the cavity 1. One end of the steam device 4 is installed inside the cavity 1 and the other end extends out of the cavity 1 and is connected to a steam generator, which can introduce steam into the cavity 1 to carry out the "steaming" process on the medicinal and edible substances inside the cavity 1.

[0024] In some embodiments, the device further includes a vacuum pump 6 and a control valve 7, which are connected to the control module 2 and are controlled by the control module 2 to open or close. The vacuum pump 6 is capable of evacuating the cavity 1 and removing excess moisture from the cavity 1, thus performing vacuum drying on the medicinal and edible substances. The control valve 7 includes a second control valve 701 and a third control valve 702, which are respectively installed on the pipes connected to the cavity 1 and are used to control the opening or closing of the pipes.

[0025] In some embodiments, a drain pipe 8 and a fourth control valve 9 are also provided at the bottom of the cavity 1. The fourth control valve 9 is installed on the drain pipe 8 and is used to control the opening or closing of the drain pipe 8. The drain pipe 8 is used to discharge excess water that collects at the bottom of the cavity 1 after steam condensation.

[0026] In some embodiments, the cavity 1 includes a door 101, a first pipe 102, a second pipe 103, a first sensing element 104, and a partition 105. The door 101 is located at the front of the cavity 1, making it easy for operators to open for inserting or removing substances that are both food and medicine. A control module 2 is installed on the door 101 and includes a display screen and operation buttons. The display screen can show measured data, and the operation buttons can control the operation of other structures. The first pipe 102 and the second pipe 103 are located on one side of the cavity 1 and communicate with it. A second control valve 701 is installed at one end of the first pipe 102. By opening or closing the second control valve 701, the interior of the cavity 1 can be connected to the external atmospheric pressure through the first pipe 102. When it is necessary to open the door 101, the door 101 is not easy to open due to the negative pressure inside the cavity 1. At this time, opening the second control valve 701 allows the cavity 1 to communicate with the outside, neutralizing the negative pressure inside the cavity 1 and facilitating the opening of the door 101. The third control valve 702 and the vacuum pump 6 are sequentially installed on the second pipe 103. When the vacuum pump 6 and the third control valve 702 are opened simultaneously, the cavity 1 is evacuated, and excess moisture is discharged. The first sensing element 104 is installed at one end of the second pipe 103 near the cavity 1. Since the second pipe 103 is connected to the cavity 1, the first sensing element 104 can be used to detect the pressure inside the cavity 1, and its external installation facilitates observation of the reading. The first sensing element 104 feeds back the detected data to the control module 2. The control module 2 compares the value fed back by the first sensing element 104 with the set value, thereby controlling the opening or closing of the vacuum pump 6 and the third control valve 702 to maintain the pressure inside the cavity 1 within the set pressure range. The partition 105 divides the interior of the cavity 1 into multiple areas, increasing the amount of material that can be processed.

[0027] In some embodiments, the heating structure 5 includes a heating element 501 and a second sensing element 502. The heating element 501 is installed inside the outer shell of the cavity 1 and connected to a power supply and a control module 2, and is turned on or off under the control of the control module 2. The second sensing element 502 is installed on a partition 105 inside the cavity 1 to detect the temperature inside the cavity 1 and feeds back the monitored value to the control module 2. The control module 2 compares the value fed back by the second sensing element 502 with a set value, thereby controlling the heating element 501 to turn on or off, so that the temperature inside the cavity 1 is maintained within a set temperature range.

[0028] In some embodiments, the steam device 4 includes a first control valve 401, a steam generator 402, a third pipe 403, a nozzle 404, and a heating source 405. The steam generator 402 is disposed outside the cavity 1. One end of the third pipe 403 is connected to the steam generator 402, and the other end of the third pipe 403 away from the steam generator 402 is connected to the nozzle 404. The nozzle 404 is installed inside the cavity 1 and can deliver steam into the cavity 1. Multiple nozzles 404 can be provided and connected to each other through water pipes, enabling simultaneous steam injection into the cavity 1 to ensure uniform spraying and facilitate the steaming process of medicinal and edible substances. The first control valve 401 is installed in the pipeline of the third pipe 403 and is used to control the opening or closing of the third pipe 403. When steam needs to be introduced into the cavity 1, the first control valve 401 is simply opened; when steam is not needed, the first control valve 401 is simply closed. One end of the steam generator 402 is connected to a heating source 405, which is used to heat the water in the steam generator 402 to generate steam.

[0029] Optionally, the first control valve 401 is a pressure pump that can pump water from the steam generator 402 into the cavity 1 to replenish the moisture of the food-medicine homology substance with low moisture content.

[0030] Optionally, the first sensing element 104 is a pressure sensor, which can monitor the pressure in the cavity 1 in real time and feed the data back to the control module 2 to facilitate the opening or closing of the vacuum pump 6 and the third control valve 702. The second sensing element 502 is a temperature sensor, which can monitor the temperature in the cavity 1 in real time and feed the data back to the control module 2 to facilitate the opening or closing of the heating structure 5.

[0031] The working principle of this utility model is as follows: This device can process medicinal and edible substances. First, open the chamber door 101 and place the medicinal and edible substances evenly on the partition plate 105. Then close the chamber door and start the control program. Then, control the heating element 501 through the control module 2 to heat the cavity 1, so that the ambient temperature inside the cavity 1 rises to 70°C. Close the second control valve 701 and open the third control valve 702 and the vacuum pump 6 to discharge the air inside the cavity 1. After the vacuum degree reaches -0.09 to -0.08 MPa, close the third control valve 702.

