Aloe vera juice extraction
Today, we discuss the topic of aloe vera juice extraction methods and procedure.
What is Aloe vera juice? Aloe vera juice is a gooey, thick liquid prepared from the flesh of the aloe vera plant leaf. It’s generally known to treat sunburns. But drinking this healthy elixir in juice form provides you with a number of health benefits. The species of Aloe vera is used for decorative purposes and grows successfully indoors as a potted plant.
Aloe vera is a plant species with several medicinal and nutritional utilize. The plant has a green color, gel-filled leaves. Many people use the gel to treat burns and wounds, and it is available as a juice. Aloe vera grows abundantly in tropical climates and has been used for centuries as a medicinal plant. It is found in many consumer products including beverages, skin lotion, cosmetics, or ointments for small burns and sunburns. There is small scientific evidence of the effectiveness or safety of Aloe vera extracts for either cosmetic or medicinal purposes. Aloe vera has been generally grown as an ornamental plant. The Aloe vera species are very popular with modern gardeners as a putatively medicinal plant and for its interesting flowers, form, and succulence. Aloe vera juice is a popular option at many health food cafes and natural food stores.
Harvesting Aloe vera:
Harvesting of leaves starts after 7 to 8 months of planting. Sharp knife is used for Aloe vera harvesting. Care has to be taken to decrease the loss of juice from the cut portion. If harvesting is done once in a year, October – November are the best stage for harvesting. The second year gives maximum yield and for about 4 to 5 years good yield could be harvested.
Harvesting Aloe leaves extends past the acquisition phase and into the preparation stage. Just getting a healthy leaf will obtain you nowhere if you don’t know how to prepare it properly. Aloe leaves contain a yellowish sap, called aloin, which can be bitter and cause stomach upset in some individuals. After you harvest an Aloe vera, hold the cut end down so the aloin can run out. This will maintain the gel from tasting so bitter. Wash the Aloe vera leaf, then lay it flat on the table and cut off the serrated edges. Start on one side and filet off the skin, much like you get the skin off a fish. Continue removing the skin on all sides, including the yellowish color layer, until a clear to white, translucent flesh is exposed. This is the good stuff and is complete to use after a quick rinse.
Processing of Aloe vera:
Aloe vera gel derived from the leaf pulp of the plant has become a big industry worldwide due to its function in the food industry. It is utilized in functional foods, particularly for the preparation of health drinks with no laxative effects. It is used in other food products including milk, ice cream, confectionery, etc. Aloe vera gel is used as a flavoring component and preservative in some foods. Thus, an easy and efficient processing technique needs to be developed especially for the aloe beverage industry to develop product quality and safety by preserving the bioactive chemicals naturally present in the intact aloe vera leaf.
The production procedure of aloe vera juice involves crushing, grinding or pressing of the entire leaf of the aloe vera plant to produce a liquid, followed by different steps of filtrations and stabilization (preserving the biological integrity of active ingredient to exert the reported physiological produce upon ingestion or topical application). The resulting Aloe vera juice is then incorporated in or mixed with other preparations or agents to produce a pharmaceutical, cosmetic or food product. In the food industry, Aloe vera has been utilized as a supply of functional food drinks and other beverages including tea.
Preparation of crude extract:
Aloe vera crude extract was prepared according to Noor et al., 2008 with slight modifications. Aloe vera leaves were washed with tap water and weighed. Care was taken not to tear the green rind that can contaminate the fillet with Aloe vera leaf exudates. A traditional hand filleting way of processing Aloe leaves was used. In this process, the lower leaf base, the tapering point at the leafy top and the short spines located along the leaf margins are removed by sharp blades. The blade is then set up into the mucilage layer below the green rind avoiding the vascular bundles, and the top rind was removed. The epidermis of the Aloe vera leaves was peeled off, and the parenchymatous tissue was collected. The colorless, solid mucilaginous gel was slice into pieces. The resultant gel was lyophilized and ground. The lyophilized gel powder was then packed into soxhlet equipment and extracted with 90 % ethanol at 90°C for 4 hrs. The ethanol containing the extract is filtered and concentrated using rotary evaporator and stored at 90°C temperature.
Read: Extraction Process of Argan Oil.
Phytochemical analysis:
Phytochemicals are the substances that are naturally produced in plants to keep themselves from bacteria, virus, and fungi. They proceed as antioxidants. Phytochemicals help human health by strengthening the immune system. Because of these properties and to make sure the consistency and to avoid the batch to batch variations, the extract was subjected to phytochemical analysis. Preparation of samples 100mg of dried crude Aloe vera extract was evaluated and dissolved in 1 ml water. Reserved for shaking overnight, filtered and the supernatant was used for all the assays.
