Introduction
Herbal and natural products are considered as compounds that are available in nature having unique pharmacological applications. Medicines that are produced from these ingredients have been used over the years. This has helped to prevent and cure a variety of human diseases which has made natural medicines popular for many years. Till today, these medicines play a vital role in drug development. That is why ensuring the quality and purity of herbal extracts is essential so that the products are safe and effective for the consumption of consumers.
However, the extraction of natural medicines to separate the bioactive products using chemical synthesis is expensive and complex. Not only this but the process also is unable to isolate all products. That is why membrane solutions have become severely popular for filtering, separating, clarifying, and extracting herbal and natural products. Membrane technology includes microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis to produce herbal extracts.
The Role of Membrane Technology in Herbal and Natural Products for
Ensuring Quality
- Selective Fractionation
Membrane processes like Ultrafiltration (UF) and Nanofiltration (NF) help in the process of selective fractionation of herbal extracts. Through these processes, compounds can be separated efficiently based on their molecular size. This makes sure that the desired and required bioactive ingredients are present and the unwanted compounds as well as impurities are removed effectively.
- Impurity Removal
Membrane technology helps to remove impurities such as salts, sugars, and low molecular weight contaminants which is a massive advantage of the method. Through this, a purer extract can be achieved which maintains the therapeutic properties of the herbal products. In this context, it is seen that microfiltration is largely useful for removing larger particulate matter, microbes, and suspended solids which produces a cleaner and clearer extract for further processing.
- Concentration of Active Ingredients
Membranes have a crucial role to play in concentrating the active ingredients in herbal extracts. Ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis are the methods that allow the concentration of bioactive compounds. These methods are free from heat and preserve the integrity of sensitive components. Through this, the potency and effectiveness of herbal products are preserved.
- Gentle Processing Without Heat Exposure
Membrane processes are able to operate under mild conditions contrary to the traditional methods such as evaporation or distillation which require heat. This characteristic makes membrane technology suitable for herbal extracts that are heat-sensitive. The gentle processing acts to protect valuable compounds. It ensures that the compounds are not destroyed or degraded which ultimately maintains the integrity of the final product.
Membrane Processes in Herbal Extraction
- Clarification of Herbal Extracts
The process of clarification relies on the use of microfiltration. Through this, sub-micron particles are removed that contribute to and sterilize the filtrate. This helps to retain the large molecules, suspended solids, colloids, and microbes which helps to make the solution clear for the upcoming processing step.
- Concentration and Separation
The following step of concentration involves several other steps which are discussed below:
- Ultrafiltration (UF): This process combines desalting the filtrate, fractionation, and macro-molecule concentration. Through this, impurities such as salts, sugars, and organics are removed which purifies the desired products.
- Nanofiltration (NF): NF helps to enrich the extract which is composed of active molecules. It also contributes to the desalting of extract.
- Reverse osmosis (RO): It is responsible for the post-treatment to yield higher concentrates. Reverse osmosis can operate in low or moderate temperatures. Not only this but it also assists in recovering the water for recycling back which is required for the extraction process.
- Solvent Recovery
The process of solvent recovery relies on nanofiltration. Nanofiltration is regarded as the preferred unit of operation for the concentration alternative to the distillation process. This also helps to recover heat-sensitive products. Additionally, NF is also a more reasonable process compared to distillation in terms of concentrating the extract and recovering solvents. Nanofiltration is used in various natural products including beetroot, nicotine, aloe vera, fenugreek, stevia, and so on.
Premionics Solutions for Herbal and Natural Products
- Concentration
Permionics offers various membrane solutions for the herbal extraction of natural products. Among these, concentration is one of the most used solutions provided by the company. Permionics offers a suitable membrane process to extract herbs or natural products that can be diluted. This can concentrate the extract and reduce the volume of extract by 70-80%. The membrane processes of Permionics can be used directly for the concentration of extract. This can also be used after chromatographic as well as other purification methods which are utilized to concentrate the purified herbal or natural product. We also provide a membrane for the concentration process which can handle all types of process streams such as aqueous, acidic, and alkaline.
- Separation / Purification
Permionics also offers membranes that can be used for the separation or purification of herbal and natural products. It focuses on cases where enough difference in the sizes of the product of interest is present and removes the impurities from the product effectively. This means that in cases where a traditional purification method like extraction and chromatography are less suitable, membrane purification offers a dual advantage. This looks after product concentration as well as its purification. We offer better membrane processes that help to remove slats from the extract which is essential for herbal extracts.
