Clarification of sphingans and compositions thereof
View Patent ↗The invention relates to mutant strains of the genus Sphingomonas which have a mutation in at least one gene encoding a protein involved in polyhydroxybutyrate (“PHB”) synthesis that allows the mutant strains to produce PHB-deficient sphingans. The invention is also directed to a process for preparing a clarified sphingan solution comprising heating aqueous sphingan solution, in particular PHB-deficient sphingan solution, to a clarification temperature of about 30° C. to about 70° C., and treating the solution with a clarification agent and enzymes. In addition, the invention is directed to a food or industrial product comprising a PHB-deficient and/or clarified sphingan. One particular embodiment of the invention is directed to a clarified, PHB-deficient high-acyl gellan and the processes of making thereof.
1. A clarified, native high acyl gellan preparation which upon dissolution at 1% w/w has a light transmittance of greater than 60% measured at a wavelength of 600 to 650 nm.
2. The clarified, native high acyl gellan preparation according to claim 1 which upon dissolution at 1% w/w has a light transmittance of at least 77.9% measured at a wavelength of 600 to 650 nm, gel strength as measured by % distance which is at least 87.2 and a puncture force in grams which is at least 428 grams.
3. The clarified, native high acyl gellan preparation according to claim 1 which upon dissolution at 1% w/w has a light transmittance of at least 82.38% with a relative standard deviation of 5.50 measured at a wavelength of 600 to 650 nm, gel strength as measured by % distance which is at least 87.84 with a relative standard deviation of 0.02 and a puncture force in grams which is at least 428 grams with a relative standard deviation of 0.28.
4. A solution comprising the clarified gellan preparation of claim 1 .
5. A food product containing the clarified gellan preparation of claim 1 .
6. The clarified, native gellan preparation of claim 1 which is prepared by a process comprising the following steps:
(a) heating an aqueous gellan containing solution to a temperature of about 30 degrees to 70 degrees C.;
(b) treating the aqueous gellan containing solution with at least one chelating agent;
(c) after step (b) treating the chelating agent treated aqueous gellan with a lysozyme enzyme;
(d) treating the aqueous gellan containing solution with a caustic agent or oxidizing agent;
(e) treating the aqueous gellan containing solution with a protease enzyme; and
(f) isolating the gellan from the resultant treated gellan containing solution by precipitation with an alcohol.
7. A food product composition containing a clarified, native gellan preparation according to claim 6 .
8. The clarified gellan preparation of claim 1 wherein said transmittance is greater than 70%.
9. A solution comprising the clarified gellan preparation of claim 8 .
10. A food product containing the clarified gellan preparation of claim 8 .
11. The clarified gellan preparation of claim 1 wherein said transmittance is greater than 80%.
12. A solution comprising the clarified gellan preparation of claim 11 .
13. A food product containing the clarified gellan preparation of claim 11 .