Fermented Foods with Human Carbohydrate Mimicking Microorganisms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fermentation methods for producing fermented foods lack diversity in microorganisms, which limits the production of health-promoting products and the ability to trigger specific immune responses against disease-associated carbohydrate structures.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating microorganisms with cell surface structures that correspond to human carbohydrate structures, such as those found in disease-specific antigens, into the fermentation process to enhance the health-promoting effects and immune response of fermented foods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional starter cultures are used for fermentation, then production efficiency and product homogeneity are improved, but the ability to trigger specific immune responses and provide health-promoting effects is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines conventional starter cultures with microorganisms displaying human carbohydrate antigens on their cell surfaces. This merging allows the fermented food to maintain production efficiency while simultaneously gaining the ability to trigger specific immune responses, as the added microorganisms serve dual purposes: they contribute to fermentation and provide immunogenic carbohydrate structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The microorganisms used in this invention possess multiple functions: they participate in the fermentation process like traditional starter cultures, and simultaneously serve as immunogenic agents by displaying human carbohydrate antigens on their cell surfaces. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making the fermentation system both productive and health-promoting.
2Reliability
If microorganisms with human carbohydrate structures are added to trigger immune responses, then health-promoting effects are improved, but process complexity and production steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The microorganisms used in this invention are self-sufficient as they naturally display human carbohydrate antigens on their cell surfaces without requiring additional processing or modification. They can be directly added to the fermentation process, eliminating the need for complex preparation steps and reducing overall process complexity while maintaining health-promoting effects.
3Adaptability or versatility
If diverse microorganisms are used for fermentation, then product versatility and health benefits are improved, but manufacturing precision and process control become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces microorganisms with specific local qualities - they display particular human carbohydrate antigens (such as Tn, sialyl-Tn, TF, or sialyl-TF) on their cell surfaces. This allows targeted immune response triggering while maintaining relatively simple process control, as the focus is on specific antigen types rather than complete microbial diversity.
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 use of microorganisms with cell surface structures mimicking human carbohydrate structures allows for the production of fermented foods that can trigger specific immune responses and provide health benefits, including potential cancer-specific immune defenses, while also serving as effective processing aids in fermentation.
Implementation Method 1
at least one microorganism is added having at least one cell surface structure which corresponds to a human carbohydrate structure... sufficiently immunogenic and have at least one cell surface structure which corresponds to a human carbohydrate structure... trigger a sufficient immune response
Implementation Method 2
a raw food material is combined with a starter culture for fermentation
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates in one embodiment to a method of producing a fermented food, wherein a raw food material is combined with a starter culture for fermentation, wherein at least one microorganism of the genus Bacteroides and/or at least one microorganism having at least a cell surface structure which corresponds to a human carbohydrate structure is added. Further disclosed are processing aids and fermented foods containing respective microorganisms.