PROCESS FOR DISINTEGRATING CELL DISPERSIONS OR CELL SUSPENSIONS BY MEANS OF ULTRASONICATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF ISOLATING CELL CONSTITUENTS

Abstract: The invention relates to a process, which can be carried out continuously, for disintegrating cell material in the form of dispersions or suspensions in water for the purpose of obtaining cell constituents. The invention avoids the use of solid ultrasonication activators and the establishment of a particular geometric form for the acoustic irradiation container by particular parameters with regard to the synotrode angle, the depth of immersion of the synotrode, the ratio of extent of immersion of the synotrode to the acoustic irradiation volume and the ratio of extent of immersion of the synotrode to the solide matter content of the medium to be sonicated. In this process, contents of solid matter within the range from 0.5 to 65 % by weight can be used in the medium.

Description: Process for disintegrating cell dispersions or cell suspensions by means of ultrasonication for the purpose of isolating cell constituents Cell constituents, such as enzymes, proteins, vitamins and substances having an antimethodic inflamma¬ tion-inhibiting or cytostatic effect, are required, for example, in medical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. DE-C-32 26 016 describes an arrangement with an extrusion homogenizer in which the cells are destroyed by a high pressure gradient and cavitation and turbulence effects in a narrow aperture. A fundamental disadvantage of these processes and arrangements is that they are very time-consuming and the degree of disintegration they achieve is unsatisfactory. It is also disadvantageous that in many cases only long-lasting organic compounds can be dealt with. In addition to this, the abovementioned mechanical processes are very energy-consuming and give rise to high installa- tion and running costs, and their efficiency for use with relatively susceptible substances remains limited. Of the possible disintegration methods in which ultrasonication devices are used, only a few are known from the literature and from the catalogues of manu- facturing companies which are additionally limited to laboratory use. These processes are characterized by the known arrangement of an ultrasonication device consisting of an HP generator, an electromechanical converter with an operating tool (synotrode) and a multiplicity of acoustic irradiation vessels which are mostly open and which in addition can be coolable and permit continuous charging with the medium. Special acoustic irradiation devices (cells) are also known which are coupled directly to an electromechanical ultrasonication converter (cf., for example, DE-C-20 27 533) . It is disadvantageous that, as a result of the necessary configuration as a wavelength- dependent resonator element, no advantageous constructional design of the acoustic irradiation volume is possible and cooling must be dispensed with. Many forms of synotrode are known from industrial descriptions of inventions which are suitable for acous¬ tic irradiation. A crucial disadvantage of these pro- cesses and arrangements is the unsatisfactory degree of disintegration achieved, amounting to at most 60%, occasioned by the fact that no agents favouring the ultrasonication effect are employed and that no allowance is made for the necessary constructional design of an acoustic irradiation volume. In order, as far as possible, to remedy these deficiencies, DD 284 131 recommends the concomitant use of so-called ultrasonication activators, for example in the form of bodies consisting of a cavitation-resistant and reverberative material, such as hard ceramic. These bodies occupy a relatively large proportion of the volume of the acoustic irradiation space and therefore diminish its receptive capacity for the medium to be sonicated. In addition to this, only media having solid matter concen- trations of at most 19% by weight can be treated in practice. A further disadvantage of this known method is that it is necessary to use a spherical acoustic irradia¬ tion space in the centre of which the radiation surface of the synotrode is arranged. The object of the invention was, therefore, to overcome the 1 ITΓΠ t-at--jnna with, regard to the solid matter concentrations of the medium to be sonicated and with regard to the nature of the acoustic irradiation space and the arrangement of the synotrode, and to make avail- able an acoustic irradiation process which permits optimum cell disintegration at solid matter concentra¬ tions of up to 65% by weight in a flow-through cell without activating bodies. This object is achieved by the process having the ±eatures o£ the main claim and in which, surprisingly, it is no longer necessary for the acoustic irradiation space to be spherical and it is possible to use any desired spatial shape which is favourable for purification. The process is very expediently carried out at an amplitude within the range from 20 to 70. The optimum for the synotrode angle in the acoustic irradiation space is 85.3°. The medium to be sonicated can contain solid matter in concentrations within the range from 0.5 to about 65% by weight. In practice, performance of the novel process does not present any difficulties, since the cell disper¬ sion or suspension in water is pumped by means of a pump through the cooled flow-through vessel in which the synotrode is arranged with due regard to angle setting and immersion depth, the extent of immersion of the synotrode simultaneously being adjusted, in the manner indicated, to the relevant acoustic irradiation volume. The invention is explained in more detail by the examples below. Example 1. Disintegration of yeasts: Baking yeasts - Brewing yeasts Wine-making yeasts Special