Anthocyanin extraction production line Anthocyanins are a type of substance extracted from fruits, vegetables, and other natural water-soluble pigments that are widely present in nature. It has attracted the attention of the scientific community and the food industry due to its strong antioxidant capacity and diverse physiological functions.
Manufacturer of fully automatic anthocyanin production line
Anthocyanins are widely present in various fruits, vegetables, and grains. In fruits, grapes, blueberries, mulberries, blood oranges, strawberries, cherries, red pitaya, hawthorn, etc. are all good sources of anthocyanins. Vegetables such as purple cabbage, purple sweet potato, purple corn, purple potato, black wolfberry, eggplant, perilla, sugar beet, radish, and purple onion are also rich in anthocyanins. In addition, grains such as barley, sorghum, and black rice, as well as beans such as mung beans, red beans, black beans, soybeans, and adzuki beans, also contain a high amount of anthocyanins.
Among these sources, black goji berries have attracted much attention due to their ultra-high anthocyanin content. Black goji berry is the natural fruit with the highest anthocyanin content so far, and is therefore considered one of the best raw materials for extracting anthocyanins.
The process of anthocyanin extraction technology
Raw materials – washing – slicing – extraction – pre filtration – membrane filtration – macroporous adsorption – elution – membrane concentration – post-processing
Anthocyanin extraction process: The extraction process of anthocyanins usually includes steps such as raw material preparation, crushing treatment, solvent extraction, filtration and separation, drying, and packaging. Firstly, clean the raw materials thoroughly and crush them to increase the extraction area. Then, the crushed raw materials are mixed and stirred with solvents such as ethanol, water, or ethyl acetate, and ultrasound or supercritical CO2 technology is used to accelerate the dissolution and extraction of anthocyanins. Next, the anthocyanin and solvent are separated through filtration, evaporation, and cooling operations. Finally, the extracted anthocyanins are dried and packaged in a sealed container.
Anthocyanin extraction equipment
Extracting anthocyanins requires a series of professional equipment and instruments. Firstly, the raw material processing stage requires grinding bowls, crushers, degreasing equipment, and drying equipment to ensure the purity and suitable physical state of the raw materials. In the extraction process, commonly used equipment includes ultrasonic extractors, supercritical CO2 extraction equipment, rotary evaporators, low-temperature high-speed centrifuges, etc., which can efficiently extract and purify anthocyanins. In addition, in order to control parameters such as temperature and pressure during the extraction process, precision pH agents, vacuum pumps for circulating water, and electric constant temperature water baths are also required.
The production process of anthocyanins usually includes several steps. The following is an overview of the process:
Source selection: Anthocyanins can be obtained from various plant sources, such as berries, grapes, or flowers. The selection of plant sources depends on the type and quantity of anthocyanins required.
Harvest: The selected plant materials are harvested at an appropriate stage of maturity to ensure a good level of anthocyanin content.
Extraction: Anthocyanins are extracted from plant materials using suitable solvents such as water, ethanol, or a combination of both. The extraction methods may vary, including immersion, filtration, or ultrasound assisted extraction techniques.
Purification: The crude extract obtained from the extraction process may contain impurities and other compounds. Purification methods, such as filtration, centrifugation, or chromatography, are used for separating and isolating anthocyanins.
Concentrate: Concentrate the purified anthocyanin extract to increase the concentration of the desired compound. This can be achieved by evaporation, freeze drying or spray drying.
Features: Analyze concentrated anthocyanin extracts to determine their composition, purity, and other quality parameters. This may involve techniques such as spectrophotometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, or mass spectrometry.
Formula and stability: Anthocyanins can be formulated into various products, such as powders, capsules, or liquid formulas, depending on the intended application. Stable methods such as pH adjustment, addition of antioxidants, or encapsulation can be used to improve the stability and shelf life of anthocyanins.
Anthocyanins are widely present in flowering plants (angiosperms), and their content in plants varies greatly depending on the variety, season, climate, maturity, and other factors. At present, the purification of anthocyanins is mainly achieved through solid-phase extraction, thin plate chromatography, column chromatography, enzymatic method, ion exchange method, macroporous resin method, membrane separation, and comprehensive technology methods. Mainly used for food coloring, it can also be used in dyes, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and other fields.
During the process of plant extraction, a large amount of impurities such as plant protein, plant colloids, tannins, starch, fibrous bacteria, sugars, salts, etc. are extracted from the plant along with the extraction solution. The presence of these impurities often causes the extract to be in a suspended state, seriously affecting subsequent purification and crystallization processes and quality. Phenomena such as pigment removal, resin clogging, and frequent and difficult cleaning, increased extraction and crystallization times, poor crystal color and morphology, etc. Traditional processes such as centrifugation, plate and frame filtration, clarifying agent, alcohol precipitation, macroporous resin adsorption, and extraction cannot effectively clarify and purify plant extracts. At the same time, there are also problems such as difficult filtration and fast blockage, high solvent consumption in alcohol precipitation, resin blockage, high energy consumption in high-temperature concentration, emulsification during extraction, multiple repeated crystallization, and large amount of production extraction wastewater, which cause environmental burdens.
Through years of experience serving plant extraction and leveraging the technological advantages of membrane separation, we have successfully designed and produced membrane separation equipment suitable for the separation, purification, concentration, and desalination of plant extracts. The organic membrane ultrafiltration system can achieve microfiltration clarification and ultrafiltration of proteins, tannins, and decolorization effects. Membrane separation equipment can thoroughly separate and intercept large molecular impurities, remove water and inorganic salts, and concentrate and refine effective ingredients; And through a specially designed operating process, impurities are not easily blocked on the surface of the membrane, solving the problem of membrane fouling and blockage. The membrane permeate water can be recycled and reused in the pre extraction process, reducing environmental pressure.
Advantages of anthocyanin membrane extraction technology
- The separation process does not undergo phase changes and can be carried out at room temperature, suitable for the concentration or purification of some thermosensitive substances such as juices, biologics, and certain drugs;
- The equipment has a small footprint, is easy to modularize, and has strong scalability;
- Reduced the consumption of high-energy heat concentration, saving production costs for enterprises;
- No other organic solvents are added or chemicals are used for extraction, which ensures the purity of the product and improves the quality of the company.