What is ultrasonic extraction for Anthocyanidins?

What is ultrasonic extraction for Anthocyanidins?

Anthocyanidins, also known as flower pigments, are water-soluble natural pigments found throughout nature. Currently, there are over 20 known anthocyanidins, six of which are found in food, such as geranium pigment, cyanidin, peony pigment, and morning glory pigment.

Anthocyanidins are primarily used in the food industry, where they can color food. They are also found in fuels, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.

Anthocyanidins possess antioxidant, vision-protecting, anti-cancer, and radiation-protective properties, making them a chemical treasure of science. Therefore, ongoing research is needed into anthocyanidin extraction methods and their application in the food industry.

Anthocyanidin Applications in Food

Anthocyanidins are widely used in various fields, particularly in food coloring, due to their excellent coloring properties. However, with the continuous advancement of science and technology, it has been discovered that anthocyanidins not only help color food but also have significant benefits in preventing and treating cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, cancer, diabetes, and other diseases. However, anthocyanins have strict environmental requirements during processing and storage. Temperature, pH, light, moisture, and even oxygen can all affect anthocyanin stability. Adding metal ions, whey protein, or adjusting the pH of anthocyanin solutions can help improve anthocyanin stability. Microencapsulation or the addition of colorants can also help improve anthocyanin stability.

Furthermore, microencapsulation of anthocyanins has a strong ability to scavenge free radicals in the body, thereby enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, which can significantly improve overall cellular antioxidant capacity and thus significantly enhance cell survival.

Technological innovation based on these biological properties of anthocyanins can significantly address application issues in food production. The inner wall of anthocyanin microcapsules provides a protective barrier, effectively enhancing the chemical stability of anthocyanins in various environments. Main Anthocyanin Extraction Technologies

2.1 Ultrasonic Extraction Technology: Ultrasonic extraction uses ultrasound to accelerate the dissolution of active ingredients, thereby improving anthocyanin extraction efficiency. The highest anthocyanin extraction yield from purple sweet potatoes is achieved when the temperature is maintained at 60°C, the ethanol concentration is 90%, and the total processing time is approximately 1 hour.

Furthermore, after conducting numerous extraction experiments, scientists have found that ultrasonic extraction technology offers high extraction efficiency and is less destructive to anthocyanins.

Ultrasonic anthocyanin extraction equipment utilizes ultrasound technology to efficiently extract anthocyanins at low temperatures. This technology shortens extraction time, preserves anthocyanin stability, and improves extraction yield and quality. It is commonly used in the extraction of anthocyanin sources such as purple corn and blueberries. This equipment is typically constructed of corrosion-resistant stainless steel and can be designed for either tank or countercurrent extraction methods depending on specific needs.

Main Features and Advantages:

High-Efficiency Extraction:

The cavitation effect of ultrasound can disrupt plant cell walls, accelerating the release of anthocyanins and improving extraction efficiency and yield.

Low-Temperature Extraction:

Extraction can be performed at lower temperatures, effectively preserving the stability of heat-sensitive ingredients such as anthocyanins and reducing degradation.

Shortening Time:

Compared to traditional methods, ultrasonic extraction is faster and can significantly shorten the process.

Maintaining Stability:

Effective extraction in a short period of time avoids the damage to anthocyanins caused by prolonged heating, preserving their original activity.

Equipment Materials and Applications:

Material:

Corrosion-resistant materials such as 304 stainless steel are typically used, which are resistant to acidic and alkaline environments and suitable for use in the food processing industry.

Applications:

Widely used in the extraction of anthocyanin-rich natural plants such as purple corn, blueberries, mulberries, and wolfberries.

Process Type:

Can be designed as a tank extraction or continuous countercurrent extraction process to meet the needs of various production scales.