Galactooligosaccharide Purification via Kluyveromyces lactis Fermentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing galactooligosaccharides (GOS) are inefficient in removing lactose and other sugars, leading to impure products that are costly and complex to manufacture, especially in industrial scales.
Innovation Solution
A fermentation process using the Kluyveromyces lactis ATCC 8585 strain to purify GOS, achieving a composition with at least 99% galactooligosaccharides and less than 1% monosaccharides and disaccharides, simplifying the production process and enabling large-scale production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If chromatography or membrane filtration methods are used to remove monosaccharides and disaccharides from crude GOS products, then purity of GOS composition is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes monosaccharides and disaccharides from crude GOS products using sequential enzymatic treatments. First, glucose oxidase specifically removes glucose, then beta-galactosidase removes lactose, achieving high purity GOS composition without requiring complex chromatography or membrane filtration systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces enzymatic intermediaries (glucose oxidase and beta-galactosidase) to mediate the removal of unwanted sugars. These enzymes act as biological mediators that selectively convert glucose and lactose into removable products, simplifying the purification process compared to direct physical separation methods.
2Manufacturing precision
If enzymatic oxidation method is used to remove monosaccharides and disaccharides, then purity of GOS composition is improved, but manufacturing cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable enzymatic catalysts (glucose oxidase and beta-galactosidase) that are used in relatively small amounts and can be easily removed after use. These enzymes provide selective sugar removal at lower cost compared to continuous enzymatic oxidation systems, achieving high purity without significant cost increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from continuous enzymatic oxidation to sequential enzymatic treatment with specific enzyme additions. By controlling the timing and type of enzyme addition, the process achieves effective sugar removal at lower operational costs while maintaining high GOS purity.
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple strains of bacteria or fungi are used for microbial fermentation to remove monosaccharides and disaccharides, then purity of GOS composition is improved, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of multiple microbial strains into a single enzymatic treatment sequence. By using glucose oxidase followed by beta-galactosidase in succession, the process achieves the same sugar removal effect as multiple fermentation strains would provide, but with simpler process control and fewer biological variables to manage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex microbial fermentation systems with a simplified enzymatic treatment system. Instead of managing multiple living strains with their own growth requirements and interactions, the process uses stable enzyme preparations that can be added directly to the crude GOS product for targeted sugar removal.
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 high-purity GOS composition effectively reduces blood glucose levels in diabetes patients and improves gut microbiota, making it suitable for various applications in food, health supplements, and pharmaceuticals.
Implementation Method 1
adding a Kluyveromyces lactis strain to the reaction solution to carry out a fermentation process to obtain the high-purity galactooligosaccharide composition
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a method of preparing a high-purity galactooligosaccharide composition by fermentation of a low-purity galactooligosaccharide mixture with a yeast strain, Kluyveromyces lactis ATCC 8585. The high-purity galactooligosaccharide composition includes at least 99% of galactooligosaccharides selected from the group consisting of galactotriose, galactotetrose, galactooligosaccharides with five or more sugar units, and combinations thereof and lower than 1% of monosaccharides and disaccharides. Also provided is a high-purity galactooligosaccharide composition and applications thereof in regulating blood glucose level and improving gut microbiota. For example, the high-purity galactooligosaccharide composition may be used to manufacture food products, beverages, health food products, nutritional supplements, and pharmaceutical compositions for patients or pets afflicted with diabetes mellitus or lactose intolerance.