Probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits

Abstract

Probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits (10), comprising: a raw material processing department (20) which serves to process a plant raw material; a fermentation processing section (30) which is located behind the fermentation processing section (20) and serves to carry out a fermentation reaction of the plant raw material and a probiotic under a specified fermentation condition; a drying processing section (40) which is located behind the fermentation processing section (30) and is used to dry a fermentation product.

Description

Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a production system for fermented foods and, more particularly, to a probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits. State of the art

[0002] Fermented foods are those produced by fermenting food raw materials using microorganisms, such as cheese, yogurt, kimchi, natto, soy sauce, sweet rice wine, wine, tempeh, miso, fermented tofu, and fish sauce. In the past, fermentation was primarily used to enhance the flavor and extend the shelf life of foods. However, in recent years, it has been discovered that fermentation can produce functional fermentation products that can be used to enhance the nutritional value and health benefits of foods.

[0003] In addition to natural vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients, natural plants, vegetables, and fruits also contain numerous phytochemicals, such as anthocyanins, flavonoids, hesperidin, catechins, rutin, lutein, polyphenols, sulfur-containing compounds, zeaxanthin, carotenes, indole, lycopene, plant saponins, isothiocyanates, sulforaphane, resveratrol, curcumin, and betalains. These compounds have been shown to have antioxidant properties, boost the immune system, reduce the risk of cancer, protect the eyes, inhibit inflammation, fight bacterial and viral infections, improve sleep, slow aging, and enhance physical performance. They can also be helpful in the treatment of chronic diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.However, due to the poor taste of some natural plants, the limited intake of fruits and vegetables, and the low utilization of macromolecular substances by the human body, manufacturers have begun to process the ingredients of plants, vegetables, or fruits through fermentation. However, there are still difficulties in controlling fermentation conditions and standardizing fermentation processes, leading to problems in mass production and inconsistent quality of fermented products. Object of the invention

[0004] It is the main object of the present invention to provide a probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits, by which the co-fermentation process for probiotics and plant raw materials is systematized and standardized in order to achieve the advantageous effects of stabilizing production quality and reducing production costs.

[0005] It is another object of the present invention to provide a probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits, which can be applied to various plant raw materials and probiotics and produces fermentation products with diverse health-promoting effects, in order to achieve the advantageous effects of improving the economic value and utilization rate of plant raw materials and probiotics.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objects, the present invention provides a probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits, which primarily comprises a raw material processing department, a fermentation processing department and a drying processing department, which are respectively responsible for the sequential pre-processes of the plant raw materials, namely the pre-processing process for plant raw materials, the fermentation process for plant raw materials and probiotics and the drying process for fermentation products.

[0007] The plant raw material is a fruit, a vegetable, a natural plant or a combination of two of the above-mentioned renewable raw materials.

[0008] Probiotics are live bacteria that promote the health of the individual and are not limited to lactic acid bacteria.

[0009] In the embodiment of the present invention, the probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits further comprises a crushing processing department which serves to homogenize or pulverize the dried fermentation products.

[0010] In the embodiment of the present invention, the raw material processing department further comprises a cleaning unit and a crushing unit, which serve respectively for cleaning the plant raw materials and for cutting the plant raw materials.

[0011] In the embodiment of the present invention, the fermentation processing department further comprises a fermentation unit and a control unit electrically connected to each other, wherein the control unit serves to control and adjust the fermentation conditions of the fermentation unit such as temperature, aeration, pH and time.

[0012] The control unit further comprises a temperature control component, a pH control component and a time control component, which each serve to control the temperature, the pH value and the fermentation time of the fermentation unit. Short description of the drawing Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of the probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits according to the invention. Detailed description of the embodiment

[0013] The present invention discloses a probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables, or fruits, in which, by integrating the raw material processing department, the fermentation processing department, the drying processing department, and the crushing processing department, the co-fermentation process for probiotics and plant raw materials can be carried out under standardized and controlled conditions, thereby improving the decomposition rate and conversion rate of the plant raw materials, and thus making the fermentation products rich in secondary plant substances and nutrient molecules to improve the quality of the fermented metabolites and further the economic value and commercial utilization of the plant raw materials.

