PROCESS FOR COMPREHENSIVELY UTILIZING STEAM EXPLODED RADIX PUERARIAE AND DEVICE THEREFOR

• US 20100068778A1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Institute of Process Engineering Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Hu Nan Qiangsheng Medicine Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Institute of Process Engineering Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Hu Nan Qiangsheng Medicine Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Weidong, Fu, Xiaoguo, Chen, Hongzhang
• Granted Patent: US 8,333,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/162
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/16 Solid state fermenters, e.g. for koji production
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 45/02 by mechanical forces; Stirring; Trituration; Comminuting crushing, pulverizing, disintegrating in general B02C
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 45/20 Heating; Cooling heating or cooling apparatus for laboratory uses B01L7/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/22 Processes using, or culture media containing, cellulose or hydrolysates thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 17/06 containing a six-membered hetero ring, e.g. fluorescein
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

The invention provides a process for co-producing ethanol and Radix Puerariae flavones and utilizing Radix Puerariae fibers from Radix Puerariae by way of clean solid state fermentation, and the device used therein. The process comprises the following steps: providing Radix Puerariae as raw material; pretreating the Radix Puerariae raw material by steam explosion; producing and separating ethanol by continuous coupled solid state fermentation; filtering off fermentation residues; and extracting and purifying Radix Puerariae flavones from the filtrate. The process achieves an effective and comprehensive utilization of Radix Puerariae.

Claims

1. A process for comprehensively utilizing Radix Puerariae, comprising:

providing Radix Puerariae as raw material;

pretreating the Radix Puerariae raw material by steam explosion;

producing and separating ethanol by continuous coupled solid state fermentation;

filtering off fermentation residues; and

extracting and purifying Radix Puerariae flavones from filtrates.

2. The process for comprehensively utilizing Radix Puerariae according to claim 1, further comprising:

classifying the filtered fermentation residues into a fiber portion and a protein portion.

3. The process for comprehensively utilizing Radix Puerariae according to claim 1, wherein in said pretreating, the steam pressure is 0.5 to 1.0 MPa, and the steam explosion time is 2 to 4 minutes.

4. The process for comprehensively utilizing Radix Puerariae according to claim 1, wherein in said producing and separating, glucoamylase, (NH₄)₂SO₄, KH₂PO₄ and activated yeast are added for the fermentation of Radix Puerariae.

5. The process for comprehensively utilizing Radix Puerariae according to claim 4, wherein the added amount of said glucoamylase is 50˜

100 U/g Radix Puerariae;

the added amount of said (NH₄)₂SO₄ is 0.05˜

0.15 g/100 g Radix Puerariae;

the added amount of said KH₂PO₄ is 0.05˜

0.2 g/100 g Radix Puerariae; and

the added amount of said activated yeast is 0.10˜

0.30 g yeast/100 g Radix Puerariae.

6. The process according to anyone of claims 1 to 5, wherein in said extracting and purifying, model D-101, DS-401 or AB-8 macroporous adsorbing resin is used to remove impurities.

7. A device used in the continuous coupled solid state fermentation in claim 1, the device comprising:

an airlock;

a screw;

a horizontal pot;

a vertical pot;

a gas inlet and a gas outlet of said horizontal pot;

a discharging airlock of said vertical pot; and

a gas inlet and a gas outlet of said vertical pot.

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that said airlock is used in the feeding port of said horizontal pot to ensure the isolation between the inside and the outside of the reactor while feeding.

9. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that said screw is installed inside the fermentation pot as a propulsive device for propelling the fermenting materials to move forward.

10. The device according to anyone of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that said airlock is used in the discharging port at the bottom of said vertical pot, so as to ensure the isolation between the inside and the outside of the vertical pot while discharging.

11. A process of continuous coupled solid state fermentation in claim 1, comprising:

solid materials continuously entering said horizontal pot through said airlock;

said screw inside said horizontal pot slowly propelling the materials towards said vertical pot; and

continuously discharging the materials through said airlock at the bottom of said vertical pot, wherein biochemical processes such as enzymolysis, fermentation and separation etc for the materials are completed during their continuous moving in and out.

12. The process of fermentation according to claim 11, characterized in that the materials are subjected to the enzymolysis when a required temperature is maintained in said horizontal pot;

while said enzymolysis is carried out, the materials are propelled towards said vertical pot by said screw propeller;

the propelling speed is adjusted, allowing the residence time of the materials in said horizontal pot identical to the time required for the enzymolysis;

then the materials are subjected to water extraction or gas extraction; and

after the extraction is completed, the materials are discharged continuously through said airlock in said discharge port.

13. The process of fermentation according to claim 11, characterized in that the materials are subjected to the fermentation in said horizontal pot;

while said fermentation is carried out, the materials are propelled towards said vertical pot by said screw propeller;

the propelling speed is adjusted, allowing the residence time of the materials in said horizontal pot identical to the time required for the fermentation;

then the materials are subjected to water extraction or gas extraction; and

after the extraction is completed, the materials are discharged continuously through said airlock in said discharge port.