JPS6344800B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Fresh plants contain proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins,
In addition to chlorophyll, it contains many other volatile components found in essential oils. Since many of these substances change in quality due to the action of heat, it is desirable to collect them in conditions as close to their natural state as possible in order to use them effectively.

The object of the present invention is to collect volatile components contained in fresh plants using a simple method without deteriorating their quality as much as possible.

Conventionally, the method of blowing high-temperature steam into fresh leaves and distilling the essential oil contained in the leaves along with the steam is known as steam distillation, and is still used today to collect peppermint oil and hinokitiol. However, in this method, the sample is always kept at a temperature close to the boiling point of water, so substances with high reaction activity such as aldehydes are easily denatured by heat, and even non-volatile components are susceptible to heat-sensitive substances such as vitamin C. The reality is that the utility value of both the distillate and the residue decreases accordingly.

The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and its characteristics are that fresh plants are kept at medium temperature and high humidity without supplying water vapor from the outside, and volatile components are cooled. It is collected by It is desirable that the plants used be fresh, and in order to achieve efficient collection that can be applied to grasses, shrubs, trees, etc., the sample plants should be crushed, cut, etc. to destroy their cells and reduce the surface area as much as possible. Make it bigger. Place the treated plant samples in a sealed room. The amount to be filled should be about 80% of the indoor volume. Then, reduce the temperature in the room to 30
Keep at ~50℃ and stir the air inside. In addition to alcohol, aldehydes, and terpenes, water also evaporates from the sample, and the humidity in the room reaches nearly 100%.
When the humidity exceeds 90%, the indoor air is cooled little by little and taken outside. An aqueous solution containing dissolved alcohols, aldehydes, terpenes, etc. is obtained.
The sample in the room gradually dries, and collection ends when its moisture content reaches around 15%, which is in equilibrium with normal atmospheric humidity. In a room with an internal volume of ^96.5m3 , surrounded by insulation and containing a low-temperature dehumidification set, 20 pallets of sawn Quercus oak boards measuring 3cm thick x 1.8m long x 30cm wide were sandwiched between sunfish. Stack. Next, the inside temperature is heated to 30℃ using a heater, and the air inside is stirred with a fan. Three days later, the internal humidity reached 90%, so the trap condensed and collected 20 c.c. of water per day. This was left for 30 days, and the collection was completed when the board was dry. The total amount of collected liquid was 600.

In addition to the above-mentioned low-temperature dehumidification set, a dehumidification dryer or a solar dryer may also be used.

This method uses the large amount of water contained in plants to collect volatile components such as aldehydes and terpenes under mild conditions. During the collection process, the material is not kept at high temperatures, so there is no loss due to thermal decomposition, and the dried residue can be effectively utilized. For example, if sawn boards or leaves of coniferous trees are used as fresh plants, an aqueous solution containing terpenes such as alpinene and abietic acid can be obtained. This liquid contains almost the same ingredients as those enjoyed during forest bathing in the mountains, and by spraying it in your room, bathtub, or sauna at home, you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of forest bathing and help maintain your health. The remaining dried leaves are rich in vitamins and chlorophyll and can be added to feed as a nutritional fortifier. This method is an economical method that allows the physiologically active substances of plants to be collected at low cost and effectively utilized with almost no damage.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Fresh plant leaves, stems, and trunks at a temperature of 30 to 50℃.
A method for collecting volatile components of plants, which is characterized by leaving the plants under a medium temperature and high humidity environment with relative humidity of 90 to 100%, and collecting volatile components while cooling them.