Method and Apparatus for Controlled Hydrolysis

• US 20170275662A1
• Filed: 03/22/2016
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company (PepsiCo Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company (PepsiCo Incorporated)
• Inventors: Carder, Gary, Chung, Yongsoo, Mehta, Prashant, Twombly, Wesley
• Application Number:
  US15/077,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20170275662A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/18 Apparatus specially designed for the use of free, immobilized or carrier-bound enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 45/09 by enzymatic treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 9/99 Enzyme inactivation by chemical treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/02 Monosaccharides 2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/14 produced by the action of a carbohydrase (EC 3.2.x), e.g. by alpha-amylase , e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlled hydrolysis. The method can comprise hydrolyzing a first reagent in a first hydrolysis reaction and deactivating a first enzyme catalyzing the first hydrolysis reaction. The deactivating step can occur in about 10 seconds or less; the deactivating step can comprise adding a deactivating fluid to a composition comprising the first enzyme and heating the first enzyme using a deactivating mechanism. In other aspects, hydrolyzing the first reagent and deactivating the first enzyme can occur in a conduit, and the first hydrolysis reaction can occur in a composition that is at least 50% water by weight. The apparatus can provide a hydrolysis reactor comprising: a conduit; a composition inlet in the conduit for a composition; a first enzyme inlet in the conduit downstream of the composition inlet; and a first deactivating mechanism downstream of the first enzyme inlet to deactivate the first enzyme.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

hydrolyzing a first reagent in a first hydrolysis reaction; and

deactivating a first enzyme catalyzing the first hydrolysis reaction;

wherein the deactivating step lasts no more than about 10 seconds.

2. The method of claim 1:

wherein the first reagent is selected from the group consisting of starch molecules, fiber molecules, and protein molecules.

3. The method of claim 1:

wherein the first hydrolysis reaction is a first enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis reaction selected from the group consisting of a starch-hydrolysis reaction, a fiber-hydrolysis reaction, and a protein-hydrolysis reaction.

4. The method of claim 1:

wherein the first hydrolysis reaction is part of a continuous hydrolysis process;

wherein the first enzyme and a composition comprising the first reagent are fed to a first hydrolysis reaction zone;

wherein the first enzyme is deactivated in a first deactivation zone; and

wherein the first deactivation zone begins downstream of where the first hydrolysis reaction zone begins.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

deactivating the first enzyme before more than about 10 wt. % of the first reagent has been converted to molecules selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides, and both monosaccharides and disaccharides;

wherein the first reagent is selected from the group consisting of fiber and starch.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

hydrolyzing a second reagent in a second hydrolysis reaction catalyzed by a second enzyme, wherein the second reagent is starch;

deactivating the second enzyme before more than about 10 wt. % of the second reagent has been converted to non-starch molecules;

wherein the first reagent is selected from the group consisting of fiber and protein.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

activating the first enzyme by heating the first enzyme.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

activating a second enzyme; and

deactivating the second enzyme.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

wherein the first reagent is fiber; and

wherein a second reagent is starch.

10. The method of claim 1:

wherein whole grain comprises the first reagent; and

wherein, after hydrolyzing the first reagent, the whole grain has a mass ratio selected from the group consisting of;

a mass ratio of fiber to protein equal, within a tolerance of +/−

20%, to a mass ratio of fiber to protein of the whole grain before hydrolyzing the first reagent;

a mass ratio of fat to protein equal, within a tolerance of +/−

20%, to a mass ratio of fat to protein of the whole grain before hydrolyzing the first reagent;

a mass ratio of starch to protein equal, within a tolerance of +/−

20%, to a mass ratio of starch to protein of the whole grain before hydrolyzing the first reagent; and

any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1:

wherein a bran composition comprises the first reagent; and

wherein no more than about 10 wt. % of beta-glucan in the bran composition is hydrolyzed to non-beta-glucan molecules.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a composition to a conduit, wherein the composition comprises at least 50 wt. % water, wherein the composition comprises grain with whole grain status, wherein the grain comprises the first reagent, and wherein the first reagent is starch;

mixing the first enzyme with the composition in the conduit to catalyze the first hydrolysis reaction, wherein the first enzyme is α

-amylase; and

combining steam with the composition in the conduit to deactivate the first enzyme, thereby maintaining the whole grain status of the grain and thereby providing a product composition, wherein the product composition is food grade.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

hydrolyzing a second reagent in a second hydrolysis reaction;

deactivating a second enzyme catalyzing the second hydrolysis reaction;

hydrolyzing a third reagent in a third hydrolysis reaction; and

deactivating a third enzyme catalyzing the third hydrolysis reaction.

14. The method of claim 1:

wherein the first enzyme is an endo-cellulase; and

wherein the first enzyme provides about 30-200 International Units (IU) of enzyme activity per gram of fiber.

15. The method of claim 6:

wherein the second enzyme is α

-amylase; and

wherein the second enzyme provides about 600-3100 Modified Wohlgemuth Units (MWU) of enzyme activity per gram of starch.

16. The method of claim 6:

wherein whole grain comprises the second reagent; and

wherein, after hydrolyzing the second reagent, the whole grain has a mass ratio selected from the group consisting of;

a mass ratio of fiber to protein equal, within a tolerance of +/−

20%, to a mass ratio of fiber to protein of the whole grain before hydrolyzing the second reagent;

a mass ratio of fat to protein equal, within a tolerance of +/−

20%, to a mass ratio of fat to protein of the whole grain before hydrolyzing the second reagent;

a mass ratio of starch to protein equal, within a tolerance of +/−

20%, to a mass ratio of starch to protein of the whole grain before hydrolyzing the second reagent; and

any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 1:

wherein whole grain comprises the first reagent; and

wherein the whole grain maintains whole grain status after hydrolyzing the first reagent.

18. The method of claim 11:

wherein the bran composition is oat bran; and

wherein the bran composition comprises;

at least about 5.5 wt. % beta-glucan on a total dry weight basis;

at least about 16.0 wt. % dietary fiber on a total dry weight basis; and

wherein at least one-third of the total dietary fiber is soluble fiber.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the method provides a product composition;

and

wherein the product composition is a food grade product composition.

20. A hydrolysis reactor comprising:

a conduit;

a composition inlet in the conduit for a composition;

a first enzyme inlet in the conduit downstream of the composition inlet; and

a first deactivating mechanism downstream of the first enzyme inlet to deactivate the first enzyme.

21. The hydrolysis reactor of claim 20 further comprising:

a preconditioning fluid inlet in the conduit downstream of the composition inlet.

22. The hydrolysis reactor of claim 20 further comprising:

an intermediate heater along the conduit, downstream of the composition inlet, and upstream of the first deactivating mechanism.

23. The hydrolysis reactor of claim 20 further comprising:

an intermediate heating device along the conduit, downstream of the composition inlet, and upstream of the first deactivating mechanism.

24. The hydrolysis reactor of claim 20, wherein the hydrolysis reactor is located on a mobile skid.

25. The hydrolysis reactor of claim 20 further comprising:

a second enzyme inlet in the conduit downstream of the first enzyme inlet.

26. The hydrolysis reactor of claim 25 further comprising:

a second deactivating mechanism downstream of the second enzyme inlet to deactivate the second enzyme.

27. The hydrolysis reactor of claim 26 further comprising:

a third deactivating mechanism downstream of a third enzyme inlet to deactivate a third enzyme.