High-Acidity Vinegar Fermentation with Thiol Additives
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing high-acidity vinegar are inefficient due to decreased fermentative capacity of acetic acid bacteria as fermentation progresses, limiting the acidity and production efficiency of high-acidity vinegars.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating specific compounds with a thiol group or S-substituted derivatives, or compounds with disulfide bonds, such as cysteine, cystine, or their salts, into the culture solution at concentrations of 20 μM or more, along with glutamic acid, to enhance acetic acid fermentation rates and acidity levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional fermentation methods are used to produce high-acidity vinegar, then the fermentation process can proceed, but the fermentative capacity of acetic acid bacteria decreases as fermentation progresses, limiting the final acidity and production efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the culture solution by adding specific compounds (cysteine, cystine, or their salts) containing thiol groups or disulfide bonds. This parameter change maintains the fermentative capacity of acetic acid bacteria throughout the fermentation process, enabling higher final acidity (10-25% w/v) and improved productivity without the bacteria's capacity declining as fermentation progresses.
2Quantity of substance
If fermentation is extended to achieve higher acidity, then the acetic acid concentration increases, but the proliferative and fermentative capacity of acetic acid bacteria decreases, slowing down the fermentation rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces cysteine, cystine, or their salts as intermediary substances that mediate between the acetic acid bacteria and the high-acidity environment. These compounds containing thiol groups or disulfide bonds protect the bacteria's fermentative capacity even at high acetic acid concentrations (10-25% w/v), maintaining the fermentation rate while achieving higher final acidity.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the chemical environment through additive compounds, the patent enables the system to tolerate and achieve higher acetic acid concentrations without the usual decline in fermentation rate. The specific parameter change (adding thiol/disulfide compounds) decouples the inverse relationship between acidity level and fermentation speed.
3Reliability
If the culture solution contains sufficient nutrients to maintain bacterial activity, then the fermentative capacity is improved, but the total nitrogen content increases beyond 0.023 w/v %, which may affect product quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or selects specific nitrogen-containing compounds (cysteine, cystine, or their salts) that provide the necessary fermentative support while keeping the total nitrogen content controlled at 0.023 w/v % or less. This selective approach maintains bacterial activity without excessive nitrogen accumulation that could compromise product quality.
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
This approach accelerates the acetic acid fermentation rate, shortens the fermentation cycle, and improves production efficiency while maintaining product quality, with the additives remaining in the vinegar and acting as catalysts rather than mere nutrients.
Implementation Method 1
the additives remaining in the vinegar and acting as catalysts rather than mere nutrients
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for producing a high-acidity vinegar with improved efficiency compared with conventional methods and a high-acidity vinegar obtained by such method. The method of the present invention is characterized in that acetic acid fermentation is conducted with a culture solution which contains a compound having a thiol group or an S-substituted derivative thereof or a compound having a disulfide bond as an additive wherein a total nitrogen content of the culture solution is 0.023 w/v % or less. According to the method of the present invention, a high-acidity vinegar, which has a total nitrogen content of 0.015 w/v % or less and an acidity of 10 to 25 w/v % and contains a compound having a thiol group or an S-substituted derivative thereof or a compound having a disulfide bond at a concentration of 17 μM or more in terms of sulfur atoms contained in the thiol group or disulfide bond can be obtained.