Properties, uses, and production processes of silk orchid extract

plant extracts

Silk orchid extract is a type of ether insoluble substance obtained by using silk orchid as the raw material, extracting and concentrating it through alcohol solvent, and then extracting impurities through water and n-butanol two-phase extraction. The n-butanol phase is evaporated and dried, and then refluxed with ether. Contains main active ingredients such as steroidal saponins (Sasa saponin ligand, Smilax saponin ligand, Agave saponin ligand), free saponins, and carbohydrate complexes. Has strong adsorption capacity for harmful gases, can reduce the concentration of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and other harmful gases in livestock houses, improve the animal feeding environment, promote feed decomposition, improve the high digestibility of Chemicalbook, enhance the body's resistance, promote the absorption of nutrients, improve animal health, improve livestock production performance, and effectively improve the quality of livestock products; It can also stimulate the circulatory and respiratory systems, affect vitamin activity, and secrete animal hormones. As a pancreatic emulsifier, it has been widely studied and applied in animal production, resulting in good economic and social benefits. It should also be used in the production of other products, such as foaming agents for carbonated beverages and enhancers for food flavors, and has been recognized by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an auxiliary food.

Main active ingredients

Many of the biological functions of silk orchid extract are related to its active ingredients, including steroidal saponins, polysaccharides, resveratrol, and polyphenols from Linfenglan.

1. Steroid saponins Steroid saponins are the most important active component of Yucca extract and the most well studied component. Saponins contain a lipophilic group called sapogenin, as well as one or more hydrophilic carbohydrate branched chains. They are a natural surface activator or emulsifier that is beneficial for the emulsification of oils and fats, promoting the digestion and absorption of glycerol monoesters, and thereby improving the utilization rate of oils and fats. The hydrophobic part of saponins is interconnected with the hydrophobic groups of cholesterol in the mucosal layer cells in the form of microcapsules, forming a complex that affects the permeability of intestinal cells. In a similar way, saponins also exhibit antigenic activity by binding to cholesterol on the protozoan cell membrane, disrupting the integrity of the protozoan cell membrane and leading to cell lysis.

2. Polysaccharides, specifically functional oligosaccharides formed by the connection of multiple monosaccharides through glycosidic bonds, are an important active component in the extract of silk orchids. They are not digested by digestive enzymes secreted by animals themselves, and enter the posterior segment of the intestine as chemical probiotics to promote the growth and reproduction of beneficial bacteria, effectively inhibit the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria, maintain the stable structure of the intestinal microbiota, and promote intestinal health. In addition, polysaccharides, as a nutritional substance, can be decomposed and utilized by probiotics such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in the intestine. They can also bind with intestinal ammonia molecules and be fully utilized as a nitrogen source for intestinal microbial fermentation. At the same time, they effectively regulate the acid-base balance of the intestine, increase the activity of digestive enzymes, and improve the utilization rate of nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

3. Polyphenol Yucca contains two unique polyphenols, resveratrol and Linfenglan polyphenols, which have strong binding ability to amino groups. Therefore, it is speculated that these two polyphenols in Yucca extract may also have the ability to reduce ammonia gas. In addition, resveratrol has a significant anti infection effect. Nitric oxide (NO), as a signaling molecule, plays an important role in physiological functions such as immune regulation and neurotransmission. However, excessive NO has cytotoxicity and is accompanied by inflammation. Research has shown that yucca polyphenols can inhibit the expression of nitrogen oxide synthase (iNOS). NF-KB is a transcription factor that can regulate the expression of iNOS genes. Therefore, yucca polyphenols exert a strong anti infective effect by inhibiting the activity of NF-KB.

physiological function

1. Improving the aquaculture environment

Silk orchid extract can not only reduce the production of harmful gases such as ammonia and methane in animal bodies; It can also reduce the emissions of nitrogen, phosphorus and other elements, thereby improving the livestock environment. The specific mechanism of action is that Yulan extract is a urease inhibitor, which can not only inhibit the decomposition of urea into ammonia, but also promote microorganisms to convert ammonia into microbial proteins, thereby reducing the production of ammonia in feces and urine; It can directly adsorb or combine harmful gases such as ammonia in the environment, and can prevent the nitrification of nitrogen in feces and urine, making nitrogen exist in the form of inorganic matter, thereby reducing the amount of ammonia emitted into the air.

2. Regulating the gut environment

Yucca plant extract can promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria, improve the intestinal environment, and facilitate the growth and development of intestinal villi; It can reduce the generation of ammonia, stabilize the pH in the intestine, promote protein digestion and absorption, and provide and maintain a normal intestinal environment for animal growth. Moreover, the saponins in the silk orchid extract can improve the permeability of bacterial cell walls, facilitating faster absorption and utilization of nutrients. In addition, silk orchid extract has a positive effect on inhibiting the number of coccidia, improving animal health, and reducing mortality, and has been widely used to control chicken coccidiosis.

3. Improve the growth performance of animals by modifying the Chemicalbook

The steroidal saponins in the silk orchid extract are difficult to pass through the digestive tract epithelial cells due to their special chemical structure. However, they have surface activity and can change the morphology of the digestive tract epithelial cell membrane, reduce the surface tension of the cell membrane, and thus promote the absorption of nutrients; Due to the fact that silk orchid extract can reduce ammonia concentration, reduce intestinal tissue proliferation, slow down intestinal tissue renewal, reduce energy, protein, and oxygen consumption, and promote nutrient deposition and digestion.

4. Provide immune performance of the body

Silk orchid extract has the effect of thickening the intestinal mucosa of animals, improving health, preventing the invasion of certain viruses, inhibiting the absorption of digestive nutrients by viruses and harmful bacteria, and inhibiting their proliferation; It can also reduce respiratory diseases by reducing the ammonia concentration in livestock houses; It can reduce blood ammonia concentration and avoid animal nervous system disorders caused by it.

5. Improve the quality of livestock products

The level of creatine is positively correlated with meat quality. Insulin can promote protein synthesis and reduce the rate of urea synthesis, while adding silk orchid extract can increase the levels of creatine and insulin in serum, improving meat quality. In addition, saponins can also bind to cholesterol. Adding quinoa saponins to homogeneous milk can extract 73.4% of cholesterol.

Extraction method

Using silk orchid as the raw material, it is extracted and concentrated through alcohol solvent, and then extracted with water and n-butanol in two phases to remove impurities. The n-butanol phase is evaporated to dryness and then refluxed with ether to obtain ether insoluble substance, which is silk orchid extract. At present, there are two main forms of products on the market: liquid and solid powder. Among them, the liquid silk orchid extract is a pressed and concentrated silk orchid juice, without any carrier; Solid powders are also divided into two types. Currently, most of them are made by spraying the pressed juice of silk orchids onto the carrier and then drying it, while the other type is to directly grind silk orchids into powder products without the carrier and containing all the active ingredients of silk orchids.

Application

1. Application of yucca extract in live pigs

The volatilization of ammonia not only leads to the waste of nitrogen sources, but also causes serious pollution to pig farms and the surrounding environment. If the impact of ammonia on the environment cannot be well controlled, it will become one of the constraints for the sustainable and efficient development of the pig industry. Silk orchid extract can effectively reduce the ammonia content in the intestine, reduce the damage of ammonia to intestinal mucosal cells and the renewal of intestinal mucosal cells, and reduce the formation of stillbirth or weak fetuses due to hypoxia in fetuses.

2. Application of yucca extract in poultry

Silk orchid extract is widely used as a deodorant in broiler farming. Numerous studies have shown that silk orchid extract can significantly reduce the content of harmful gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide in chicken coops. At present, the application of silk orchid extract is no longer limited to its deodorization function. Silk orchid extract can also promote the growth of broilers, improve energy and protein metabolism rate. Dantixin mixed the traditional Chinese medicine Yulan into 1g/mL and mixed 167mL of it with 800L of drinking water daily for chickens to drink. After 2 weeks, the elimination rate of ammonia gas in the house reached 59.24%. In the late laying period of laying hens, the laying period was extended and the rate of decline in egg production was slowed down.

3. Application of yucca extract in ruminants

Silk orchid extract is widely used as a rumen nutrition regulator abroad. Numerous studies at home and abroad have shown that silk orchid extract can improve rumen anaerobic microbial fermentation, inhibit urease activity, and reduce the density of protozoa in the rumen.

4. Application in aquaculture

Silk orchid extract can reduce the mass concentration of ammonia in water, improve water quality, and promote aquaculture.

Application Prospect 

With the rapid development of animal husbandry in China, the environmental pollution caused by intensive aquaculture has attracted widespread attention. The Ministry of Agriculture has also issued a series of regulations on the prevention and control of aquaculture pollution. As a natural green plant additive, silk orchid extract can not only serve as a deodorant, reduce harmful gas emissions from livestock houses, improve the breeding environment, but also promote animal growth and development, improve immune function, reduce disease incidence, improve animal product quality. It also does not contain any toxic ingredients, is non-toxic, has no adverse reactions, is pollution-free, and has no residue, and has broad development prospects in animal production.