The traditional method of Aloe vera juice processing:
In this process lower one inch of the leaf base, the tapering point (2–4 in.) of the leaf top, the short sharp spines located along the leaf edge as well as the top and bottom rind is removed with a sharp knife along with the rind parts to which several mucilages remains attached. The fillet and the mucilage are gathered from the aloe leaf for further processing. The highest concentrations of the potentially helpful aloe constituents are found in mucilage as this layer represents the place of synthesis of the beneficial constituents. The material of the mucilage layer, subsequent to their synthesis, is spreading to the storage cells (cellulose-reinforced hexagons) of the fillet. The Aloe vera gel fillet is washed with deionized water and move to the pulper. The pulper is fitted with a refrigerated system that keeps the temperature of the extracted juice lower to check decomposition. The aloe vera juice is conveyed to a holding tank and kept for 24 hours to decant. The holding tank is refrigerated for preserving the bioactivity of sensitive molecules of aloe vera.
The raw material required for aloe vera juice extraction:
The Aloe vera leaves after harvesting should be transported in refrigerated vans from the field to the processing plant. The leaves must be sound, undamaged, mold free and mature (3–4 years) in order to maintain all the active ingredients in full concentration. One important factor affecting the composition of the final result is the handling of the leaves after its harvesting because the decomposition of the gel matrix starts just after its cutting due to natural enzymatic reactions and the activity of bacteria generally present on the leaves. It can adversely influence the quality of the end product. Thus, the freshly removed, leaves are refrigerated within 6 hours or the leaves are directly fed to the processing plant on the farm itself.
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Filleting
In this procedure, the green rind of the leaf is removed to extract the parenchymatous tissue called the gel fillet. It is reported that the Aloe gel extracted from the leaf had better stability than the gel left in the leaf. In order to avoid the loss of biological activity filleting operation should be completed within 36 hours of harvesting the leaves. The presence of anthraquinones is an important part leading to non-enzymatic browning in Aloe products.
Hot processing and flash cooling:
In hot processing, sterilization is attained by treating the aloe liquid with the activated carbon at high temperature. This step can affect the taste, appearance and the biological activity of Aloe gel products. Biological activity of Aloe vera gel basically remains intact when the gel is heated at 65°C for a period of less than 15 min. Extended periods or higher temperatures really reduce activity levels. After heat treatment, the juice is flash cooled to 5°C or below within 15 seconds to preserve biological activity.
Cold processing:
In the cold process method, the entire processing steps are accomplished without the application of the heat. Coats (1994) reported the use of enzymes, like glucose oxidase and catalase to inhibit the expansion of aerobic organisms within the Aloe vera gel and thereby sterilizing it. Other sterilization steps reported in the cold processing contain exposing the gel to ultraviolet light followed by micron filtration.
Aloe vera juice storage:
Aloe vera juice is packed in amber colored glass bottles to avoid the production of light on the sensitive bioactive agents. Relative humidity and temperature are the two main important environmental parameters that affect product quality. These two parameters can affect the amount of the volatile substance of the Aloe vera juice absorbed by the packaging material and consequently affect the shelf life of the product.
Cost of Aloe vera juice extraction machine
Aloe vera juice extracting machine approximately Rs 1.25 Lakh/unit
Benefits of Aloe vera juice:
- Alkalinity: A body with an acidic pH level is a breeding ground for disease. Help maintain your body balanced by eating and drinking alkaline foods and beverages such as Aloe vera juice.
- Hydration: The Aloe vera plant is very water-dense, so it’s an ideal way to prevent or treat dehydration. Staying hydrated helps the body detox by providing a way for you to purge and flush out impurities. The juice packs a hefty punch of nutrients that optimize your body’s organ output. This is crucial because your kidneys and liver are largely dependable for the task of detoxifying your blood and producing urine. For this reason, you should keep them healthy. Recovery from heavy exercise requires rehydration through the intake of extra fluids. Try Aloe vera juice instead of coconut water after next hard workout.
- Detoxifies the Body: Due to the high water substance of Aloe vera juice, it can help to maintain you hydrated and stimulate urination, which can help to relieve the body of excess toxins, fats, and salts.
- Prevents Gut Irritation: The best environment for your gut is a balanced pH level, but many people tend to have an overly acidic stomach.
- Liver function: Aloe vera juice is an excellent method to keep your liver healthy. That’s because the liver functions best when the body is effectively nourished and hydrated. Aloe vera juice is ideal for the liver since it’s hydrating and rich in phytonutrients.
- For constipation: Drinking Aloe vera juice helps raise the water content in your intestines.
- For clear skin: Hydrating aloe vera juice can help reduce the frequency and appearance of acne. It may help reduce skin conditions like psoriasis and dermatitis.
- Aloe vera is a rich supply of antioxidants and vitamins that can help protect your skin.
- The important compounds in aloe vera have been shown to neutralize the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, repair skin from existing UV damage, and help prevent fine lines and wrinkles.
That’s all folks about Aloe Vera Juice Extraction Process.
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