PROCESS OF ENZYMATIC CONVERSION

Abstract: A process for enzymatically converting a polysaccharide to a monosaccharide or to one or more polysaccharides of lower molecular weight than the starting polysaccharide comprises contacting the polysaccharide at a pH of from 4.5 to 8.0 with an enzyme derived from Bacillus megaterium which exhibits alph-amylase activity. Preferably, the enzyme is derived from the strain of Bacillus megaterium deposited at the National Collection for Industrial Bacteria (NCIB) under the number 11568. Examples of polysaccharides which can be enzymatically converted according to this process in­ cludes starch, partial starch hydrolysates, pullulan and cyclodextrins.

Description: The present invention relates to a process of enzymatic conversion, in particular to the enzymatic conversion of a starch hydrolysate by means of an enzyme exhibiting alpha-amylase activity. Amylases are an important group of carbohydrases and have an extensive industrial use. They are characterised by the ability to hydrolyse the alpha-D-glucosidic linkage in starch compounds and commercially their principal outlet is in starch processing technology. Starch, which is a polysaccharide of considerable molecular weight may be hydrolysed by means of an alpha-amylase to produce polysaccharides of lower molecular weight containing up to ten monosaccharide units. Such an enzyme is termed a "liquifying" enzyme, since, by cleaving the starch molecule, it converts to liquid form a starch suspension or a thick starch paste. Other amylases catalyse different hydrolytic operations, for example, beta-amylase catalyses hydrolysis at the non-reducing ends of starch, glycogen or dextrin molecules splitting off a maltose molecule while glucoamylase catalyses the removal of glucose from the non-reducing ends of the same poly- or oligo-saccharides. Enzymes exhibiting alpha-amylase activity are obtained from a variety of natural sources, e.g. from moulds, fungi and bacteria and enzymes from different organisms although having alpha-amylase activity and being able to catalyse the hydrolytic reactions catalysed in general by alpha-amylases frequently differ in the conditions under which they operate, particularly conditions of temperature and pH, and in industrial practice, such differences may be important. EP-A-0034470 discloses inter alia a process for producing enzymes with amylase activity from genetically engineering microorganisms. A number of microorganisms are described which donate to the genetically engineered microorganisms genes coding for a variety of enzymes which show amylase activity. One such donor microorganism disclosed in EP-A-0034470 is Bacillus megaterium although the enzyme produced from this microorganism is not described as having any properties which would single it out from other enzymes with amylase activity described as being capable of being produced by the process of the European application. We have now found, however, that the enzyme from Bacillus megaterium which has alpha-amylase activity, processes properties which make it of particular use in certain industrial applications. Accordingly, the invention comprises an enzymatic process for the production of a dextrose syrup having more than 96 weight percent dextrose from a starch hydrolysate wherein the starch hydrolysate is contacted at a pH in the range of from 4.5 to 8 with glucoamylase together with an enzyme derived from Bacillus megaterium which exhibits the alpha- amylase activity of Bacillus megaterium NCIB No. 11568. The enzyme derived from Bacillus megaterium which exhibits alpha-amylase activity used in the process of the invention is capable of catalysing the conversion of polysaccharides of different composition. Thus, although its prime commercial use is in the conversion of starch or partial starch hydrolysates to a monosaccharide or to polysaccharides of lower molecular weight, it will also catalyse the conversion of pullulan, the product being almost entirely the trisaccharide, panose. Unlike other enzymes with alpha-amylase activity, the Bacillus megaterium enzyme will also catalyse the hydrolysis of cyclodextrins to a product which ultimately consists largely of dextrose, maltose and maltotriose. According to the present invention, high dextrose syrups are produced from starch hydrolysates by subjecting the hydrolysates to the action of a glucoamylase together with the Bacillus megaterium enzyme. We have found that reaction conditions may be chosen such that the Bacillus megaterium enzyme and glucoamylase may be used together at the same time in the same medium. In particular, the Bacillus megaterium alpha-amylase active enzyme may be added to a conventional saccharification reaction in which the feedstock is a maltodextrin or a liquified starch and the hydrolytic enzyme a glucoamylase with the following unexpected advantages: (a) For a given amount of glucoamylase, the saccharification time may be reduced or for a given saccharification time, the amount of glucoamylase used may be reduced. (b) A higher concentration of dissolved solids in the process feed may be used (up by 10 wt% more) to get a product with the same dextrose concentration. Alternatively or concomittantly, there may be produced from a standard plant feed or a feed with slightly increased dissolved solids, a product with an increased dextrose concentration (increased by 0.5 to 1 wt%) and a lower concentration of oligomers (DP n reduced to 0.2 wt%; where