Intensifying the Processes of Polysaccharide Extraction from Plant Raw Materials under the Action of an Electric Current

Abstract

The article presents the results of the studies into the intensification of the processes of extraction of water-soluble polysaccharides from plant raw materials—medicinal hyssop (Hyssopus officialis L.)—under the action of an electric current. The effect of direct, alternating, and pulsed electric currents on the degree of polysaccharides’ extraction was studied in comparison with the traditional pharmacopoeial method. It is shown that the energy consumption for the extraction process, intensified by a pulsed electric current, is significantly lower compared to extraction by convection heating. At the same time, the use of electric current makes it possible to reduce the processing temperature limits from 70 to 40°C, which will allow one to obtain not only aqueous but also aqueous-alcoholic and alcoholic extracts in the future, and, consequently, to extract biologically active water-insoluble substances.