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• Ginger Rhizome Homogenization in the Bullet Blender

Ginger Rhizome Homogenization in the Bullet Blender

Instrument: Bullet Blender or Bullet Blender Blue

Sample: Ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome

Protocol:

1. Cut ginger into long, thin slices of 200 mg or less and place each slice into a microcentrifuge tube.
2. Add a volume of 0.9 - 2.0 mm stainless steel bead blend equal to the mass of tissue.  A useful guideline is: 100 mg ≅ 100 μl.
3. Securely close the microcentrifuge tubes closed and place them into the Bullet Blender®.  (Do NOT add buffer yet; you need to grind the ginger rhizome first.)
4. Run the Bullet Blender at speed 8 for 4 minutes.
5. Remove the samples from the Bullet Blender.  The ginger should be coarsely pulverized.  If not, run for another three minutes at speed 10.
6. Add 2 volumes of buffer to the tubes per mass of sample.
7. Securely close the microcentrifuge tubes closed and return them to the Bullet Blender®.
8. Run the Bullet Blender at speed 8 for 3 minutes.
9. Set the Bullet Blender to a speed of 8 and a run time of 3 minutes. Press start.
10. After the run, remove the tubes from the instrument.
11. Visually inspect samples, if homogenization is unsatisfactory, run for another 3 minutes at speed 10.

Results: