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Freeze Dryer: The "Active Ingredient Retention Expert" in Chinese Herb Processing
Views: 462 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-10-29 Origin: Site
Freeze Dryer: The "Active Ingredient Retention Expert" in Chinese Herb Processing
In the field of deep processing of Chinese herbs, the Freeze Dryer has become a core equipment for retaining the active ingredients of Chinese herbs and improving product quality by virtue of low-temperature freeze-drying technology. It first freezes Chinese herb raw materials (such as Panax notoginseng, Ganoderma lucidum, Dendrobium) to -35℃ to -50℃, allowing the water in the cells to form ice crystals. Then, in a high vacuum environment below 10Pa, the ice crystals are directly sublimated into water vapor, and finally freeze-dried Chinese herbs with a water content of less than 3% are obtained. This process can maximize the retention of heat-sensitive active ingredients such as saponins, polysaccharides, and alkaloids in Chinese herbs, while maintaining the original shape and color of the herbs. It is widely used in the production of Chinese herbal slices, broken wall powders, and health product raw materials, solving problems such as ingredient loss and poor taste caused by traditional drying.
When operating the Freeze Dryer, parameters must be adjusted according to the characteristics of Chinese herbs. When processing rhizome herbs (such as Panax notoginseng), the pre-freezing time needs to be extended to 4-6 hours to ensure that the internal water is completely frozen and avoid hollowing after freeze-drying; the shelf temperature in the sublimation stage needs to be slowly raised to 35℃-45℃ to prevent the surface of the herbs from hardening and affecting the sublimation of internal water; the temperature in the desorption stage is controlled at 50℃-60℃ to completely remove bound water and extend the shelf life of the herbs. For flower and leaf herbs (such as chrysanthemum, honeysuckle), slicing or crushing is required before pre-freezing, and the sublimation temperature is reduced to 25℃-35℃ to prevent petal fragmentation and volatilization of active ingredients.
Daily maintenance should focus on the "vacuum system" and "material cleaning". After each use, rinse the freeze-drying chamber and cold trap with purified water, then disinfect with ultraviolet light for 30 minutes to prevent microbial growth from residual Chinese herbs; check the frosting of the cold trap coil every week, and defrost in time if the frost layer thickness exceeds 5mm to avoid a decrease in refrigeration efficiency; replace the vacuum pump oil every month and clean the oil filter at the same time to ensure stable vacuum degree; test the temperature uniformity of the Freeze Dryer every six months. If the temperature difference in the chamber exceeds ±2℃, adjust the shelf heating element to ensure consistent freeze-drying effect of the herbs.
Compared with traditional hot air drying equipment, the active ingredient retention rate of Chinese herbs processed by the Freeze Dryer is increased by 30%-50%, with good rehydration (recovering the original shape after soaking in warm water for 3-5 minutes), and can be stored for a long time without adding preservatives. With the acceleration of the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine, Freeze Dryers with the characteristics of mass production, intelligent temperature control, and low energy consumption have become key equipment for Chinese herb enterprises to create high-end products and enhance market competitiveness.
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