Most preparations of red ginseng are made by extraction with a single solvent. Some are extracted with alcohol alone, while others are only boiled in water. However, all the existing methods have their shortcomings. For instance, it is very difficult to completely extract the polysaccharide substances from red ginseng simply by using alcohol of different concentrations. However, if the method of boiling in water is adopted entirely, due to the long-term high-temperature extraction, it is very likely to cause a decline in the activity of the active ingredients or structural damage. After testing with ultrasonic extraction, the following are some experimental steps:
The operation process of extracting red ginseng tincture by ultrasound is as follows:
1.Pre-treatment of red ginseng
Washing and draining: Clean the red ginseng thoroughly and drain the surface moisture.
Slicing and drying: Cut the red ginseng into 0.5-1cm pieces, place them in a high-pressure steamer, and steam at 120℃ for 2 hours. Then dry them in a drying oven at 65℃.
Grinding and stir-frying: Grind the dried red ginseng into 20-mesh powder and then stir-fry it for 5 minutes to promote the transformation of rare saponins and improve the odor of the red ginseng powder.
2. Ultrasonic extraction
First extraction: Mix 1 red ginseng powder with white spirit, place it in an ultrasonic extractor, and perform ultrasonic extraction for 15 minutes. The power and frequency of the ultrasonic extractor can be adjusted according to the specific parameters of the equipment. Generally, the ultrasonic frequency is between 20 and 50kHz, and the power is between 100 and 500W.
Filtration and merging: After extraction is completed, filter and retain the filtrate 1.
The second extraction: Mix the residue after the first extraction with 10 times the amount of white spirit, and place it again in the ultrasonic extractor for ultrasonic extraction for 15 minutes. After filtration, retain the filtrate 2
Merge the filtrates: Mix filtrate 1 and filtrate 2 in a 1:1 volume to obtain the final red ginseng tincture.
3. Post-processing
Filtration and purification: Microfiltration membranes (with pore diameters ranging from 10nm to 800nm) can be used to filter and remove impurities from the extract, further enhancing its purity.
Storage: Store the extract under refrigeration to maintain the stability of its active ingredients.