Investigation of foaming behavior in herbal extracts via the characterization of solution environment for reverse osmosis concentration

作者：Tan, Shaowei; Li, Qiyuan; Guo, Liwei^*; Wang, Yongxiang^*; Zhong, Wenwei^*

来源：FOOD AND BIOPRODUCTS PROCESSING, 2022, 137: 28-44.

DOI：10.1016/j.fbp.2022.10.011

• Herbal extracts
• Saponins
• Biosurfactants
• Foam
• Reverse osmosis
• Food colloids

Foaming can be a challenge in many herbal extract processing, particularly with membrane technology involved. The foaming behavior of saponins and herbal solution containing saponins in the static system were investigated to gain more fundamental understanding on the correlations of foaming behavior- solution environment properties. To identify the cause and effects of foaming behavior under various conditions, foaming ability, foam sizes, as well as the physical properties (i.e. surface tension, zeta potential, viscosity, conductivity and pH) of the saponin solutions were characterized. The surface tension of mimic solution with the presence of saponins, polysaccharides and proteins was measured at 43.21 N/m, similar to the result of Sijunzi Decoction herbal extracts at 40.99 N/m, while other properties differed substantially. Foaming was confirmed to cause pressure drop in the dynamic concentration by reverse osmosis, while the foam height might pose insignificant impact on the magnitude of pressure drop. Significant feed pressure drop from 1.2 MPa to 1.0 MPa was observed in dynamic reverse osmosis concentration test of herbal extracts operated, while the pressure drop was negligible when operated at lower pressure operation (<0.6 MPa) with the same feed flow rate.

• 单位
  广东药学院