Microbial-based process for high-quality protein concentrate

• US 9,370,200 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2012
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prairie Aqua Tech, South Dakota Innovation Partners, LLC
• Original Assignee: Prairie Aquatech
• Inventors: Gibbons, William R, Brown, Michael L
• Primary Examiner(s): Badr, Hamid R
• Application Number:
  US13/691,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20130142905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,297 Days
• Field of Search: 426/52, 426/656
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23J 1/125 by treatment involving enzymes or microorganisms enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins A23J3/34
• CPC Class Codes: A23J 1/14 from leguminous or other vegetable seeds; from press-cake or oil-bearing seeds
• CPC Class Codes: A23J 1/148 by treatment involving enzymes or microorganisms enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins A23J3/34
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/14 Pretreatment of feeding-stuffs with enzymes
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/38 from distillers' or brewers' waste
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/147 Polymeric derivatives, e.g. peptides or proteins
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 40/20 by moulding, e.g. making cakes or briquettes
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 40/25 by extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 50/80 for aquatic animals, e.g. fish, crustaceans or molluscs
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/818 Alternative feeds for fish, e.g. in aquacultures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/87 Re-use of by-products of food processing for fodder production

Abstract

The present invention describes a bio-based process to produce high quality protein concentrate (HQPC) by converting plant derived celluloses into bioavailable protein via aerobic incubation, including the use of such HQPC so produced as a nutrient, including use as a fish meal replacement in aquaculture diets.

Claims

1. A method of producing a soy protein concentrate comprising:

a. optionally, extruding plant material at above room temperature to form a mash and transferring the mash to a biorector;

b. adding one or more cellulose-degrading enzymes to release sugars into the mash in the bioreactor;

c. inoculating the enzyme treated or untreated mash with at least one microbe, which microbe converts released sugars into proteins and exopolysaccharides;

d. precipitating the resulting proteins, microbes, and exopolysaccharides with ethanol, a flocculent, or a combination thereof;

e. recovering the precipitated material via hydrodynamic force; and

f. drying said precipitated material, wherein said soy protein concentrate comprises proteins, microbes, and exopolysaccharides.

2. A composition comprising the concentrate produced by the method of claim 1.

3. The composition of claim 2, wherein the microbes are Aureobasidium pullulans selected from the group consisting of NRRL No. 50792, NRRL No. 50793, NRRL No. 50794, and NRRL No. 50795, and combinations thereof.