{
    "title": "Method for extracting sulforaphane from broccoli",
    "inventor_name": "QIU YINGYING; MENG HAOYING",
    "publication_year": null,
    "device_name": "Sulforaphane Extraction and Purification Process",
    "goal": "Obtain high-yield, high-purity sulforaphane for use in food, feed, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.",
    "problem_addressed": "Conventional sulforaphane extraction is time-consuming, low-yield and often yields purity below 95 %.",
    "concept_summary": "The patented process combines genetic engineering of E. coli to produce a glucosinolate-hydrolyzing enzyme, ultrasonic extraction of broccoli, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation, and downstream purification steps including CO_2 supercritical extraction, distillation and freeze-drying to deliver sulforaphane with >95 % purity.",
    "detailed_description": null,
    "principles": [
        "Genetic engineering of microorganisms",
        "Enzymatic hydrolysis of glucosinolates",
        "Ultrasonic cavitation for cell disruption",
        "Fermentation bioprocess",
        "Supercritical CO_2 extraction",
        "High-voltage pulsed electric field treatment",
        "Membrane filtration and centrifugation"
    ],
    "scientific_domains": [
        "Chemical Engineering",
        "Biotechnology",
        "Food Science",
        "Pharmaceutical Sciences"
    ],
    "mechanisms_of_action": [
        "E. coli expresses glucosinolate-hydrolyzing enzyme converting glucoraphanin to sulforaphane",
        "Ultrasonic waves break plant cell walls, releasing intracellular compounds",
        "Fermentation converts glucosinolate-glycoside intermediates into sulforaphane",
        "Supercritical CO_2 extracts sulforaphane from aqueous/organic phases",
        "Pulsed electric fields increase membrane permeability, enhancing sulforaphane release"
    ],
    "materials": [
        "Broccoli (fresh or sprout)",
        "Escherichia coli (engineered strain)",
        "Sodium hydroxide",
        "Hexane",
        "Acetone",
        "Ethanol",
        "Starch",
        "Sucrose",
        "Microcrystalline cellulose",
        "Supercritical CO_2",
        "Water",
        "Acid (pH adjusting agent)"
    ],
    "energy_sources": [
        "Electrical energy for ultrasonic and pulsed-electric-field devices",
        "Thermal energy for distillation and freeze-drying"
    ],
    "inputs": [
        "Broccoli biomass",
        "Engineered E. coli culture",
        "Water",
        "pH-adjusting chemicals",
        "Solvents (hexane, acetone, ethanol)",
        "Ultrasonic power"
    ],
    "outputs": [
        "Sulforaphane (purity >95 %)",
        "Oily sulforaphane concentrate",
        "Fermentation broth",
        "Spent oil, protein and mineral waste streams"
    ],
    "claimed_performance": "Purity over 95 %, production time shortened by 6-8 hours compared with conventional methods, high overall yield.",
    "experimental_evidence": "The patent description states high yield and >95 % purity but provides no quantitative experimental data or independent validation.",
    "replication_status": "No explicit replication or commercial scaling statements are present in the text.",
    "keywords": [
        "Sulforaphane",
        "Broccoli",
        "Extraction",
        "Purification",
        "Supercritical CO_2",
        "Ultrasonic extraction",
        "Pulsed electric field",
        "Fermentation",
        "Biotechnology"
    ],
    "related_technologies": [
        "Supercritical fluid extraction",
        "Pulsed electric field processing",
        "Enzyme-mediated bioconversion"
    ],
    "controversy_level": "low",
    "confidence_score": 0.9,
    "practicability_score": 0.8,
    "fringe_score": 0.1,
    "evidence_strength": 0.3,
    "risk_score": 0.2,
    "trl_estimate": 6,
    "source_urls": [],
    "organizations": [
        "RexResearch"
    ],
    "applications": [
        "Nutritional supplements",
        "Cosmetic formulations",
        "Pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory/anticancer agents",
        "Functional food ingredients"
    ],
    "limitations": [
        "Scale-up of solvent-intensive steps (hexane, acetone) may raise safety and environmental concerns",
        "Genetically engineered microbes require regulatory approval for food-grade products",
        "Energy demand for ultrasonic and high-voltage pulsed systems"
    ],
    "open_questions": [
        "Exact quantitative yield and cost per kilogram of sulforaphane",
        "Long-term stability of the purified product",
        "Regulatory pathway for food-grade fermented sulforaphane"
    ],
    "red_flags": [],
    "evidence_quotes": [
        "The prepared sulforaphane has high yield and high purity, and can be applied to large-scale production, compared with the conventional method, the production time is shortened by 6-8 hours, and the purity is over 95 percent.",
        "The method has the advantages of simple technology, low cost, good selectivity and the like, overcomes the preparation scale restriction of small batch and laboratories, and is in favor of the industrial production of sulforaphane."
    ],
    "category": "Chemistry & Chemical Processes"
}