Production of galacto-oligosaccharides

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10590448-B2
Application number	US-201414915683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2014
Priority date	Sep 5, 2013
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to the enzymatic preparation of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS). Provided is a method for preparing GOS from lactose, comprising (i) contacting a lactose feed with immobilized beta-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23) and (ii) allowing for GOS synthesis, wherein said lactose feed is an aqueous slurry of crystalline lactose.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for preparing galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) from lactose, comprising
(i) dissolving lactose crystals in an aqueous phase at room temperature to provide an aqueous slurry of crystallized lactose that contains at least 53% (w/w) lactose,
(ii) heating said aqueous slurry of crystallized lactose from room temperature to a desired reaction temperature of between 20° C.-60° C.;
(iii) contacting said heated aqueous slurry of crystallized lactose with Bacillus circulans beta-galactosidase immobilized on a porous carrier; and
(iv) allowing for GOS synthesis, thereby preparing GOS from lactose.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said lactose is food grade or pharmaceutical grade lactose.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pH of the aqueous slurry of crystallized lactose is pH 6.0-7.5.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein GOS synthesis is performed at a temperature of between 40° C. and 60° C.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein GOS synthesis is performed for at least 6 hours.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said immobilized beta-galactosidase is used in an amount of up to 30 LU/gram initial lactose.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said beta-galactosidase is immobilized on the porous carrier via covalent binding, via a charge-charge interaction or via gel encapsulation.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the porous carrier is an activated acrylic polymer carrier selected from the group consisting of a functionalized polymethacrylate matrix, a hexamethylenamino-functionalized polymethacrylate matrix or a macroporous acrylic epoxy-activated resin.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, following a first cycle of GOS synthesis, the steps of:
(a) washing the immobilized beta-galactosidase with water and/or buffer,
(b) optionally storage of the washed immobilized beta-galactosidase until further use; and
(c) at least one or more subsequent cycles of GOS synthesis using the washed immobilized beta-galactosidase of step (a) such that the immobilized enzyme is recycled.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the one or more subsequent cycles of GOS synthesis is at least 5 cycles of GOS synthesis.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous slurry of crystallized lactose contains at least 55% (w/w) lactose.

12. The method according to claim 5 , wherein GOS synthesis is performed for 12-36 hours.

13. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said immobilized beta-galactosidase is used in an amount of up to 25 LU/gram initial lactose.

14. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said immobilized beta-galactosidase is used in an amount of between 10 and 20 LU/gram initial lactose.

Assignees

• Frieslandcampina Nederland Bv
• Friesland Campina Nederland B V

Inventors

• Benjamins Frédéric
• Cao Linqiu
• Broekhuis Antonius Augustinus

Classifications

• C12P19/04 Primary

  Polysaccharides, i.e. compounds containing more than five saccharide radicals attached to each other by glycosidic bonds · CPC title

• C07H1/00

  Processes for the preparation of sugar derivatives · CPC title

• C12N1/08

  Reducing the nucleic acid content · CPC title

• C12P19/14 Primary

  produced by the action of a carbohydrase {(EC 3.2.x)}, e.g. by alpha-amylase {, e.g. by cellulase, hemicellulase} · CPC title

• C12Y302/01023

  Beta-galactosidase (3.2.1.23), i.e. exo-(1-->4)-beta-D-galactanase · CPC title