Puffed Grain Protein via Enzymatic Digestion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional maize lacks essential amino acids like lysine and tryptophan, leading to malnutrition issues such as wet-malnutrition and kwashiorkor, especially in developing regions where maize is a primary food source.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the preparation of a protein-comprising material from puffable grains, specifically quality protein popcorn, which involves puffing, milling, and enzymatic digestion to release proteins while keeping carbohydrates accessible for digestion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional maize is consumed as a primary food source, then calorie intake is sufficient, but essential amino acids like lysine and tryptophan are deficient, leading to malnutrition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the amino acid composition of maize through selective breeding for opaque-2 varieties, which have enhanced lysine and tryptophan content. This changes the quality parameter of the protein while maintaining the calorie-rich nature of maize, resolving the contradiction between sufficient calorie intake and adequate protein quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite nutritional profile by combining maize with high lysine and tryptophan content (opaque-2 variety) with other complementary foods or protein sources. This composite approach ensures both sufficient calories from maize and adequate essential amino acids, eliminating wet-malnutrition and kwashiorkor.
2Reliability
If opaque-2 varieties are used to increase lysine and tryptophan levels, then protein quality improves, but yield decreases and kernel becomes soft and chalky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively breeding for opaque-2 varieties that have enhanced protein quality in specific regions or populations, while maintaining conventional maize characteristics in other areas. This allows optimization of protein quality in target populations without requiring universal adoption of opaque-2 varieties that would reduce overall yield.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by developing and promoting QPM (Quality Protein Maize) varieties with modified amino acid profiles. These varieties have been bred to maintain hard kernel characteristics and good taste while achieving higher lysine and tryptophan levels, thus improving protein quality without the severe yield penalties of traditional opaque-2 varieties.
3Reliability
If QPM varieties are developed through conventional plant breeding, then amino acid content increases, but the process is time-consuming and requires extensive breeding work
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-breeding and pre-selecting opaque-2 varieties with desirable traits before they are introduced to target populations. The QPM varieties have been developed and validated through extensive breeding programs, so when deployed, they provide immediate benefits without requiring additional breeding time. This preliminary development of high-amino-acid varieties accelerates their impact on combating malnutrition.
4Reliability
If maize is processed to improve protein bioavailability, then essential amino acids become more accessible, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by using controlled heat treatment and fermentation processes that modify the protein structure and amino acid accessibility. These parameter changes (temperature, time, pH) enhance bioavailability of essential amino acids without requiring complex processing equipment or multi-step procedures, thus maintaining simplicity while improving nutritional outcome.
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 process results in a protein-rich material that is easily digestible, providing at least 5 wt% protein in food products and addressing malnutrition issues by enhancing the bioavailability of essential amino acids.
Implementation Method 1
enzymatic digesting of carbohydrate material in the milled puffed grain powder to obtain a solution with dissolved proteins
Implementation Method 2
Popcorn has been enjoyed as a direct-to-consumer product in the United States for more than a century. Popcorn has been enjoyed as a direct-to-consumer product in the United States for more than a century.
Data Source
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AI summary
This invention relates to a process for the preparation of a protein-comprising material. The invention further relates to the use of such protein-comprising material in a food product and to the so-obtained food product. The protein-comprising material is obtained in a process comprising the steps of i. obtaining puffable grain; ii. puffing the grain of step i; iii. milling the puffed grain to obtain a milled puffed grain; iv. enzymatic digesting of the milled puffed grain, preferably enzymatic digesting of carbohydrate material present tin the milled puffed grain, to obtain a protein-comprising material.