Development and evaluation for a new manufacturing technique of fixed size raw rhubarb decoction pieces / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Objective: To explore the feasibility of rhubarb being processed into fixed size decoction pieces. Methods: Firstly, fresh raw rhubarb was cleaned, and the skin was scraped off. Secondly, it was longitudinally cut up into 5 mm slices, then length × width = 8 mm × 8 mm fixed size decoction pieces. Thirdly, it was put into the automatic constant temperature blower box, and the drying temperature was set at 45 ℃ for 8 h; The fixed size decoction pieces were obtained after quality verification. In order to evaluate its quality stability, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method was used to determine total free anthraquinone derivatives, sennoside A, and sennoside B in rhubarb before and after 1 year. Its quality security, quantitative determination of aflatoxin, pesticide residues, and heavy metal residues in rhubarb were evaluated. Weighing error range was used to evaluate the weighing precision of different rhubarb decoction pieces. Decoction dissolution curve of sennoside A within 10 minutes was used to evaluate its decoction compliance property and explore the feasibility of processing into different processed products. Results: The Results: showed that it was feasible for raw rhubarb to become the fixed size decoction pieces. After the fresh processing, the conservation ratios of total free anthraquinones, sennoside A, and sennoside B were 96.92%, 93.27%, and 91.67%, respectively. The conservation ratios of total free anthraquinones, sennoside A, and sennoside B were 90.47%, 86.59%, and 81.82% after 1 year in the room temperature environment, which indicated that the conservation ratio of these bioactive ingredients were higher. No pesticide residues were detected in the fixed size decoction pieces of raw rhubarb, and no heavy metals were found to exceed the prescribed limits. The RSD value of continuous weighing six times for the fixed size raw rhubarb decoction pieces was 0.62%, while the RSD value of conventional raw rhubarb decoction pieces was 8.56%. The box-plot showed that the weighing error of the fixed size raw rhubarb decoction pieces was minimal. Compared with conventional rhubarb decoction pieces, sennoside A in the fixed size raw rhubarb decoction pieces has the characteristics of rapid dissolution and high dissolution rate. The fixed size raw rhubarb decoction pieces could be processed into wine-treated rhubarb, ripe rhubarb, and rhubarb charcoal. Conclusion: All Results: show that it has processing feasibility of fresh raw rhubarb, and it can avoid mildew phenomenon, can reduce the loss of active ingredients, shorten the production cycle, enhance the accuracy of the weighing, and is conducive to the quality maintain stable. These fixed size rhubarb decoction pieces have advantage of good quality genuine characteristic, superior quality stability, predominant size uniformity, and it has the good weighing accuracy and feasibility of processing to different rhubarb processed products.