Peptide-Bound Glutamine for Thermal Stability in Retortable Foods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Supplementation of foods with free glutamine is limited by its instability at high temperatures or under processing conditions, making it unsuitable for sterilization or further processing in canned food products, leading to loss of glutamine and potential ammonia accumulation.
Innovation Solution
A retortable cooked food composition comprising a peptide source of glutamine, which is stable under high temperature and pressure conditions, is developed by contacting water and a meat and carbohydrate-based nutritive base with the peptide source, cooking the mixture, and packaging it in a sealed container for sterilization, ensuring bioavailability and stability of glutamine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If free glutamine is used for supplementation, then glutamine can be provided to meet metabolic demand, but it is unstable at high temperatures and during sterilization, leading to loss of glutamine and potential ammonia accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical form of glutamine from free amino acid to peptide-bound glutamine. This parameter change transforms glutamine from an unstable form that degrades at high temperatures to a stable form that survives sterilization and cooking processes, while still being bioavailable for meeting metabolic demand during stress conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses peptides as an intermediary carrier for glutamine. Instead of providing free glutamine directly, the invention incorporates glutamine within peptide structures that protect it during processing. These peptide intermediaries deliver glutamine to the digestive system where it is released and absorbed, solving both stability and bioavailability requirements
2Ease of manufacture
If free glutamine is added to food compositions, then supplemental glutamine is provided, but the composition cannot be sterilized or processed at high temperature and pressure without destroying the free glutamine
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical-chemical parameters of glutamine delivery by incorporating it into peptide structures. This allows the food composition to undergo standard sterilization and high-temperature processing without glutamine degradation, enabling conventional manufacturing processes while maintaining glutamine content
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-incorporating glutamine into stable peptide structures before the food processing and sterilization steps. This preliminary stabilization ensures that glutamine survives subsequent manufacturing processes that would otherwise destroy free glutamine
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 peptide source of glutamine remains stable and bioavailable throughout the cooking and sterilization process, preventing loss and ammonia accumulation, providing a nutritionally enhanced food product that can be safely sterilized and stored for extended periods.
Implementation Method 1
The peptide source of glutamine remains stable under high temperature and pressure conditions, is stable under high temperature and pressure conditions, preventing loss and ammonia accumulation
Data Source
AI summary
A process for preparing a glutamine-supplemented food product by contacting water and a nutritive base that predominantly comprises meat and carbohydrate with a peptide source of glutamine to form a wet mixture and heating the wet mixture at a temperature of from about 50° C. to about 105° C. for a time sufficient to cook the nutritive base. The process forms a cooked food composition comprising from about 60% to about 85% by weight water. The product is useful for feeding to an animal to increase glutamine absorption or to strengthen immune function.