Microbial Nutritional Supplement Endotoxin Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing nutritional supplements from microbial cells are inefficient in reducing endotoxins, which are toxic compounds that can contaminate food products and pose health risks, especially when using Gram-negative bacteria, as they are not effectively removed by existing techniques due to high costs and potential toxicity of reagents, and differing purity requirements between pharmaceutical and food applications.
Innovation Solution
A method involving cultivating microbial cells, followed by heat treatment at 55° C. to 80° C. for 10 to 60 minutes, concentrating the biomass by separating the liquid phase, and homogenizing with high-pressure homogenization to reduce endotoxin levels, resulting in a heat-inactivated, dried nutritional supplement with significantly lower endotoxin content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional endotoxin removal methods (chromatography, detergent phase partitioning, high-temperature sterilization) are used, then endotoxin levels are reduced, but production costs increase significantly and potential toxicity from reagents is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from conventional high-temperature sterilization (250°C for 30 minutes or 180°C for 3 hours) to a moderate temperature range (55-80°C for 10-60 minutes), combined with mechanical homogenization, to achieve endotoxin removal without requiring expensive chromatography reagents or extreme conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex chemical systems (chromatography, detergent phase partitioning with polymyxin B, ion-exchange chromatography) with a simplified thermal-mechanical system (heat treatment combined with high-pressure homogenization), eliminating the need for expensive reagents and multiple processing cycles
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional endotoxin removal methods (chromatography, affinity adsorbents) are used, then endotoxin levels are reduced, but multiple processing cycles are required increasing process complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the endotoxin removal function with the existing heat inactivation and homogenization steps already required for nutritional supplement production, eliminating the need for separate endotoxin removal process trains and reducing overall process complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the endotoxin removal function from complex pharmaceutical-grade processing systems and implements it through simple thermal-mechanical treatment, making the process suitable for food applications without requiring pharmaceutical-level complexity
3Object-affected harmful factors
If high-temperature sterilization (250°C for 30 minutes or 180°C for 3 hours) is used to inactivate endotoxins, then endotoxin levels are reduced, but energy consumption and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature-time parameters from extreme conditions (250°C for 30 minutes or 180°C for 3 hours) to moderate conditions (55-80°C for 10-60 minutes), significantly reducing energy consumption while achieving effective endotoxin removal when combined with mechanical homogenization
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 process effectively reduces endotoxin levels in nutritional supplements, making them safer for consumption without adding significant operational costs, as demonstrated by LAL assay results showing a decrease in endotoxic activity to food-acceptable levels.
Implementation Method 1
incubating the biomass for at least partially degrading walls of the microbial cells with a heat treatment at temperature from 55° C. up to 80° C. for an incubation time from 10 minutes up to 60 minutes
Implementation Method 2
homogenizing the nutritional supplement with high-pressure homogenization at least one run for at least partially degrading the walls of the microbial cells
Data Source
AI summary
A method of producing a nutritional supplement from microbial cells. The method includes cultivating microbial cells to obtain a biomass; incubating the biomass with a heat treatment at temperature from 55° C. up to 80° C. for an incubation time from 10 minutes up to 60 minutes; concentrating the biomass by separating and removing a liquid phase from a solid phase to obtain a dry matter content from 2% up to 40% of total weight of the nutritional supplement. Disclosed also is a system of producing a nutritional supplement from microbial cells using the aforementioned method. The system includes a bioreactor; a heat-exchanger and a separator for carrying out the respective steps of the aforementioned method.Reference is made to the Identification of the Microorganism, with the identification reference given by the Depositor SoF1, having the Accession number given by the INTERNATIONAL DEPOSITORY AUTHORITY, VTT E-193585, received on Jun. 11, 2019