Fluidized Herbal Extraction Using High Frequency Pulses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for isolating and extracting plant material components, particularly herbal extracts, are not suitable for large-scale production and often fail to separate immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive components effectively, limiting their commercial use in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.
Innovation Solution
A process involving pretreatment of plant materials to create a fluidized state, followed by application of high frequency pulses and shear forces at ambient temperature to fractionate and extract bioactive components without denaturing them, allowing for the isolation of extractives on a production scale.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional extraction methods (organic solvents, column chromatography) are used, then extraction of herbal compounds can be achieved, but the processes are not suitable for production scale manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The plant material is segmented into particles of specific size ranges (0.5-5mm, 5-10mm, 10-20mm) before fluidization. This segmentation enables efficient mass transfer and extraction while maintaining scalability for production manufacturing, resolving the contradiction between extraction effectiveness and production scale capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces conventional mechanical extraction methods (column chromatography, filtration) with a fluidized bed system where particles are suspended and extracted in situ. This substitution eliminates complex mechanical separation equipment while achieving production-scale manufacturing capability
2Quantity of substance
If heated alcohol extraction is used, then higher yields of marker compounds such as alkylamides may be obtained, but the method is unable to separate immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive components
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the extraction parameters by using ambient temperature extraction with specific solvent systems instead of heated alcohol extraction. This parameter change enables selective extraction of different component types (immunostimulatory vs. immunosuppressive) while maintaining high yields of marker compounds like alkylamides
Solution Approach 2:
The fluidized bed extraction process creates different local extraction conditions within the bed, allowing selective extraction of different compound classes. Immunosuppressive components are extracted under specific fluidization conditions while immunostimulatory components remain in the solid matrix, achieving manufacturing precision in component separation
3Productivity
If high frequency pulses and shear forces are applied to fluidized plant material, then extractives can be efficiently isolated, but the process must maintain ambient temperature to avoid denaturing bioactive components
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies periodic high-frequency pulses (e.g., 60-120 Hz ultrasonic vibration) to the fluidized bed system. This periodic mechanical action enhances mass transfer and extraction efficiency without generating significant heat, allowing efficient isolate of extractives while maintaining ambient temperature to preserve bioactive component integrity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables efficient and scalable extraction of bioactive components from plant materials, maintaining their chemical properties and achieving higher yields of key biomarkers compared to existing methods, as demonstrated by the extraction of various herbal plant materials.
Implementation Method 1
The fluidized plant material is then subjected to high frequency pulses and shear forces without denaturing bioactive properties of one or more bioactive components of the plant material
Data Source
AI summary
A process for fractionating a plant material to provide isolated extractives, the process includes pretreating the plant material to provide a fluidized plant material, subjecting the pretreated fluidized plant material to high frequency pulses and shear forces without denaturing bioactive aspects of one or more components of the plant material to provide a first liquid fraction having extractives to be isolated and a first fractionated plant material, separating the first liquid fraction having extractives from the first fractionated plant material, and isolating extractives from the first liquid fraction.