Investigation of different sterilization methods of Astragali Radix decoction pieces and research on the best sterilization process
Objective To investigate the effects of different sterilization methods on the quality of Astragali Radix decoction pieces by comparing the properties,odor,fingerprint,sterilization effect,extract and active component contents of Astragali Radix decoction pieces,and to further optimize the best sterilization process parameters of Astragali Radix decoction pieces.Methods The effects of moist heat sterilization,irradiation sterilization and dry heat sterilization on the quality of Astragali Radix decoction pieces were compared,and the best sterilization method was selected.Based on this,taking the content of astragaloside IV,the content of isoflavone glucoside,the total content of the two and the sterilization rate as the assessment indicators,taking the sterilization temperature,sterilization time and material thickness as the assessment factors,on the basis of the single-factor test,the response surface method was used to optimize the optimal dry heat sterilization process of Astragali Radix decoction pieces.Results The dry heat sterilization method was selected to sterilize Astragali Radix decoction pieces.The best process for dry heat sterilization was as follows:the sterilization temperature of 113℃,sterilization time of 5.1 h,and the material thickness of 19 mm.Conclusion Considering the sterilization effect,the influence on the content of active ingredients,operability and cost,selecting dry heat sterilization is the best sterilization method for Astragali Radix decoction pieces,and the optimal sterilization process is stable and feasible,with good repeatability,which can provide scientific basis for its industrial production application.