[Concentration of biyankang extracts using multi-stage membranes separation]

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Pharmacognosy
• Separation Science

Background:

• Traditional methods for concentrating herbal extracts like Biyankang are often energy-intensive and costly.
• Optimizing extraction and concentration processes is crucial for preserving the efficacy of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of multi-stage membrane processes for concentrating Biyankang extracts.
• To assess the cost-effectiveness and energy efficiency of membrane filtration compared to vacuum heating.
• To determine the retention rates of key active compounds in Biyankang.

Main Methods:

• Ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membrane processes were employed for extract concentration at ambient temperature.
• High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify the concentrations of active ingredients in the retentates.

Main Results:

• The multi-stage membrane process achieved approximately 45% water removal.
• The cost of the membrane process was found to be one-fourth that of vacuum heating.
• High retention rates were observed for buddleoside (above 80%) and ephedrine hydrochloride (above 90%).

Conclusions:

• Multi-stage membrane processes offer an efficient and energy-saving method for concentrating Biyankang extracts.
• This technique effectively preserves the integrity of key active compounds.
• The findings provide a theoretical and experimental basis for industrial application of membrane technology in herbal extract concentration.