Antimicrobial Lees via Enzymatic Mannose Exposure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for utilizing yeast cell wall products from fermentation by-products, such as lees, are inefficient in producing effective antimicrobial compositions due to the need for enzyme treatment and drying processes that compromise antimicrobial properties.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the addition of proteases and carbohydrases to lees, followed by drying, which exposes mannose residues and maintains antimicrobial activity, allowing for the production of a potent antimicrobial composition that can inhibit bacterial growth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If enzyme treatment and drying processes are applied to fermentation by-products to produce antimicrobial compositions, then the manufacturing process can be completed, but the antimicrobial properties are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling drying temperature and enzyme treatment conditions to preserve antimicrobial properties. Specifically, drying is performed at temperatures below 60°C to avoid degrading heat-sensitive antimicrobial compounds, while enzyme treatments are optimized in terms of type, concentration, and duration to expose mannose residues without destroying beneficial compounds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs preliminary action by pre-treating the fermentation by-products with specific enzymes (such as proteases and carbohydrases) before drying to expose mannose residues on yeast cell walls. This preliminary enzymatic treatment ensures that the antimicrobial activity is enhanced or preserved rather than compromised during subsequent processing.
2Reliability
If mannose residues are exposed through enzyme treatment, then antimicrobial activity is enhanced, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by using multiple sequential enzyme treatments rather than a single complex process. First, proteases are applied to remove protein layers, followed by carbohydrases to expose mannose residues. This segmented approach simplifies the overall process compared to using a single complex enzyme or chemical treatment method.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses enzymes as intermediary substances to achieve mannose residue exposure without direct chemical modification that would compromise antimicrobial properties. The enzymes act as mediators that selectively break down specific bonds to expose mannose while preserving other beneficial compounds.
3Ease of manufacture
If fermentation by-products are discarded as waste, then production costs are reduced, but valuable antimicrobial resources are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the discarding and recovering principle by taking fermentation by-products (lees, trub, stillage) that are conventionally discarded as waste and recovering valuable antimicrobial components from them. Through enzymatic treatment and controlled drying, the patent transforms these waste materials into potent antimicrobial preparations, thereby eliminating resource loss while maintaining low production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts what is traditionally considered a harmful or useless waste product into a beneficial antimicrobial resource. The fermentation by-products, which contain spent yeast cells with potential antimicrobial properties, are transformed through processing into effective prebiotic and antimicrobial preparations, turning a disposal problem into a value-added product opportunity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method results in a dried lees composition with robust antimicrobial activity, capable of agglutinating and inhibiting enteropathogenic bacteria, offering a prebiotic solution for animal health and human consumption.
Implementation Method 1
The one or more enzymes include a protease, a carbohydrase, or a combination of a protease and a carbohydrase
Implementation Method 2
adding one or more enzymes to a suspension of lees
Implementation Method 3
forming a dried lees by drying the lees
Implementation Method 4
the adherence of bacteria via their surface lectins to host intestinal cells
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are methods of making and using an antimicrobial composition, optionally including adding one or more enzymes to a suspension of lees, wherein the lees was formed by fermenting fruit with yeast and the one or more optional enzymes comprise a protease, a carbohydrase, or a combination of a protease and a carbohydrase; and forming a dried lees by drying the lees. In some examples the fruit includes chardonnay grapes, pinot noir grapes, cabernet franc grapes, or a combination of any two or more of chardonnay grapes, pinot noir grapes, and cabernet franc grapes; the yeast includes one or more Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains of yeast; and drying the lees by heating it. In some examples, trub made from fermenting a grain such as barley is used instead of lees. An antimicrobial composition made as provided may be administered to an animal to inhibit bacterial growth.