IP Library Granted Patent US 12,677,851
Granted Patent B2
US 12,677,851 · App. 18/988,015 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Methods for detoxifying bran and products obtained therefrom

Inventors: Barry P. Rosen (Miami, FL); Jian Chen (Miami, FL)
Assignee: THE FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
A23L7/107A23L5/25A23L7/115
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,677,851
App. No.
18/988,015
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The subject invention provides a bran composition comprising a bran component with a reduced level of inorganic arsenic, a grain product that comprises such bran composition and at least one other component and/or other ingredient, and food products that are made from such bran composition and/or such grain product. The subject invention also provides methods of detoxifying a bran and/or grain product.

Claims (32)

1 . A method of detoxifying a bran composition, comprising the steps of:

(1) Creating a slurry by suspending the bran composition in a buffer solution, the bran composition having at least 1 mg/kg of inorganic arsenic by weight;

(2) Methylating inorganic arsenic in the slurry by treating the slurry with a methylating enzyme; and

(3) determining arsenic species and level in the treated slurry, more than 90% of the inorganic arsenic present in the bran composition being converted into dimethylarsenate (DMA).

2 . The method of claim 1 , the buffer solution being a MOPS buffer solution.

3 . The method of claim 1 , step (2) comprising mixing the slurry obtained in step (1) with the methylating enzyme.

4 . The method of claim 1 , the methylating enzyme being a heat-stable methylating enzyme.

5 . The method of claim 1 , the methylating enzyme being CmArsM.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising drying the treated slurry.

7 . A method of detoxifying a grain product, comprising the steps of:

mixing the grain product with a buffer solution to create a slurry, the grain product comprising a bran composition having at least 1 mg/kg of inorganic arsenic by weight;

adding an arsenic S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase in the slurry and incubating the slurry and the arsenic S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase at a temperature of about 50° C.-80° C. to methylate the inorganic arsenic;

determining arsenic species and level in the mixture of the slurry and the arsenic S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase, more than 90% of the inorganic arsenic present in the bran composition being converted into DMA, and

optionally, drying the mixture of the slurry and the arsenic S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase.

8 . The method of claim 7 , the arsenic S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase being CmArsM.

9 . The method of claim 7 , the buffer solution being a MOPS buffer solution.

10 . The method of claim 7 , the temperature being about 60° C.-70° C.

11 . The method of claim 1 , step (2) further comprising incubating the slurry and the methylating enzyme at a temperature of about 60° C.-70° C. for a time period from about 30 to 50 minutes.

12 . The method of claim 1 , the detoxified bran composition comprising up to 0.1 mg/kg inorganic arsenic.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

separating supernatant from the treated slurry by centrifugation or settling of an insoluble bran component;

digesting the supernatant with a nitric acid solution and conducting arsenic species analysis to determine arsenic species and levels in the supernatant; and

recovering the insoluble bran component.

14 . The method of claim 3 , step (2) further comprising mixing a reducing chemical comprising tris(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine (TCEP) with the slurry.

15 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising, prior to the optional drying:

separating supernatant from the treated slurry by centrifugation or settling of an insoluble component;

digesting the supernatant with a nitric acid solution and conducting arsenic species analysis to determine arsenic species and levels in the supernatant; and

recovering the insoluble component.

16 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising mixing a reducing chemical comprising TCEP with the slurry.

17 . The method of claim 1 , the detoxified bran composition having inorganic arsenic up to 0.05 mg/kg by weight.

18 . The method of claim 7 , the detoxified grain product having inorganic arsenic up to 1 mg/kg by weight.

19 . The method of claim 7 , the detoxified grain product having inorganic arsenic up to 0.05 mg/kg by weight.