A novel membrane-based integrated process for baicalin recovery from TCM Pudilan wastewater

This study aimed to investigate the potential of membrane integration technology for the recovery of baicalin from Pudilan (PDL) industry wastewater. The impact of different membranes on permeate flux and separation efficiency was analyzed, with fouling mechanisms identified using both resistance-in-series and Hermia models. Results indicate that the CA50k and PES5k combination was suitable for the process. The retentate obtained from the UF membranes contained a significant amount of baicalin, which was subsequently recovered and purified using a straightforward acid precipitation method. The structure of the purified baicalin was identified using 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectra, achieving a maximum recovery rate of 26.15 % with a purity of 93.24 %. The findings of this study have significant implications for the resource utilization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pharmaceutical wastewater.