PROTEIN CONTAINING MATERIAL FROM BIOMASS AND METHODS OF PRODUCTION
The present invention provides methods and protein compositions having advantageous properties, such as a high uncorrected limiting amino acid score as well as favorable amounts of essential amino acids, branched chain amino acids, as well as other amino acids more difficult to find in the regular diet. The protein composition is obtainable as taught herein from algal or microbial biomass. The protein composition produced according to the methods of the invention provides a proteinaceous food or food ingredient that is more nutritionally balanced (and therefore nutritionally superior) to protein compositions otherwise available. The protein material is advantageously used as a food or food ingredient for humans and/or animals. Also provided are methods of producing the protein material from biomass sources.
1 . A protein composition derived from cellular biomass and having an uncorrected limiting amino acid score of 0.88 or greater for all essential amino acids.
2 . The protein composition of claim 1 wherein the biomass is derived from an algae.
3 . The protein composition of claim 2 wherein the algae is a heterotrophic algae.
4 . The protein composition of claim 1 having an uncorrected limiting amino acid score of greater than 0.94 for all essential amino acids.
5 . The protein composition of claim 4 having an uncorrected limiting amino acid score of greater than 1.0 for all essential amino acids.
6 . The protein composition of claim 1 comprising phe in an amount of 3.5% of total protein or greater, and tyr in an amount of 2.75% of total protein or greater.
7 . The protein composition of claim 3 wherein the protein content is greater than 65%.
8 . The protein composition of claim 7 wherein the lipid content is less than 10%
9 . The protein composition of claim 8 wherein the lipid content is less than 2%.
10 . The protein composition of claim 9 wherein the ash content is less than 8%.
11 . The protein composition of claim 1 wherein the content of essential amino acids is greater than 35% of total protein.
12 . The protein composition of claim 1 wherein the content of branched chain amino acids is greater than 16% of total protein.
13 . The protein composition of claim 1 comprising:
a) leucine in an amount greater than 5.5% of total protein;
b) isoleucine in an amount greater than 3.0% of total protein;
c) glutamic acid in an amount less than 20% of total protein;
d) lysine in an amount greater than 5.5% of total protein; and
e) valine in an amount greater than 4.5% of total protein.
14 . The protein composition of claim 13 comprising:
a) leucine in an amount greater than 6% of total protein;
b) lysine in an amount greater than 6% of total protein; and
c) glutamic acid in an amount less than 15% of total protein.
15 . The protein composition of claim 3 wherein the composition has organoleptic taste and smell properties acceptable to a human.
16 . The protein composition of claim 15 wherein the protein composition has organoleptic taste and smell properties at least equivalent to soy.
17 . The protein composition of claim 3 wherein the heterotrophic algae is from the class Labyrinthulomycetes.
18 . The protein composition of claim 17 wherein the composition is derived from a single source.
19 . The protein composition of claim 17 that does not contain human allergens from peanut, milk, soy, nut, egg, whey, wheat, fish, shellfish, or pea at or above the lowest observed adverse effect level for the particular human allergen.
20 . The protein composition of claim 17 wherein the Labyrinthulomycete is selected from the group consisting of: Thraustochytrium, Aurantiochytrium, and Schizochytrium.
21 . The protein composition of claim 18 wherein the Labyrinthulomycete is Aurantiochytrium.
22 . A method of producing a protein composition comprising:
a) cultivating a cellular biomass in a defined medium;
b) delipidating the biomass;
c) exposing the delipidated biomass to acidic conditions by adjusting the pH of the biomass to a depressed pH of less than 4.5 and holding the pH of the biomass at said depressed pH for at least 10 minutes; and
d) harvesting a protein composition comprising a UCLAA score of at least 0.88.
23 . The method of claim 22 wherein exposing the delipidated biomass to acidic conditions comprises exposing the biomass to a pH of about 3.5 and the pH is held for about 30 minutes.
24 . The method of claim 22 wherein the cellular biomass is algal biomass.
25 . The method of claim 24 wherein the algal biomass is derived from an organism of the class Labyrinthulomycetes.
26 . The method of claim 22 wherein the protein composition has organoleptic taste and smell properties acceptable to a human.
27 . The method of claim 25 wherein the protein composition contains at least 75% protein w/w and less than 5% lipid content wlw.
28 . A protein composition derived from cellular biomass and having organoleptic properties acceptable to a human.
29 . The protein composition of claim 28 derived from cellular biomass and having acceptable organoleptic properties to a human.
30 . The protein composition of claim 29 having an uncorrected limiting amino acid score of 0.88 or greater for all essential amino acids.