Green Tea Extract Purification via Solvent Adsorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for extracting catechins from green tea are limited in efficiency and often result in beverages with turbidity issues due to caffeine content and stability problems, affecting the taste and appearance of packaged beverages.
Innovation Solution
A process involving a mixed solution of organic solvent and water with active carbon or acid clay is used to precipitate and remove turbidity components from green tea extracts, achieving a purified extract with high non-polymer catechin content and reduced caffeine, maintaining a clear and stable appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional extraction methods are used to obtain high catechin concentration, then catechin extraction efficiency is improved, but the beverage develops turbidity and stability problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes specific harmful components (caffeine and turbidity factors) from the green tea extract while preserving the beneficial catechins. This is achieved through selective extraction processes that separate caffeine from catechins, and filtration processes that remove turbidity factors, thereby obtaining a stable extract with high catechin content and improved beverage stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes in the extraction process, including controlled temperature variations, pH adjustment, and solvent ratio optimization. These parameter changes enable selective extraction of catechins while preventing the formation of turbidity and maintaining beverage stability throughout storage.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If caffeine is removed from green tea extract, then harmful effects are reduced, but the extract may show deteriorated color
Solution Approach 1:
The patent selectively extracts caffeine from the green tea extract using methods such as contact with caffeine adsorbents or selective extraction solvents. This process removes caffeine while preserving the color and other beneficial components of the extract, achieving decaffeination without significant color deterioration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses intermediary substances such as caffeine adsorbents or selective solvents as mediators to remove caffeine from the extract. These intermediaries selectively bind to or extract caffeine while leaving the catechins and color components intact, enabling selective removal without compromising extract quality.
3Speed
If organic solvent proportion is increased to accelerate catechin extraction, then extraction speed is improved, but extraction efficiency declines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the organic solvent to water ratio parameter to achieve the best extraction efficiency. By controlling this parameter within specific ranges and combining it with other process parameters such as temperature and contact time, the patent achieves both rapid extraction and high efficiency, avoiding the decline in efficiency that occurs at excessive solvent proportions.
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
The process effectively reduces caffeine content and turbidity, maintaining high non-polymer catechin concentration, ensuring a clear and stable beverage appearance even after long-term storage with minimal taste impact.
Implementation Method 1
bringing a green tea extract in contact with a mixed solution containing an organic solvent and water at a mass ratio of from 65/35 to 97/3 and active carbon and/or acid clay or active clay
Implementation Method 2
adjusting the organic solvent/water mass ratio in the resulting green tea extract solution to from 0/100 to 85/15, and separating therefrom a turbidity component thus precipitated in the solution
Implementation Method 3
separating therefrom a turbidity component thus precipitated in the solution
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a preparation process of a purified green-tea extract capable of easily and efficiently removing a turbidity component contained in a green tea extract; a purified green-tea extract prepared by the preparation process; and a packaged beverage containing the purified green-tea extract. The preparation process of a purified green-tea extract containing, in the solid content thereof, from 36 to 99 mass % of non-polymer catechins comprises bringing a green tea extract into contact with a mixed solution containing an organic solvent and water at a mass ratio of from 65/35 to 97/3 and active carbon and/or acid clay or active clay, adjusting the organic solvent/water mass ratio of the resulting solution to from 0/100 to 85/15, and then separating the turbidity component thus separated.