Permionics Case Studies
Membrane technology effectively reduces the cost of extraction, separation, concentration, and purification. It replaces conventional methods and offers the best alternative solution. The traditional methods were time-consuming as well as tedious. Membrane solutions on the other hand are way more convenient and efficient which is why it is used to filter, separate, clarify, and extract herbal and natural products.
Permionics has handled different types of herbal and natural product streams and also has provided the best solution for different products such as Stevia, Papian, Aloe Vera, Punica, Turmeric, Fenugreek, Amaranths, Beetroot, and so on. Some success stories and case studies of Permionics are discussed below.
- Case 1 – Papain Concentration
Objective:
Papain (MW 23000 Da) is primarily an enzyme that is extracted from the latex of papaya. It is the white viscous liquid oozing out of raw papaya when the papaya is cut. This enzyme is acquired in a dilute form which is finally used to tenderize meat. The objective in this case is to concentrate the enzyme with the help of membranes so that a high concentration is possible. The membranes of Perma have successfully concentrated papain enzyme ranging from 6% to 20% at room temperature. The maximum possible level of concentration achieved through this is 30% TS. In this process of concentration, other unwanted salts, as well as low Mol wt impurities, also come out with the permeate water. This entire process ensures a purer final product that is able to fetch a higher price in the international market.
Benefits:
The membrane process of Permionics works at room temperature which allows it to save almost 80% of the energy cost over the thermal process. It is examined that for every 1000 liters of water removed as permeate an approx net saving of Rs. 400/- is registered compared to the process of evaporation. This also ensures that products are highly pure and free from unwanted impurities.
Result:
This gives a brief outlook about the process application Papain Concentration. It also gives an expanded idea about the return and benefits that will be received by the clients if they take the service of Permionics’ pioneer products.
- Case 2 -Aloe Vera Juice concentration
Objective:
Aloe vera is a variety of cactus plant that helps to extract Aloe Vera juice. The aloe vera juice is extracted, depectinized, purified, and then concentrated. As the processed juice is dilute (<2% solids) it is convenient to first concentrate this juice with RO. It should then be concentrated by vacuum evaporation because the aloe vera juice is very sensitive to heat.
Our membrane system can concentrate Aloe Juice from 2% to 10% solids which helps to remove 80% of the water at 20% of the cost compared to the conventional process of evaporation.
Benefits:
This process helps to have a payback within less than 6 months.
- Case 3 – Sugar Cane Juice Clarification
Objective:
To extract the juice, sugar cane is crushed at first which provides around 12 to 16 juice brix initially. After this, the crushed canes are washed with water so that more juice can be extracted. This process is repeated multiple times until it becomes uneconomical. The second crop juice also ranges from 6 to 10 brix. In this context, if this second crop could be separated, membranes would have been effectively deployed through which the concentration process would have been done. This has the potential to provide juice from 6 Brix to 15 Brix which is also at half of the cost of evaporation. Half is considered here because the sugar industry involves husk, bagasse, and other alternate fuels. Through this, the saved steam can be redirected to power generation.
- Case 4 – Stevia extract Purification & concentration
Objective:
Stevia is steviol glycosides having 150 times the sweetness of sugar. It is examined that steviosides have a minimum effect on blood glucose which is why people on carbohydrate-controlled diets prefer stevia. The extracted solution often has some colored impurities and only 2% solids. Permionics offers a UF membrane system which helps to remove impurities followed by the RO system for concentration.
The juice is a heat-sensitive product which is why first concentrating the juice using RO and then by vacuum evaporation is a viable method. Permionics also concentrates Stevia from 2% to 10% solids which remove over 80% of the water at 20% cost of the conventional evaporation.
Benefits:
This helps to have a payback in less than 6 months.
Choosing the Right Membrane Partner
Extracting natural medicines can be a complex and expensive process which is why choosing the right service partner is essential. Permionics has employed the revolutionary SOLREC installed system which works even on nanofiltration. Through this, the concentration process can be executed well along with the separation of herbal extracts and recovering solvents.
We put research and development at our core responsibilities to help our clients get the best support. The system developed by Permionics is highly efficient, economical, and energy-saving. This not only recovers 80-90% solvents but also enables a 5-10x enrichment of the herbal extract. Permionics also provides long-term support to the clients even after the installation process.
Conclusion
Membrane technology has taken over the herbal and natural industry and has revolutionized it completely. From being cost-effective to being environmentally friendly with its extraction options, membrane technology can preserve and maintain the quality and potency of natural products. Permionics is a leading brand that has expertise for over 50 years in this technology. It provides innovative solutions and enhanced technological services to clients. Manufacturers thus need to choose the right membrane partner to enjoy cost-efficiency and the full potential of their products.