DP represents "dextrose polymer" and "n" the number of dextrose units in the polymer). (c) The "alcohol turbidity", as hereinafter described, is reduced. "Alcohol turbidity" is indicative or the content in the saccharification product of oligomeric components. The process in which glucoamylase and the Bacillus megaterium enzyme are used together is preferably carried out at a temperature in the range 40° to 65°C, more preferably 55° to 60°C. The pH is preferably 4.5 to 5.5, more preferably approximately 5. In general, the lower the pH, the lower the temperature used and vice versa. The malto-dextrin feedstock may contain 20 to 40% by weight dissolved solids, particularly 25 to 35% by weight dissolved solids. The amount of glucoamylase which is employed is suitably 0.05 to 0.40, preferably 0.10 to 0.20% weight based on dry substance and the Bacillus megaterium enzyme preferably 0.02 to 10.0, more preferably 0.1 to 2.0 units/gram dry substance. The product obtained may contain more than 96 wt% dextrose, preferably more than 97 wt%, particularly more than 97.5 wt% dextrose. The expression of the Bacillus megaterium amylase active enzyme concentration in units/gram dry substance is conventional practice in enzyme technology and is necessary because enzyme samples may exhibit different activities depending, for example, on their purity etc. The activity of a given sample is determined by the PHADEBAS test which employs a commercially available test kit and which is based on the optical estimation of the strength of a dye liberated by the enzyme under carefully controlled conditions. If the activity of the enzyme is completely unknown, samples are first diluted with water to produce a range of dilutions which are then tested by the method described below to find the dilution which, under the test conditions, gives an optical density of the dye in the range suitable for quantitative determination. The test is then repeated at this concentration in comparison with a blank sample. In detail, 200µ l of diluted enzyme sample is placed in a test tube and mixed with 4ml of buffer solution. The blank consists of 200µ l demineralised water and 4 ml buffer solution. The buffer solution comprises sodium acetate (20 mM) and calcium chloride (2mM) adjusted to pH5. A PHADEBAS tablet is then added to each sample,the sample agitated for 10 seconds and the sample placed in a well-stirred water bath where it is held at 55°C for 15 minutes. The PHADEBAS tablet contains a dye and a buffer, the effect of the two buffer systems being to establish a final pH of 6.3 in the test solution. After the 15 minute period the reaction is stopped by adding 1 ml of 0.5 molar sodium hydroxide and the sample agitated before being centrifuged at approx. 1500 g for 5 minutes or filtered. The adsorbance of the sample is then measured at 620nm against demineralised water using a cuvette of 1 cm light path. The adsorbance of the blank is subtracted from the sample under test and the amylase units of activity determined in units/litre from the PHADEBAS standard curve. The value in units/litre may then be converted into units/gram dry substance. As well as the application of the Bacillus megaterium enzyme in the production of high dextrose syrups, the enzyme may also be used to improve the quality of such syrups once they have been obtained. In particular, the "alcohol turbidity" of such syrups may be reduced by contact with the enzyme under pH and temperature conditions given above for the process using the glucoamylase / Bacillus megaterium enzyme combination. The "alcohol turbidity" may be reduced to a level such that, by subsequent treatment with ion exchangers, it may be eliminated altogether. The invention will now be further described with reference to the following Examples. The apparatus used in the Examples comprised a series of 500 ml Ehrlenmeyer flasks mounted on a shaking frame in a thermostatically - controlled water bath. In general, the feedstock comprised 500 ml of a maltodextrin solution containing 0.02 molar sodium acetate as a buffer to help maintain a stable pH. The solution also contained 80 mg Ca++ litre (in the form of calcium chloride). An initial pH adjustment was made with acetic acid and the enzyme(s) added to initiate reaction. The reaction pH was controlled by measuring the pH of the solution with a meter twice daily and adding sodium hydroxide if the pH had fallen. A 100 ml sample was also withdrawn every twenty-four hours, the enzyme(s) denatured by boiling for 30 mintues and the denatured solution filtered. The dextrose content of the filtered sample was then determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography and where appropriate, an alcohol turbidity test was carried out. "Alcohol turbidity" is measured by: (a) placing a sample into a 100 ml flask so that there is present 0.91g dissolved solids (as determined by refractometer), (b) adding demineralised water so that the total water present is 3.39g, (c) adding 27ml ethanol of 99.8% purity, (d) boiling with stirring under reflux for 9 to 10 minutes, (e) cooling under running water, and, (d) measuring the optical density at 578 nanometer in a 4 cm cell. The glucoamylase used in the Examples was OPTIDEX L 150 supplied by Miles-Kali Chemie (OPTIDEX is a trademark). Example 1 Effect of the alpha-amylase active enzyme from Bacillus megaterium NCIB No. 11568 on the glucoamylase-catalysed hydrolysis of 18 DE matodextrin to dextrose . The feed