Based on the instable structure of o-dihydroxybenzene in
chlorogenic acid and easily decomposed and oxidizable characteristics if
chlorogenic acid is heated at high temperature for a long time, the invention discloses a
steam explosion assisted method for extracting and purifying
chlorogenic acid from
eucommia ulmoides leaves, comprising the following steps of: placing the
eucommia ulmoides leaves, which have been pre-immersed in
acid water at the pH of 2.0-6.5 for 5-180 min, into a
steam explosion tank; allowing one or any two combined
steam explosion mediums selected from air,
carbon dioxide,
ozone,
liquid nitrogen,
nitrogen, steam, supercritical CO2 and
ethanol to enter; carrying out steam explosion treatment at the temperature of 30-100 DEG C for 1-30 min; adding the material which has undergone the steam explosion treatment into hot water, directly extracting chlorogenic acid, merging extracts and purifying to obtain the chlorogenic acid quality goods. By multimedium combined low temperature steam explosion pretreatment, the stability of the
active component chlorogenic acid is protected, and simultaneously the
cell wall of the
eucommia ulmoides leaves is effectively destroyed, so as to primarily release the influence of the compact
cell-wall structure of the
eucommia ulmoides leaves on the
dissolution of chlorogenic acid during extraction and raise the
recovery rate of chlorogenic acid in the
eucommia ulmoides leaves. The invention provides a new technological approach for high-efficiency comprehensive utilization of
eucommia ulmoides leaves.