[0014] The term "secondary plant compounds," also known as phytochemicals, refers to natural chemical compounds in plants that help plants fight off disease or deter predators. Common secondary plant compounds include anthocyanins, flavonoids, hesperidin, catechins, sulfur-containing compounds, zeaxanthin, plant saponins, curcumin, and betalains.

[0015] In order to explain the technical features and the achievable advantageous effects of the present invention, an embodiment is described in detail below with reference to the figure.

[0016] It will be Fig.1. The probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables, or fruits (10) according to the embodiment of the present invention comprises a raw material processing department (20), a fermentation processing department (30), a drying processing department (40), and a crushing processing department (50), each of which serves to subject a plant raw material and a probiotic to a pre-processing process, a co-fermentation process, and a post-processing process, thus producing a fermentation raw material.

[0017] The raw material processing department (20) serves to receive and process the plant raw material and to carry out the pre-processing process. The raw material processing department (20) comprises a cleaning unit (21) and a comminution unit (22), wherein the cleaning unit (21) serves to clean the plant raw material, and the comminution unit (22) is arranged behind the cleaning unit (21) and serves to cut or comminute the plant raw material into a predetermined size.

[0018] The fermentation processing department (30) is arranged downstream of the fermentation processing department (20) and serves to carry out a co-fermentation reaction of the plant raw material and the probiotic under predetermined fermentation conditions to produce a fermentation product. The fermentation processing department (30) comprises a fermentation unit (31) and a control unit (32).

[0019] The fermentation unit (31) has a receiving space which serves to receive the plant raw material and the probiotic and to carry out a co-fermentation reaction.

[0020] The control unit (32) is electrically connected to the fermentation unit (31) and serves to control the ambient and fermentation conditions within the fermentation unit (31). Specifically, the control unit (32) further comprises a temperature control component (321), a pH control component (322), and a time control component (323), each of which serves to set, control, and adjust the temperature, pH, and fermentation time in the fermentation unit (31). Generally, the temperature values ​​are in the range of 20°C to 50°C, the pH values ​​are in the range of 4.0 to 7.0, and the fermentation time is in the range of 24 to 72 hours. The actual fermentation conditions vary depending on the fermentation environment, the type of probiotics, the type of plant raw materials, or their composition.The temperature control component (321), the pH control component (322) and the time control component (323) can be designed in the form of rotary knobs, touch panels or switches depending on the operating habits.

[0021] The drying processing department (40) is arranged behind the fermentation processing department (30) and serves to receive the fermentation product coming from the fermentation processing department (30) and to carry out sterilization and drying processing, wherein the method of drying processing can be freeze-drying, hot air drying, spray drying or other drying techniques known in the art.

[0022] The crushing processing department (50) is arranged behind the drying processing department (40) and serves to pulverize or homogenize a dried fermentation product to produce a fermentation raw material that can be used for subsequent productization.

[0023] With the composition of the above-mentioned components, in the probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables, or fruits (10) according to the present invention, the fermentation conditions such as temperature, time, pH, and aeration amount can be precisely adjusted and controlled during the fermentation process by the fermentation processing department (30). The fermentation conditions can be adjusted in real time depending on the probiotic strain and the types of plant raw materials used to improve the quality and functions of the fermentation products. At the same time, the probiotics can degrade and biochemically transform the plant raw materials with maximum efficiency, thus producing fermentation products rich in phytochemicals and low-molecular-weight nutrients, thereby increasing bioavailability and absorption rate.

[0024] The probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables, or fruits (10) according to the invention can be used for various plant raw materials and probiotics. For example, plant raw materials can originate from fruits, vegetables, or natural plants, such as pak choi, spinach, turmeric, dragon fruit, and pineapple. Probiotics are understood to be health-promoting microorganisms such as Bacillus coagulans, Lactobacillus paracasei, L. fermentum, L. rhamnosus, L. brevis, L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. helveticus, L. johnsonii, L. gasseri, Streptococcus thermophilus, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, B. longum, and B. bifidum.