solution contained 25% by weight dissolved solids and the temperature was maintained at 55°C. The hydrolysis with glucoamylase alone was carried out at the conventional pH for this reaction of 4.2. When the Bacillus megaterium enzyme was added, the pH was increased to 5.0. The following Table 1 gives the dextrose contents of the product obtained after 48 hours. Example 2 Effect of the alpha-amylase active enzyme from Bacillus megaterium NCIB No. 11568 on the glucoamlylase-catalysed hydrolysis to dextrose of 18 DE maltodextrin at increasing dissolved solids in the reaction solution . The hydrolysis was carried out at 60°C and pH 5. The amount of glucoamylase added was 0.075 wt% and the Bacillus megaterium enzyme 1.5 unit/g. The results are given in Table 2. Example 3 Effect of the alpha-amylase active enzyme from Bacillus megaterium NCIB No. 11568 on the glucoamylase-catalysed hydrolysis of 18 DE maltodextrin to dextrose at 60°C and varying glucoamylase concentrations . The solution contained 25% by weight dissolved solids, the pH was 5 and the concentration of the Bacillus megaterium enzyme was 1.5 units/g. The results after 72 hours were as follows in Table 3. Example 4 Effect of the alpha-amylase active enzame from Bacillus megaterium NCIB No. 11568 on the glucoamylase-catalysed hydrolysis of 12 DE maltodextrin at 55°C and varying pH . The buffer in this series of experiments was 0.1 molar sodium acetate, the concentration of the glucoamylase 0.15 wt% and the Bacillus megaterium enzyme 1.5 units/gram. The results after 48 hours are given below in Table 4. Example 5 Effect of the alpha-amylase active enzyme from Bacillus megaterium NCIB No. 11568 on the glucoamylase-catalysed hydrolysis of 18 DE maltodextrin at 55°C and pH 5 with varing amounts of glucoamylase and Bacillus megaterium enzyme . The results are given below in Table 5. Example 6 Effect of the alpha-amylase active enzyme from Bacillus megaterium NCIB No. 11568 on the hydrolysis of alpha-cyclodextrin . The reaction solution contained 15% dissolved solids and it was maintained at 60°C and pH 6 in the presence of varying amounts of the Bacillus megaterium enzyme . The results after 240 hours are given below in Table 6. Example 7 Comparative experiment using a commercially available alpha-amylase in combination with glucoamylase . The reactin conditions were the same as Example 1 except that the feed solution contained 32% by weight dissolved solids. The results after 96 hours are given in Table 7 and show that unlike the alpha-amylase active enzyme derived from Bacillus megaterium , the commercial alpha-amylase confers no improvement on the glucoamylase hydrolysis, even after 96 hours. A = 5.6 units/g of a commercially available alpha-amylase B = 1.5 units/g of the alpha-amylase active enzyme of Bacillus megaterium NCIB No. 11568 Example 8 A sample of dextrose syrup which had been produced by a glucoamylase-catalysed hydrolysis contained 95.8% by weight dextrose and had an alcohol turbidity of 1.550. The sample was divided into two and subjected to treatment at 55°C and pH 5.0 with (a) the alpha-amylase active enzyme of Bacillus megaterium NCIB No. 11568 and (b) a commercially available alpha-amylase. The results of the treatment are given in Table 8. Example 9 A solution of pullulan containing 5% weight dissolved solids was treated at 55°C and pH 5.6 for 24 hours with 50 units/g of dry substance of the alpha-amylase active enzyme of Bacillus megaterium NCIB 11568. At the end of the 24 hours the pullulan was converted to 98% by weight pannose.

Claims: An enzymatic process for the production of a dextrose syrup having more than 96 weight percent dextrose from a starch hydrolysate characterized in that the starch hydrolysate is contacted at a pH in the range of from 4.5 to 8.0 with glucoamylase together with an enzyme derived from Bacillus megaterium which exhibits the alpha -amylase activity of Bacillus megaterium NCIB No. 11568. A process according to claim 1, wherein the starch hydrolysate is contacted at a temperature in the range of from 40° to 65°C. A process according to claim 2, wherein the starch hydrolysate is contacted at a temperature in the range of from 55° to 60°C. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pH is in the range of from 4.5 to 5.5. A process according to claim 4, wherein the pH is about 5.0. A process according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the starch hydrolysate is an aqueous dispersion of maltodextrin or a liquified starch. A process according to claim 6, wherein the aqueous dispersion of maltodextrin or liquified starch contains from 20 to 40% by weight, preferably from 25 to 35% by weight, of said maltodextrin or liquified starch on a dry solids basis. A process according to either claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the amount of glucoamylase which is used is in the range of from 0.05 to 0.40%, preferably from 0.10 to 0.20% by weight of said maltodextrin or liquified starch on a dry solids basis. A process according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the amount of enzyme derived from Bacillus megaterium which is used is in the range of from 0.02 to 10.0, preferably 0.1 to 2.0, units per gram of maltodextrin or liquified starch on a dry solids basis.

Inventors: DAVID, MARIE-HENRIETTE, DE TROOSTEMBERGH, JEAN-CLAUDE, GUNTHER, HORST
Applicants: CPC INTERNATIONAL INC.
Application year: 1985
Main classification: C12P19
IPC codes: C12P19, C12R1