Salt-Fermented Extract Preservation via Osmotic Pressure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional natural fermentation methods for medicinal herbs are prone to spoilage and contamination by harmful bacteria like E. coli and anaerobic bacteria, which can degrade active ingredients and pose health risks, and existing methods often require sterilization that damages these ingredients.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the addition of a predetermined amount of salt to natural products, followed by long-term natural fermentation and extraction with water or an organic solvent to produce a salt-fermented extract, which prevents bacterial growth and contamination without the need for sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If natural fermentation method is used without sterilization, then active ingredients are preserved, but spoilage and contamination by harmful bacteria occurs
Solution Approach 1:
Salt serves as an intermediary substance that creates a controlled environment for fermentation. It selectively inhibits harmful bacteria while allowing beneficial microorganisms to ferment the natural product, thus mediating between the need to preserve active ingredients and prevent contamination
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical parameter of the fermentation environment by adding salt, which alters the osmotic pressure and creates conditions unfavorable for harmful bacteria. This parameter change enables safe fermentation without sterilization while preserving active ingredients
2Object-affected harmful factors
If sterilization method is used prior to fermentation, then harmful bacteria are eliminated, but active ingredients are degraded by heat
Solution Approach 1:
Salt is added before fermentation to create a protective environment that prevents harmful bacteria growth in advance. This preliminary protective action eliminates the need for subsequent sterilization steps that would expose active ingredients to heat degradation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the thermal sterilization mechanism with a chemical control mechanism using salt. Instead of using heat to eliminate harmful bacteria, salt creates an environment where harmful bacteria cannot thrive, thus preserving heat-sensitive active ingredients
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 effectively prevents spoilage and contamination, preserves active ingredients, and produces a safer, more effective fermented extract suitable for health foods and cosmetics, with reduced risk of skin irritation.
Implementation Method 1
adding a predetermined amount of salt to the natural product; naturally fermenting the salted material... prevent the growth of various bacteria, including putrefactive bacteria, E. coli and anaerobic bacteria
Implementation Method 2
naturally fermenting the salted material... extracting the fermented material with a solvent
Implementation Method 3
extracting the fermented material with a solvent, thereby obtaining a salt-fermented extract
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for fermenting natural products with salt and fermented extracts prepared thereby. The method comprises: adding a predetermined amount of salt to at least one of natural products, including medicinal herbs and cereals; naturally fermenting the salted material; and extracting the fermented salted material with a solvent. Accordingly, the method can prevent the growth of various bacteria, including putrefactive bacteria, E. coli and anaerobic bacteria, which are harmful to the human body, in the natural product, and it also can prevent the generation of bed smells in the natural product. The fermented extract prepared by the method has fewer side effects and is safer than fermented extracts prepared by conventional fermentation methods.