Ultrasonic extraction technology is just a purely mechanical extraction method that can extract active compounds from plants and medicinal plants and produce high quality plant extracts. This technology is considered BIO because it eliminates the risk of using unnatural solvents and is therefore recommended for those who want to manufacture products with “certified organic”.
Ultrasonic extraction is the preferred technique for isolating bioactive compounds from botanicals. Ultrasonic extraction techniques may help increase the value of certain food by-products as sources of natural compounds. They have a dual effect on the vegetable matrix, drastically reducing extraction times and reducing or destroying bacteria.
Advantages of Ultrasonic Extraction
Ultrasonic extraction equipment has many advantages that make it an excellent extraction method. Due to its high yield, high-quality extract, fast process, low investment and operating costs, safe and humanized operation, ultrasonic extraction is the preferred method of extraction process in small-scale and industrial production.
Applying high power ultrasound to liquids and slurries can cause intense cavitation and shear forces. In the slurry of leaves, buds, flowers, stems and other plant parts, vegetable cells are disrupted by ultrasonic shear and bioactive compounds are released. Ultrasonic extraction has been recognized as an efficient and reliable technique for isolating bioactive plant compounds. Especially in the production of high-quality herbal extracts, sonication is convincing due to its high yield, excellent quality and fast processing times. The application of ultrasound is a mechanical treatment, which is non-toxic, safe and environmentally friendly.
Working principle
Ultrasonic extraction is achieved when high-powered, low-frequency ultrasound is coupled into a slurry consisting of vegetable material in a solvent. High-power ultrasonic waves are coupled into the slurry through a probe-type ultrasonic processor. High-energy ultrasonic waves propagate through the liquid, creating alternating cycles of high or low pressure, resulting in acoustic cavitation.
Ultrasonic extraction is based on repeated cycles of high and low pressure. Alternating high and low pressure cycles of ultrasonication 20,000 times per second generate intense shear forces and liquid jets. This extreme stress can overcome the selectivity of the cell membrane and quickly disrupt the cell wall, resulting in high-quality transfer between the inner cell and the surrounding solvent. With ultrasonic extraction, higher yields and shorter extraction times can be achieved.
Application field
Ultrasonic extraction technology can be applied in different fields such as food production, liqueurs, herbal medicine, cosmetic industry, classic homeopathic medicine, veterinary medicine, biochemistry and green chemistry, agriculture, research laboratories, etc. Herbal extracts, active ingredients, homeopathic extracts, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, herbal remedies, galenic oil, liqueurs and herbal medicines in general.
Antioxidant Extraction
Antioxidants are bioactive compounds that scavenge free radicals and are found in plants. Antioxidants, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, thiols, etc., are pharmacologically active substances that can improve health and treat disease. Due to its high process efficiency, ultrasonic extraction allows the isolation of antioxidants using a very wide range of raw materials. In addition to plants such as herbs, fruits and vegetables, high-quality antioxidants can be extracted ultrasonically from low-value or discarded materials such as hulls, stems, seeds, peels, kernels, roots, etc.
Adaptogen Extraction
Adaptogens such as tannins are polyphenolic, often astringent molecules known to increase stress tolerance in mammalian cells. These molecules are trapped in plant cells. In order to obtain highly bioavailable adaptogens, the molecules must be released from the plant material. Ultrasonic cell disruption opens cells by disrupting cell walls and increasing mass transfer between the interior of the cell and the surrounding solvent.
Post time:May-29-2023