Efficient method for the preparation of value added saffron pigment and flavour concentrate

• US 20040126467A1
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research
• Inventors: Qazi, Ghulam Nabi, Agarwal, Shri Gopal, Thappa, Rajinder Kumar, Agnihotri, Vijai Kant, Suri, Om Prakash
• Granted Patent: US 7,070,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/250
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 19/01 Instant products; Powders; Flakes; Granules A23L19/10 – A23L19/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 27/11 obtained by solvent extraction
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 27/70 Fixation, conservation, or encapsulation of flavouring agents
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/43 using naturally occurring organic dyes or pigments, their artificial duplicates or their derivatives

Abstract

The present invention relates to an efficient method for the extraction of high stability, superior quality, value added, standardized, ready-to-use saffron pigments and flavour concentrate, said process comprising steps of mixing saffron with one food-grade solvent or a combination of more than one food graded-solvents, macerating and agitating the mixture with continuance protection from light condition, centrifuging the macerated mixture to remove undesirable fibrous plant material, cooling the centrifuge immediately, lyophilizing the cooled centrifuge under reduced pressure to obtain crude material, isolating the concentrate by column chromatography, and obtaining brilliant orange color shining saffron pigments and flavour concentrate with recovery of about 95%, and use of the saffron pigments and flavour concentrate of range between 0.05 to 3% in food, pharmaceutical, and allied industries for flavour, and color.

Claims

1. An efficient method for the extraction of high stability, superior quality, value added, standardized, ready-to-use saffron pigments and flavour concentrate, said process comprising steps of:

a. mixing saffron with one food-grade solvent or a combination of more than one food graded-solvents,

b. macerating and agitating the mixture with continuance protection from light condition,

c. centrifuging/filtering the macerated mixture to remove undesirable fibrous plant material,

d. cooling the centrifuge immediately,

e. lyophilizing the cooled centrifuge under reduced pressure to obtain crude material,

f. isolating the concentrate by column chromatography, and

g. obtaining brilliant orange color shining saffron pigments and flavour concentrate with recovery of 95%.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concentrate is of flavoring and pharmaceutical grade.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the saffron is obtained from stigma, or style, or mixture of both, in filament or powder form.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein concentrate is free from solvent residues.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concentrate is free soluble in polar solvents.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concentrate is used in pharmaceutical, food, and allied industries.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chromatography is using silica-gel method.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said method helps recover about 95% of the saffron pigments and flavour compounds as compared to starting material.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pigments are crocus pigments.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the saffron does not undergo enzymatic and thermal hydrolysis and degradation during processing.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concentrate is water-soluble.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concentrate is free of solvent residues.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concentrate is free from decomposed impurities.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the concentrate is odour free.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solvents are food-grade solvents.

16. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extraction is at temperature is ranging between 110 to 20°

C.

17. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the atmosphere for the extraction is selected from a group comprising air, inert, hydrogen, helium, and nitrogen.

18. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the atmosphere is protected from light conditions.

19. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extraction is at pH ranging between 4 to 9.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the extraction is at pH ranging between 6 to 8.

21. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein maceration is for the time duration ranging between 30 minutes and 24 hours.

22. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solvent is selected from a group comprising water, steam, superheated steam, alcohols, and ketones.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the alcohol is of size C1 to C4, or its derivatives, and/or their mixture.

24. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the centrifuge is cooled at the temperature ranging between 60 to −

60°

C.

25. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the centrifuge is cooled at temperature about −

10°

C.

26. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein rate of extraction slows down with decrease in temperature.

27. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rate of extraction is increased with high ratio of raw material to solvent.

28. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein increase in temperature leads to thermal decomposition of crocin pigments into undesirable crocetin.

29. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein all the parameters of the method is critical for obtaining concentrate of desired standards.

30. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein lyophilizing the cooled centrifuge if done at a temperature between −

15 to −

25°

C., preferably at −

20°

C.

31. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein steps (a) to (c) is repeated on the same saffron more than once, preferably three times.

32. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein yield of the concentrate is ranging between 10 to 30%.

33. Use of the saffron pigments and flavour concentrate in food, pharmaceutical, and allied industries for flavour, and color.

34. Use as claimed in claim 33, wherein the concentration of the said concentrate is ranging between 0.05 to 3%.