Dry Yeast SAMe Production via Acid and Heat Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) are costly and labor-intensive, whether through fermentative extraction or enzymatic synthesis, making it difficult to produce SAMe as a therapeutic medication or health food at a low cost.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of yeast with SAMe production capability, where yeast cells are separated from culture liquid, treated with mineral acid to adjust pH and heated, then dried to produce a high-concentration dry yeast containing SAMe, which can be ingested orally.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If fermentative production method is used to accumulate SAMe in cells, then SAMe can be produced, but large amounts of labor and cost are required for extraction and purification
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential functional components (SAMe synthesizing enzyme gene and culture conditions) from the complex fermentative production system, allowing SAMe to be produced directly in yeast cells without the need for complex extraction and purification processes. The yeast cells themselves serve as the final product carrier.
Solution Approach 2:
The yeast cells are engineered to autonomously produce and accumulate SAMe through their own metabolic pathways using the introduced SAMe synthesizing enzyme gene, eliminating the need for external extraction and purification operations. The cells self-produce the therapeutic substance.
2Ease of manufacture
If enzymatic synthesis method is used with SAMe synthesizing enzyme, then SAMe can be synthesized without extraction from cells, but preparation of the enzyme is complicated and ATP as substrate is considerably expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses yeast cells as disposable production factories that can be cultured cheaply using standard fermentation techniques. Instead of using expensive purified enzymes and ATP, the system uses inexpensive yeast cells that naturally produce SAMe through their metabolic pathways when provided with simple precursors like methionine.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the production system from using expensive purified enzymes and ATP substrates to using inexpensive whole yeast cells with engineered metabolic pathways. The substrate requirement changes from expensive ATP to inexpensive L-methionine and other basic nutrients.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional fermentative method is used, then SAMe can be accumulated in cells, but it is difficult to produce SAMe at low cost for therapeutic medication and health foods
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary genetic engineering to introduce the SAMe synthesizing enzyme gene into yeast cells before fermentation, so that the cells are pre-equipped with enhanced SAMe production capability. This preliminary modification allows for high-efficiency SAMe accumulation during subsequent fermentation without requiring complex post-processing.
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 method allows for the convenient and cost-effective production of dry yeast with high SAMe concentration, enabling its use as a therapeutic medication or health food.
Implementation Method 1
a yeast cell concentrate separated from a cell culture liquid of the yeast
Implementation Method 2
adding a mineral acid to adjust the pH to a specific value
Implementation Method 3
heating the concentrate to 40 to 85°C
Implementation Method 4
then dried
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing a dry yeast containing S-adenosyl-L-methionine using a yeast having production capability of S-adenosyl-L-methionine, in which a yeast cell concentrate separated from a cell culture liquid of the yeast is subjected to at least one treatment of (1) a treatment of adding a mineral acid to adjust the pH of the concentrate to 1 to 5, and (2) a treatment of heating the concentrate to 40 to 85° C., and then dried, and a composition for oral ingestion containing a dry yeast produced by the production method, having been molded. A method for producing dry yeast cells containing S-adenosyl-L-methionine, which is useful as a water soluble physiologically active substance, in a high concentration with a good yield at low cost, and a composition for oral ingestion formed by molding a dry yeast produced by the production method can be provided.