# US 11,110,143 B2 · Method for preparing citrus-derived complex prebiotic agent and use of the same

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- Number: US 11,110,143 B2
- Document ID: US11110143B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/754,137
- Filed: 2018-09-27
- Published: 2021-04-22
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-27
- Assignees: Zhejiang University
- Applicants: Zhejiang University
- Inventors: Shiguo Chen; Jiaqi Zheng; Xingqian Ye; Donghong Liu; Hua Zhang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11110143B2

## CPC

- A23L 19/01: {Instant products; Powders; Flakes; Granules (A23L19/10 – A23L19/12 take precedence)}
- A61K 36/752: Citrus, e.g. lime, orange or lemon
- A23L 2/06: from citrus fruits
- A23L 19/07: {Fruit waste products, e.g. from citrus peel or seeds}
- A23L 33/105: Plant extracts, their artificial duplicates or their derivatives
- A23L 33/135: Bacteria or derivatives thereof, e.g. probiotics
- A23L 33/30: {Dietetic or nutritional methods, e.g. for losing weight (A23L33/10 takes precedence)}
- A61K 9/08: Solutions {(composition of solutions A61K47/00)}
- A61K 9/14: Particulate form, e.g. powders, {Processes for size reducing of pure drugs or the resulting products, Pure drug nanoparticles (microspheres A61K9/16; microcapsules A61K9/50; nanocapsules, nanoparticles of the matrix type A61K9/51)}
- A61K 9/0095: {Drinks; Beverages; Syrups; Compositions for reconstitution thereof, e.g. powders or tablets to be dispersed in a glass of water; Veterinary drenches (A61K9/0007 takes precedence; eatable gels or foams A61K9/0056; oral mucosa adhesive forms A61K9/006)}
- A61K 9/16: Agglomerates; Granulates; Microbeadlets {; Microspheres; Pellets; Solid products obtained by spray drying, spray freeze drying, spray congealing,(multiple) emulsion solvent evaporation or extraction (A61K9/20 takes precedence if the final form is a tablet; microspheres with drug-free outer coating, microcapsules A61K9/50; mixture of different granules, microcapsules, (coated) microparticles A61K9/5084; nanoparticles A61K9/51)}
- A61K 2236/00: Isolation or extraction methods of medicinal preparations of undetermined constitution containing material from algae, lichens, fungi or plants, or derivatives thereof, e.g. traditional herbal medicine
- A61K 2236/331: using water, e.g. cold water, infusion, tea, steam distillation or decoction
- A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)
- A61K: PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES (devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms A61J3/00; chemical aspects of, or use of materials for deodorisation of air, for disinfection or sterilisation, or for bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles A61L; soap compositions C11D)

## Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a method for preparing a citrus-derived complex prebiotic agent. The method comprises the following steps: removing external citrus peels after blanching citrus fruits with hot water, soaking citrus segments after splitting with an acid solution and an alkali solution to remove membranes of the citrus segments, and adjusting the pH of the obtained alkali soaking water with acid soaking water or acid to be weakly acidic or neutral to obtain the complex prebiotic agent, which has the function of reversing intestinal flora disorders. Compared with the traditional prebiotic product preparing method, the product prepared by the method contains prebiotic functional components with different targets such as pectin, flavonoids, oligosaccharides, and other fibers at the same time, and has the efficacies of regulating intestinal flora and reversing intestinal flora disorders caused by antibiotics. At the same time, the preparing method has the characteristics of simple operation and low cost, perfectly supplements a comprehensive utilization process of citrus fruit processing, solves the discharge problem of citrus fruit processing water, and generates very good social benefits.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for preparing a citrus-derived complex prebiotic composition, comprising the following steps:
(1) subjecting segments of a citrus fruit to a soaking treatment with a certain volume of an acid and water solution having a concentration greater than 0.05 g/100 mL, until membranes of the segments of the citrus fruit become gel-like, and filtering the segments of the citrus fruit to obtain an acid-treated water;
(2) transferring the acid-treated segments of the citrus fruit to a certain volume of an alkali and water solution having a concentration greater than 0.1 g/100 mL, subjecting the acid-treated segments of the citrus fruit to soaking treatment with the alkali and water solution until the membranes of the segments of the citrus fruit are dissolved, and performing filtering to obtain an alkali-treated water; and
(3) adjusting the pH of the alkali-treated water with the acid-treated water to a pH of 4-7, and performing filtering to obtain a complex prebiotic composition wherein the alkali is selected from the group consisting of NaOH, Na2CO3, KOH, K2CO3, Mg(OH)2, and Ca(OH)2, the acid is selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid, citric acid, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, and lactic acid, and the citrus fruit is selected from the group consisting of Citrus reticulate Blanco, pomelo, orange, grapefruit, and lemon.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the citrus segments to the acid and water solution is 1 g:1 mL to 1 g:5 mL.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the concentration of the acid and water solution is 0.4 to 0.8 g/100 mL, and the treatment is performed at a temperature of 5° C. to 80° C. for 20 minutes to 40 minutes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the citrus segments to the alkali and water solution is 1 g: 1 mL to 1 g:5 mL.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the concentration of the alkali and water solution used is 0.4 to 0.8 g/100 mL, and the treatment is performed at a temperature of 5° C. to 80° C. for 10 minutes to 15 minutes.