In recent years, the application of ultrasound technology in the extraction process of traditional Chinese medicine preparations has received increasing attention. Ultrasonic technology is a very effective method and means for extracting active ingredients from natural products. As a new technology in the extraction process of traditional Chinese medicine preparations, ultrasonic extraction machines have broad prospects.
Ultrasonic extractor utilizes the mechanical, cavitation, and thermal effects of ultrasound to extract bioactive components by increasing the velocity and penetration of medium molecules.
The extraction principle of ultrasonic extraction machine:
1. Mechanical effect: The propagation of ultrasonic waves in a medium can cause vibration of medium particles in their propagation space, thereby enhancing the diffusion and propagation of the medium. This is the mechanical effect of ultrasonic waves. Ultrasonic waves generate a radiation pressure during propagation, which propagates along the direction of sound waves and has a strong destructive effect on materials, causing deformation of cell tissues and denaturation of plant proteins; At the same time, it can also provide different accelerations to the medium and suspension, and the velocity of the medium molecules is much higher than that of the suspension molecules. Thus, friction is generated between the two, which can cause biomolecules to dissociate and effectively form on the cells
Dissolve faster in solvents.
2. Cavitation effect: In general, some microbubbles are dissolved inside the medium to a greater or lesser extent, and these bubbles vibrate under the action of ultrasound. When the sound reaches a certain value, the bubbles increase due to directional diffusion, forming a resonant cavity, and then suddenly close. This is the cavitation effect of ultrasound. When this type of bubble closes, it generates a pressure of thousands of atmospheres around it, forming a micro shock wave. It can cause the rupture of plant cell walls and the entire organism, and the entire rupture process is completed in an instant, which is conducive to the dissolution of active ingredients.
3. Thermal effect: Like other physical waves, the propagation of ultrasound in a medium is also a process of energy propagation and diffusion. That is, during the propagation of ultrasound in a medium, its sound energy is continuously absorbed by the particles of the medium, and the medium converts all or most of the absorbed energy into thermal energy, resulting in an increase in the temperature of the medium itself and the medicinal tissue, and an increase in the dissolution rate of the active ingredients in the drug. Due to the instantaneous increase in temperature inside the drug tissue caused by the absorption of sound energy, the biological activity of the extracted components can be maintained unchanged.
In addition, ultrasound can also generate many secondary effects, such as emulsification, diffusion, fragmentation, chemical effects, etc. These effects also promote the dissolution of active ingredients in plants, facilitate the entry of drug active ingredients into the medium, and fully mix with the medium, accelerating the extraction process and improving the extraction rate of drug active ingredients.