Snail Egg Astaxanthin Extraction Enzymatic Digestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for extracting astaxanthin from natural sources, such as yeast cells, are energy-intensive and result in astaxanthin loss due to drying processes, while chemically synthesized astaxanthin raises health concerns and regulatory issues, necessitating the development of efficient methods for obtaining natural astaxanthin from alternative biological sources.
Innovation Solution
A process involving grinding snail eggs and gonads, followed by solvent extraction, enzymatic digestion, and purification steps using sonication, proteinases, and organic solvents to obtain and purify astaxanthin, which includes converting ester forms into free astaxanthin, reducing energy consumption and maintaining astaxanthin integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If yeast cells are dried to extract astaxanthin, then astaxanthin can be obtained from the cells, but the drying process increases energy consumption and causes astaxanthin loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-treating yeast cells with enzymes (cellulase, hemicellulase, pectinase) to break down cell walls and release astaxanthin before extraction. This preliminary enzymatic treatment eliminates the need for energy-intensive drying processes while maximizing astaxanthin release and recovery, directly resolving the contradiction between energy consumption and substance loss.
2Reliability
If chemically synthesized astaxanthin is used, then production cost is reduced, but health safety and regulatory compliance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by utilizing yeast cells' natural metabolic capability to synthesize astaxanthin. The yeast naturally produces astaxanthin as a secondary metabolite under specific cultivation conditions, eliminating the need for chemical synthesis while ensuring natural origin, health safety, and regulatory compliance. This biological self-production resolves the contradiction between health reliability and manufacturing ease.
3Manufacturing precision
If proteinase is used to digest proteins in the extract, then purification efficiency is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing proteinase treatment conditions including temperature (37-50°C), pH (7.0-8.5), and enzyme-to-substrate ratio to achieve rapid and efficient protein digestion. These optimized parameters enable complete protein hydrolysis within reduced time frames while maintaining high purification efficiency, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and time loss.
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 extracts and purifies astaxanthin from snail eggs and gonads, reducing energy consumption and ensuring the natural form of astaxanthin is obtained, addressing regulatory concerns and health safety issues associated with chemically synthesized astaxanthin.
Implementation Method 1
mixing the ground eggs and/or gonads sample with a first solvent and conducting sonication
Implementation Method 2
mixing the ground eggs and/or gonads sample with a first solvent and conducting sonication
Implementation Method 3
contacting the glycol-lipo-carotenoprotein solution with a proteinase in the dark under N2 atmosphere so that the proteins are digested
Implementation Method 4
extracting with an alkanic solvent and then extracting with an alcohol
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a process which can effectively extract and purify natural astaxanthin from the eggs and gonads of snails.