Stevioside Purification Process for Bitterness Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing Stevioside and Rebaudioside A from the Stevia rebaudiana plant result in impurities, leading to residual bitterness and unpleasant aftertastes, and are not highly purified, making them unsuitable for use in food products without significant contamination issues.
Innovation Solution
A process involving water extraction of dried Stevia leaves, treatment with calcium hydroxide and iron chloride, followed by deionization, ultrafiltration, and alcoholic precipitation to achieve high purity Stevioside and Rebaudioside A, with purities of at least 98%, suitable for use in various food and beverage applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional extraction methods are used to obtain Stevioside and Rebaudioside A from Stevia leaves, then the production process is simple and cost-effective, but the product contains impurities resulting in residual bitterness and unpleasant aftertaste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies extraction principle by removing impurities from the crude extract through multiple purification steps including treatment with activated carbon, ion-exchange resins, and crystallization processes to isolate pure Stevioside and Rebaudioside A, thereby eliminating the harmful bitter aftertaste while maintaining production feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by adjusting pH levels, temperature, and solvent composition during the purification process to selectively precipitate and isolate the desired glycosides from impurities, achieving high purity products that eliminate unpleasant aftertaste
2Object-generated harmful factors
If multiple purification steps are implemented to achieve high purity Stevioside and Rebaudioside A, then the taste quality is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the purification process into distinct sequential stages: initial filtration, activated carbon treatment, ion-exchange purification, and crystallization. Each stage targets specific types of impurities, achieving cumulative purification效果 while maintaining manageable process complexity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs multi-functional purification media such as ion-exchange resins that simultaneously remove multiple types of impurities (proteins, pigments, and other contaminants) in a single step, reducing the overall number of processing stages required while achieving high purity products
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional extraction methods are used, then the production cost is low, but the product purity is insufficient for use in food products without contamination issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediary substances such as activated carbon, ion-exchange resins, and alcohol solvents that facilitate the separation and purification of Stevioside and Rebaudioside A from crude extract. These intermediaries selectively bind to or precipitate impurities, enabling high purity product recovery at reasonable cost through affordable materials
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 removes impurities, resulting in Stevioside and Rebaudioside A with improved taste profiles and high purity, suitable for use as sweeteners in food products without residual bitterness or aftertaste, enhancing their application in diverse food and beverage products.
Implementation Method 1
water extraction of dried Stevia leaves
Implementation Method 2
water extraction of dried Stevia leaves
Implementation Method 3
treatment with a base such as calcium hydroxide and then iron chloride
Implementation Method 4
treatment with a base such as calcium hydroxide and then iron chloride
Implementation Method 5
ultrafiltration
Implementation Method 6
alcoholic precipitation to achieve high purity Stevioside and Rebaudioside A
Data Source
AI summary
Highly purified Stevioside and Rebaudioside A were prepared from sweet glycoside extracts obtained from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves. The resulting sweeteners are suitable as non-calorie, non-cariogenic, non-bitter, non-lingering sweeteners, which may be advantageously applied in foods, beverages, and milk products.