Corn Protein Hydrolysate Composition for Solubility Without Bitterness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Corn protein has poor solubility, limiting its application in food and beverage products, and there is a need for a soluble corn protein hydrolysate with improved solubility and low bitterness for various food and beverage applications.
Innovation Solution
A method of preparing corn protein hydrolysate by controlling the degree of hydrolysis and solubility, using specific enzymes and conditions to achieve a corn protein concentration of at least 75 wt% and solubility of 7% to 37% at pH 7.0, 3.4, or 5, with a degree of hydrolysis from 1% to 17%, resulting in a corn protein hydrolysate with enhanced solubility and low bitterness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If corn protein is used as a food ingredient, then it provides protein content and is allergen-free, but it has poor solubility which limits its applications
Solution Approach 1:
The corn protein is segmented into smaller peptide units through controlled enzymatic hydrolysis. This breakdown of large protein molecules into smaller fragments increases the solubility of the material while maintaining its protein content and functional properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The degree of hydrolysis is precisely controlled within the range of 1% to 17% to optimize solubility. By adjusting this critical parameter, the invention achieves improved solubility across a wide pH range (pH 3.4, 5, and 7.0) while maintaining high protein concentration of at least 75 wt%.
2Adaptability or versatility
If enzymes are applied to modify plant proteins, then functional properties can be improved, but different enzymes display different ranges and intensities of specificity leading to very different outcomes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention establishes precise parameter ranges including degree of hydrolysis (1% to 17%), pH levels (3.4, 5, and 7.0), and temperature conditions to ensure consistent and reproducible outcomes. These controlled parameters eliminate variability associated with different enzyme specificities.
Solution Approach 2:
The degree of hydrolysis is monitored and controlled as a feedback parameter to ensure the corn protein hydrolysate achieves the desired solubility and functional properties. This controlled approach ensures batch-to-batch consistency regardless of enzyme variations.
3Ease of operation
If the degree of hydrolysis is increased to improve solubility, then solubility improves, but bitterness flavor may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the degree of hydrolysis within the specific range of 1% to 17%, which is sufficient to improve solubility but controlled to avoid excessive hydrolysis that would generate bitter-tasting small peptides and free amino acids.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies partial hydrolysis rather than complete hydrolysis. This moderate level of hydrolysis (1% to 17%) provides enough structural modification to improve solubility while preserving larger peptide structures that do not contribute to bitterness.
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 resulting corn protein hydrolysate exhibits excellent flavor characteristics and improved solubility across a wide pH range, facilitating its use in food, beverages, and feed products without introducing objectionable flavors, and providing enhanced protein content and texture.
Implementation Method 1
Different enzymes display different ranges and intensities of specificity
Implementation Method 2
controlling the degree of hydrolysis of the protein
Data Source
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AI summary
A composition and method of preparing a corn protein hydrolysate includes obtaining a corn protein composition having a corn protein concentration of at least about 75 wt%, adding an enzyme to a corn protein suspension containing the corn protein composition at a ratio of from about 1:100 to about 1:20 by weight of enzyme to corn protein, controlling the pH and temperature of the corn protein suspension to hydrolyze the corn protein, and terminating the hydrolysis of the corn protein to provide a corn protein hydrolysate that has solubility of from about 7% to about 37% at a pH selected from the group consisting of pH 7.0, pH 3.4, pH 5, and all of pH 7.0, pH 5, and pH 3.4. The corn protein hydrolysate can be used in a variety of food, feed, beverage, and other applications.