Pasteurized Lactobacillus Preparation for Caries Prophylaxis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current remedies for preventing caries, such as those involving live microorganisms, face challenges like consumer dislike, shelf-life limitations, and unpredictable loss of health-promoting effects during heat treatment, necessitating a method to produce nonlive Lactobacillus preparations with specific binding ability for Streptococcus mutans that are resistant to heat and protease treatments.
Innovation Solution
A method involving pasteurization of Lactobacillus cells at controlled temperatures and pH levels, followed by cooling and optional spray-drying with carriers, to create a nonlive preparation that maintains specific binding ability for Streptococcus mutans, ensuring an anticariogenic effect without compromising health-promoting properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If live microorganisms are used in oral care products to control caries, then the health-promoting effects are enhanced, but the shelf-life is limited and consumer acceptance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transitioning Lactobacillus cells from a metabolically active state to a metabolically inactive state through controlled pasteurization. This parameter change (temperature and time treatment) preserves the binding ability to Streptococcus mutans while eliminating the limitations of live microorganisms regarding shelf-life and consumer acceptance
2Duration of action of stationary object
If heat treatment is applied to microorganisms to make them nonviable, then the shelf-life is extended, but the health-promoting effects are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by selecting specific Lactobacillus strains that have been pre-adapted to exhibit heat resistance before pasteurization. This preliminary selection ensures that when the pasteurization step is applied, the binding ability to Streptococcus mutans is preserved, thus maintaining health-promoting effects while achieving nonviable status for extended shelf-life
3Duration of action of stationary object
If metabolically inactive microorganisms are used instead of live ones, then the shelf-life is improved, but the microorganisms may return to active state under suitable conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by implementing a two-step process: first selecting heat-resistant Lactobacillus strains, then applying controlled pasteurization to render them metabolically inactive. This preliminary preparation ensures that the microorganisms remain stably inactive in the final product while maintaining their binding function, preventing unwanted metabolic activity during storage
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 method successfully produces a nonlive Lactobacillus preparation that effectively binds Streptococcus mutans, providing an anticariogenic effect while maintaining health-promoting properties, suitable for use in caries prevention and treatment, and can be incorporated into various oral care products without adverse effects on product stability or taste.
Implementation Method 1
Lactobacillus cells with specific binding ability to Streptococcus mutans
Implementation Method 2
warming a suspension of cells of a Lactobacillus or a mixture of Lactobacilli from a starting temperature of below 40° C. to a pasteurization temperature of 75 to 85° C.
Implementation Method 3
cooling the suspension held in step ii) to a final temperature of below 40° C.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to the area of health-beneficial preparations and production methods thereof, in particular to the use of thermally pre-treated Lactobacillus preparations having specific bonding capacity for Streptococcus mutans for caries prophylaxis. The invention further relates to the Lactobacillus preparations and thermal pasteurization.