Bioconversion of industrial cellulosic pulp materials to protein-enriched product

• US 4,447,530 A
• Filed: 11/30/1982
• Issued: 05/08/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: University of A University Corporation of Ontario
• Original Assignee: University of A University Corporation of Ontario
• Inventors: Young, Murray M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Penland, R. B.
• Application Number:
  US06/445,487
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 426/49, 426/52, 426/53, 426/55-56, 426/623, 426/630, 426/636, 426/807, 435/251, 435/911, 435/252-254, 435/68, 435/804, 435/822
• US Class Current: 435/71.1
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/12 by fermentation of natural products, e.g. of vegetable material, animal waste material or biomass
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/22 Processes using, or culture media containing, cellulose or hydrolysates thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 426/807 Poultry or ruminant feed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/911 using fungi

Abstract

An industrial cellulosic pulp material, such as wood pulp and paper stock, pulp sludges resulting from the manufacture of paper, coffee and sugar and starch-rich cellulosic materials, such as, bananas and root crops, is converted into a protein-enriched producing having significant amounts of microbial biomass in the form of the fungus, Chaetomium cellulolyticum.

Claims

1. A process for the formation of proteinaceous material, which consists of:

(a) aerobically fermenting a sterile mixture of a cellulose-starchy material in divided form selected from the group consisting of banana, potato, yam and cassava and a solution of non-carbon nutrient supplement in a culture of the fungus, Chaetomium cellulolyticum, at a pH of about 5 to about 7 and at a temperature of about 30°

to about 45°

C. for a time sufficient to grow the fungus and provide a solid mass consisting of about 20 to about 80% DM of the fungus and the balance of unfermented cellulose-starchy material, and

(b) separating the resulting solid mass from the fermentation medium.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said non-carbon fermentation nutrient chemical solution is a synthetic mixture of nutrient element-containing chemicals.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said non-carbon fermentation nutrient chemical solution is formed by anaerobically digesting animal manure.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein said animal manure is swine manure.