[0025] For example, if the probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables, or fruits according to the invention is applied to red dragon fruit pulp, a fermented dragon fruit powder with a red or pink color can be produced. This powder is rich in prebiotics, functional metabolites, and inactivated probiotics, which not only allows for long-term storage but has also been shown in animal experiments in enteritis models to improve damaged intestinal structure, reduce inflammatory reactions, and alleviate diarrhea. Unfermented dragon fruit, in contrast, shows no effect in improving enteritis or related diseases.

[0026] Furthermore, the curcumin contained in turmeric exhibits excellent physiological activity, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. Due to its natural lipophilic structure, curcumin has disadvantages such as poor water solubility, difficulty in absorption, rapid metabolism, and low bioavailability. The probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables, or fruits according to the present invention performs the co-fermentation process of turmeric and probiotics to produce a fermented turmeric powder with high water solubility and bioavailability. In animal experiments using a high-fat diet model, the fermented turmeric powder demonstrated superior effects in weight loss, reduction of visceral fat, lowering blood lipid levels, and lowering blood sugar levels compared to non-fermented turmeric powder.

[0027] The above embodiment and description serve only to illustrate the technical features and the achievable advantageous effects of the present invention, but not to limit the claims.

[0028] The present invention provides a probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables, or fruits, in which the raw material processing department, the fermentation processing department, the drying processing department, and the crushing processing department are combined into a co-fermentation process for processing probiotics and plant raw materials to improve the content and quality stability of secondary plant substances and nutrient molecules of the fermentation products, and thus achieve the advantageous effects of improving the economic value and commercial viability of the plant raw materials. List of reference symbols 20 Raw material processing department 21 Cleaning unit 22 Shredding unit 30 Fermentation processing department 31 fermentation unit 32 Regulatory unit 321 Temperature control component 322 pH control component 323 Time control component 40 Drying Processing Department 50 Crushing Processing Department

Claims

[1] Probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits (10), comprising: a raw material processing department (20) used to process a plant raw material; a fermentation processing department (30) arranged behind the fermentation processing department (20) and serving to carry out a fermentation reaction of the plant raw material and a probiotic under a predetermined fermentation condition; a drying processing department (40) arranged behind the fermentation processing department (30) and serving to dry a fermentation product. [2] A probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a crushing processing section (50) arranged downstream of the drying processing section (40) and for homogenizing a dried fermentation product. [3] Probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits (10) according to claim 1, wherein the raw material processing department (20) further comprises a cleaning unit (21) and a crushing unit (22), wherein the cleaning unit (21) serves to clean the plant raw material and the crushing unit (22) is arranged behind the cleaning unit (21) and serves to cut the plant raw material into a predetermined size. [4] The probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits (10) according to claim 1, wherein the fermentation processing department (30) further comprises a fermentation unit (31) and a control unit (32), the fermentation unit (31) serving to provide a space for the co-fermentation of the plant raw material and the probiotic, and the control unit (32) being electrically connected to the fermentation unit (31) and serving to control the environmental conditions within the fermentation unit (31) so that the environmental conditions correspond to the fermentation conditions. [5] Probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits (10) according to claim 4, wherein the control unit (32) further comprises a temperature control component (321), a pH control component (322) and a time control component (323), each serving to set, control or adjust the temperature, the pH value and the fermentation time in the fermentation unit (31). [6] Probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits (10) according to claim 1, wherein the plant raw material is a fruit, a vegetable or a natural plant. [7] Probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits (10) according to claim 6, wherein the plant raw material is pak choi, spinach, turmeric, dragon fruit or pineapple. [8] Probiotic co-fermentation production system for plants, vegetables or fruits (10) according to claim 6, wherein the probiotic is Bacillus coagulans, Lactobacillus paracasei, L. fermentum, L. rhamnosus, L. brevis, L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. helveticus, L. johnsonii, L. gasseri, Streptococcus thermophilus, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, B. longum or B. bifidum.

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