[0032] Next, the heating source 405 and the first control valve 401 are turned on. The heating source 405 heats the water in the steam generator 402 to generate steam. The steam enters the cavity 1 through the third pipe 403 and is ejected from the nozzle 404. The steam generator 402 generates a gauge pressure of steam which is injected into the cavity 1. The steam pressure in the cavity 1 is controlled within the absolute pressure range of 0.12 to 0.17 MPa (corresponding to a temperature of 105 to 115°C). The specific pressure and steaming time can be adjusted according to the type of root and stem medicinal and edible substances and the size of the slices.

[0033] Next, close the first control valve 401 to stop the steam supply. The moisture collected at the bottom of the cavity 1 can be discharged through the drain pipe 8. Use probe 3 to measure the moisture content of the food-medicine homology substance. If the moisture content measured in the first test is between 20% and 30%, proceed directly to the next step; if the moisture content is greater than 30%, turn on the vacuum pump 6 and the third control valve 702 to perform drying treatment. Measure every 10 minutes until the moisture content reaches the 20% to 30% range, then start the heat preservation treatment.

[0034] Finally, the heat preservation process begins. The temperature inside chamber 1 is raised to 85℃~90℃ using heating element 501 and maintained for 2~3 hours. The maintenance time depends on the different medicinal and edible raw materials. After the heat preservation process is completed, the third control valve 702 and vacuum pump 6 are opened to maintain the vacuum level inside chamber 1 in the range of -0.09 to -0.08 MPa, and vacuum drying is performed to quickly reduce the moisture content of the medicinal and edible raw materials to 10% or below, thus completing the processing (preparation) operation.

[0035] This device allows food-grade medicinal materials or traditional Chinese medicinal herbs to be processed through steaming, resulting in a high concentration of maltose within a suitable moisture content range (20%–30%) conducive to the Maillard reaction. It provides sufficient holding time, increasing the maltose content (the substrate for the Maillard reaction) and avoiding the drawbacks of traditional drying processes, such as continuous evaporation, uncertain time spent within the suitable moisture content range, low and unstable AFG content in the product, and the occasional formation of byproducts like 5-HMF. This method allows for rapid and effective accumulation of AFG without excessive Maillard reaction, ensuring that the obtained AFG is further consumed in the reaction, generating harmful Maillard reaction end products such as 5-HMF, thus guaranteeing product quality. Furthermore, this device is also suitable for processing traditional Chinese medicinal herbs.

[0036] When the above processing method is applied to white ginseng raw materials and the preparation of red ginseng, compared with the AFG content of 25 mg / g in red ginseng processed by conventional steaming-drying process, the AFG content of red ginseng processed by using this device can reach 40 mg / g. The determination method refers to the description of the AFG determination method in Food Research International 187 (2024) 114436. Using this device significantly increases the AFG content in food and medicine homologous substances.

[0037] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0038] The above embodiments only illustrate several implementation methods of this utility model, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0039] This document uses specific embodiments to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this utility model. The descriptions of these embodiments are merely for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this utility model. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this utility model without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome medicinal and edible substances, characterized in that, include: Cavity (1); Control module (2), the control module (2) is installed on the cavity (1); The probe (3) is installed inside the cavity (1) and connected to the control module (2); A steam device (4) is provided with a steam generator (402), which is located outside the cavity (1) and communicates with the cavity (1); The heating structure (5) is installed inside the cavity (1) and connected to the control module (2).

2. The device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome medicinal and edible substances according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steam device (4) includes a third pipe (403) and a nozzle (404). The two ends of the third pipe (403) are connected to the steam generator (402) and the nozzle (404) respectively. The nozzle (404) is installed in the cavity (1), and at least one nozzle (404) is provided.

3. The device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome medicinal and edible substances according to claim 2, characterized in that, The steam device (4) includes a first control valve (401) which is connected to the third pipe (403).

4. The device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome medicinal and edible substances according to claim 3, characterized in that, The steam device (4) further includes a heating source (405) connected to the steam generator (402).

5. The device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome medicinal and edible substances according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes a vacuum pump (6) and a control valve (7), the control valve (7) being provided with a second control valve (701) and a third control valve (702), the vacuum pump (6) and the control valve (7) being connected to the control module (2).

6. The device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome medicinal and edible substances according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cavity (1) includes a first pipe (102) and a second pipe (103), the second control valve (701) is connected to the first pipe (102), and the third control valve (702) and the vacuum pump (6) are installed on the second pipe (103) in sequence.

7. The device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome medicinal and edible substances according to claim 6, characterized in that, The cavity (1) includes a door (101) and a first sensing element (104). The door (101) is located on one side of the cavity (1). The control module (2) is installed on the door (101). The first sensing element (104) is installed on the second pipe (103) and connected to the control module (2).

8. The device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome medicinal and edible substances according to claim 7, characterized in that, The cavity (1) further includes a partition (105), at least one of which is installed inside the cavity (1).

9. The device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome medicinal and edible substances according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating structure (5) includes a heating element (501) and a second sensing element (502). The heating element (501) is installed inside the housing of the cavity (1), and the second sensing element (502) is installed inside the cavity (1). The heating element (501) and the second sensing element (502) are connected to the control module (2).

10. The device for increasing the AFG content in root and rhizome medicinal and edible substances according to claim 1, characterized in that, It includes a drain pipe (8) and a fourth control valve (9), the drain pipe (8) being connected to the cavity (1), and the fourth control valve (9) being installed on the drain pipe (8).

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