PROTEIN CONSENTRATE FROM STARCH CONTAINING GRAINS: COMPOSITION, METHOD OF MAKING, AND USES THEREOF

• US 20090259018A1
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Montana Microbial Products LLC, United States Department Of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: Montana Microbial Products LLC, United States Department Of Agriculture, Regents of The University of Idaho (University of Idaho)
• Inventors: Wasicek, Brian D., Hardy, Ronald W., Kearns, Robert D., Bradley, Clifford A., Barrows, Frederic T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,481,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 530/300
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 21/00 Preparation of peptides or proteins single cell protein C12N1/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 21/06 produced by the hydrolysis of a peptide bond, e.g. hydrolysate products preparing foodstuffs by protein hydrolysis A23J3/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/818 Alternative feeds for fish, e.g. in aquacultures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods of producing a protein concentrate from a starch containing grain and uses thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the protein concentrate produced is used to prepare an aquaculture feed.

Claims

1. A process for producing a protein concentrate from a starch containing grain or oil seed, the method comprising:

(i) grinding the starch containing grain to produce a ground starch containing grain;

(ii) slurrying the ground starch containing grain with water to prepare a slurry comprising starch and glucans;

(iii) solublizing starch and glucans comprising the slurry with enzymes to provide a solublized slurry;

(iv) adding a fermentation organism to the solublized slurry;

(v) fermenting the solublized slurry comprising the fermentation organism until fermentation is complete, thereby producing a fermented slurry;

(vi) separating the fermented slurry into solid and liquid fractions;

(vii) recovering the solid and liquid fractions;

(viii) drying the recovered solid fraction at a temperature below that which would denature or damage proteins;

thereby producing a protein concentrate.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein solublizing starch and glucans with enzymes produces glucose.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the process is a no-cook process.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the process is a cooking process.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(ix) distilling the recovered liquid fraction to recover a fermentation product.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the fermentation product is ethanol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the starch containing grain is a member selected from the group consisting of barley, wheat, oats, corn, rye, tritcale, sorghum, soybeans, and soymea, flax, camelina, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the starch containing grain is barley.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the barley is from a hulless barley variety.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the barley is dehulled prior to step (i).

11. A protein concentrate made according to the method of claim 1.

12. The protein concentrate of claim 11, wherein the protein concentrate comprises protein in an amount that is in a range that is between about 30% protein to about 70% protein on a dry basis.

13. An aquaculture feed comprising the protein concentrate of claim 12.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to step viii:

(a) culturing an appropriate microbe to provide a cell mass in a culture medium comprising the liquid fraction recovered in step vii, and

(b) recovering the cell mass with the grain solids, thereby providing a protein concentrate having increased protein concentration.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the appropriate microbes is a member selected from the group consisting of Rhizopus oryzae and Rhizopus microsporus.

16. A protein concentrate made according to the method of claim 14.

17. A method for producing a protein concentrate with an increased protein concentration from a starch containing grain, the method comprising:

(i) grinding the starch containing grain to produce a ground starch containing grain;

(ii) slurrying the ground starch containing grain with water;

(iii) solublizing starch and glucans with enzymes;

(iv) adding an appropriate microbe selected for cell mass production to the slurry;

(v) fermenting the slurry comprising the appropriate microbe until fermentation is complete, thereby producing a slurry in which soluble sugars have been converted to cell mass;

(vi) separating the slurry in which soluble sugars have been converted to cell mass into solid and liquid fractions;

(vii) recovering the solid and liquid fractions;

(viii) recovering the cell mass with the solid fraction, and drying the recovered solid fraction at a temperature below that which would denature or damage proteins;

thereby producing a protein concentrate with an increased protein concentration.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the appropriate microbe is a member selected from the group consisting of Rhizopus oryzae and Rhizopus microsporus.

19. A protein concentrate made according to the method of claim 17.