Method for Producing Articles of Plant Origin Impregnated With a Liquid Plant Substance

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing articles impregnated with at least one plant substance from at least one plant, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) Extraction and/or pressing of at least one plant (V 1 ), or at least one part of said plant, producing a liquid plant extract (E 1 ) and a solid fibrous residue (R 1 ), then b) Separation of said plant extract (E 1 ) from said fibrous residue (R 1 ), and c) Destructuring of said fibrous residue (R 1 ), d) Production of a fibrous web or of an article made from the fibrous residue (R 1 ) obtained in step c), and e) Impregnation of said fibrous residue (R 1 ) with (i) at least said plant extract (E 1 ), which is optionally concentrated, purified, flavored and/or fragranced, with (ii) at least one water-soluble or liposoluble plant substance isolated from said plant extract (E 1 ), with (iii) at least one composition comprising at least one optionally concentrated, purified, flavored and/or fragranced water-soluble or liposoluble substance of said plant extract (E 1 ), or with (iv) at least one plant extract (E 2 ) or at least one composition comprising at least one optionally concentrated, purified, flavored and/or fragranced water-soluble or liposoluble substance of said plant extract (E 2 ), resulting from an extraction or pressing of a plant (V 2 ) different from said plant (V 1 ).

1 . A method for producing articles impregnated with at least one plant substance from at least one plant comprising:
 a) Extraction and/or pressing of at least one plant (V 1 ), or at least one part of said plant, thereby producing a liquid plant extract (E 1 ) and a solid fibrous residue (RI), then   b) Separation of said plant extract (E 1 ) from said fibrous residue (R 1 ), and   c) Destructuring of said fibrous residue (R 1 ),   d) Production of a fibrous web or of an article made from the fibrous residue (R 1 ) obtained in step c), and   e) Impregnation of said fibrous residue (R 1 ) with (i) at least said plant extract (E 1 ), which is optionally concentrated, purified, flavored and/or fragranced, with (ii) at least one water-soluble or liposoluble plant substance isolated from said plant extract (E 1 ), with (iii) at least one composition comprising at least one optionally concentrated, purified, flavored and/or fragranced water-soluble or liposoluble substance of said plant extract (E 1 ), or with (iv) at least one plant extract (E 2 ) or at least one composition comprising at least one optionally concentrated, purified, flavored and/or fragranced water-soluble or liposoluble substance of said plant extract (E 2 ), resulting from an extraction or pressing of a plant (V 2 ) different from said plant (VI).   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein steps c), d) and e) may occur in the following order:
 step c) precedes step d), which in turn precedes step e), or   step c) precedes step e), which precedes step d).   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plant is chosen from among food plants, medicinal plants, aromatic plants and fragranced plants; or wherein   the plant is chosen from among plants containing at least one substance chosen from among antioxidants, sweetening agents, perfumes, flavors, carotenoids, xanthophylls, dyes, flavonoids, tannins, polyphenols, peptides, vitamins, proteins, and pharmaceutical active ingredients, and/or wherein   the plant is chosen from among rosemary, sage, thyme, mint, oregano, turmeric, basil, cloves,  stevia , garlic, tea, coffee, willow,  ginseng, ginkgo , red vine, green tea and  artemisia.      
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the pharmaceutical active ingredient is chosen from among salicin from willow bark, gingkolides from  ginkgo biloba  leaves, hyperforin from St. John's wort blossom, artemisinin from the leaves and stems of  artemisia annua , curcumin from  curcuma longa  roots, genistein and daidzein from soya seeds, gingsenoides from  ginseng  roots, anthocyanosides and tannins from red vine leaves and stevioside from  stevia rebaudiana  leaves. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the extraction and/or pressing step a) is done on at least one plant part, fresh, frozen or dry, chosen from among the roots, bark, seeds, stem, leaves, flowers and fruits. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the extraction is an extraction chosen from among supercritical CO 2  extraction, solid-liquid extraction using a solvent and subcritical extraction, optionally coupled with or assuming the form of an extraction assisted by ultrasound or microwave. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the solvent is chosen from among water, ethanol and hexane, and/or wherein the solvent/plant weight ratio is from 1 to 10. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein by using a solvent with which the plant or at least part of the plant, optionally cut and/or ground beforehand, is put in contact, then separating the obtained liquid phase from the solid phase consisting of the plant by filtration with or without pressure or by centrifugation. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the solid-liquid extraction is done by hydrodistilling the plant or at least part of the plant, optionally cut and/or ground, with water as the solvent, then separating the resulting organic and aqueous phases. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the destructuring step may be done using a mechanical, chemical and/or biological method. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the destructuring step occurs through mechanical shearing and friction of the fibrous residue between a rotor and a stator, optionally accompanied by ultrasounds. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein food fibers, advantageously fibers chosen from among cereal straw, bagasse, cotton, pine and  eucalyptus  fibers, are added to the fibrous residue (R 1 ). 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous residue (R 1 ) is (i) sown by yeasts, advantageously by yeasts chosen from the  Saccharomyces  genus or is (ii) sown by enzymes, advantageously enzymes chosen from among enzymes with pectinase, cellulase, amylase activities and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the step for producing an article is done by extrusion. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , the article is in the form of sheets, rods, pellets, fibers, solid or hollow, or chips. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein during the impregnation step e) of the fibrous residue, the latter is also impregnated with (i) at least one dye, advantageously at least one water-soluble natural dye chosen from among caramel, beet red, anthocyanins and copper-chlorophyllin and/or with (ii) at least one water-soluble food fiber of plant or animal origin chosen from among carrageenans, alginates, pectins, starches and xanthans, caseins and gelatins, advantageously a water-soluble food fiber of plant origin. 
     
     
         17 . An article of plant origin comprising a compact, homogenous solid structure of plant fibers, said structure being impregnated with at least one plant extract, which is optionally concentrated, purified, flavored, colored and/or fragranced, (ii) at least one water-soluble or liposoluble plant substance isolated from a plant extract, or (iii) at least one composition comprising at least one water-soluble or liposoluble substance of a plant extract that may optionally be concentrated, purified, flavored, colored and/or fragranced. 
     
     
         18 . The article according to  claim 17 , wherein the extract of plant origin is chosen from among the extracts of roots, bark, seeds, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits or mixtures thereof and/or wherein:
 the plant is chosen from among food plants, medicinal plants, aromatic plants and fragranced plants; or wherein   the plant is chosen from among plants containing at least one substance chosen from among antioxidants, sweetening agents, perfumes, flavors, carotenoids, xanthophylls, dyes, flavonoids, tannins, polyphenols,   peptides, vitamins, proteins, and pharmaceutical active ingredients, and/or wherein   the plant is chosen from among rosemary, sage, thyme, mint, oregano, turmeric, basil, cloves,  stevia , garlic, tea, coffee, willow,  ginseng, ginkgo , red vine, green tea and  artemisia.      
     
     
         19 . The article according to  claim 17 , impregnated by at least one dye, advantageously a water-soluble natural dye chosen from among caramel, beet red, anthocyanins and copper-chlorophyllin and/or by (ii) at least one water-soluble food fiber of plant or animal origin chosen from among carrageenans, alginates, pectins, starches and xanthans, caseins and gelatins, advantageously a water-soluble food fiber of plant origin. 
     
     
         20 . A use of the articles according to  claim 17 , in the agri-food sector, phytotherapy, cosmetics, pharmacy, herbal uses, nutraceutical products and herbal tea-making. 
     
     
         21 . The use according to  claim 20  to produce a powder intended to be incorporated into pharmaceutical compositions, cosmetic compositions, food compositions, and/or dietary compositions.