yeasts, e.g. SOD-enriched, etc. (SOD = super- oxide dismutase) Recipe; 23.5% by weight yeast, e.g. baking yeast 10.0% by weight glycerol 5.5% by weight propylene glycol g.s. distilled water Preparation; Preparation temperature: 5 to 7 β C Distilled water is initially introduced into a container. The yeast is dispersed in the water by stirr¬ ing. The glycerol and the propylene glycol are then added to the suspension. Di sin tear at ion : The homogeneous yeast suspension is conducted through the flow-through vessel by means of a pump and it is exposed in the vessel to ultrasonication. This entails careful cell disintegration with the isolation of active cell constituents, such as, for example, proteins: e.g. Zn + Cu superoxide dismutase; vitamins, such as, for example, vitamin B complex, A and E. Parameters: - Amplitude: 55 - Synotrode angle: 85.3 ° - Time unit (flow-through speed) : 1 1/h - Total volume of the flow-through container: 550 ml - Length of synotrode in the vessel: 30 mm - Proportion of solid matter: 23.5 % by weight - Extent of disintegration: 95 - 99 % In this case, the relationship: length of synotrode:volume:proportion of solid matter is 1 : 18 : 0.8. The total length of the synotrode is 50 mm. The ratio of the length of the synotrode in the vessel to its total length is therefore 0.6. Example 2. Disintegration of the bark of the Mexican skin tree: Recipe: 35.0% by weight skin tree, pulverized 5.0% by weight glycerol 5.0% by weight propylene glycol g.s. distilled water Preparation: Preparation temperature: max. 15°C. Distilled water is initially introduced into a container. The pulverized skin tree material is thoroughly dispersed in the water by stirring. Finally, glycerol and propylene glycol are added. Disintegration of the skin tree material: While stirring, the skin tree suspension which has been prepared is pumped into the the flow-through container and exposed therein to ultrasonication. Parameters: - Amplitude: 65 - Synotrode angle: 87.0 ° - Time unit (flow-through speed): 0.5 1/h - Length of synotrode in the vessel: 33.2 mm - Volume of the flow-through container: 650 ml - Proportion of solid matter: 35 % by weight - Extent of disintegration: 96 % cell constitu- ents having an anti- methodic, cytostatic effect In this case, the relationship: length of synotrode:volume:proportion of solid matter is 1 : 19 : 1. The total length of the synotrode is 50 mm. The ratio of the length of the synotrode in the vessel to its total length is therefore 0.664. Example 3. Disintegration of algae of all kinds: - e.g. green algae Recipe: 65.0% by weight algae, e.g. green algae 5.0% by weight glycerol g.s. distilled water Preparation: Preparation temperature: 7 to 10°C Distilled water is initially introduced into a container. The algae (e.g. green algae) are added while stirring and, following this, the glycerol is distributed homogeneously in the suspension. Disintegration of the algae: While stirring, the algal substance which has been prepared is pumped into the flow-through container. The algae are disintegrated by means of ultrasonication in the acoustic irradiation space. The maximum tempera¬ ture is 10°C. Parameters: - Amplitude: 60 - Synotrode angle: 83.8 ° - Time unit (flow-through speed) : 1 1/h - Length of synotrode in the vessel: 29.5 mm - Volume of the flow-through container: 100 ml - Proportion of solid matter: 65 % by weight - Extent of disintegration: 98-5 % In this case, the relationship: length of synotrode:volume:proportion of solid matter is 1 : 3.4 : 2.2 The total length of the synotrode is 50 mm. The ratio of the length of the synotrode in the vessel to its total length is therefore 0.59. Example 4: Disintegration of bacteria: - e.g. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus Recipe: 45.0% by weight bacteria, e.g. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus 3.0% by weight glycerol 2.0% by weight propylene glycol g.s. distilled water Preparation: Preparation temperature: 3 to 5°C. Distilled water is initially introduced into a container. While stirring, glycerol, propylene glycol and bacteria are added consecutively. Disintegration of the bacteria: The homogeneous bacterial suspension is pumped into «-h» flow-through vessel and exposed to ultrasonication. Parameters: - Amplitude: 45 - Synotrode angle: 84.9 ° - Time unit (flow-through speed) : 1 1/h - Total volume of the flow-through container: 50 ml - Length of the synotrode in the vessel: 30.9 mm - Proportion of solid matter: 45 % by weight - Extent of disintegration: 99.5 % In this case, the relationship: length of synotrode: olume:proportion of solid matter is 1 : 1.6 : 1.5 The total length of the synotrode is 50 mm. The ratio of the length of the synotrode in the vessel to its total length is therefore 0.618. Example 5. Disintegration of seeds and grains: - e.g. flax seed Recipe: 0.5% by weight flax seed 10.0% by weight propylene glycol g.s. distilled water Preparation: Preparation temperature: max. 15°C. The flax seeds are added to the water-propylene glycol mixture while stirring. Disintegration: Using a pump, the flax seed suspension is conveyed into the ultrasonication vessel and is disintegrated using the following parameters: Parameters: - Amplitude: - Synotrode angle: - Time unit (flow-through speed) : - Total volume of the flow-through container: - Length of synotrode in the vessel: - Proportion- of solid matter: - Extent of disintegration: In this case, the relationship: length of synotrode:volume:proportion of solid matter is 1 : 4.35 : 0.02 The total length of the synotrode is 50 mm. The ratio of the length of the synotrode in the vessel to its total length is therefore 0.5.

Claims: Patent Claims 1. Process for disintegrating cell dispersions or cell suspensions by means of ultrasonication treatment in an ultrasonication flow-through cell for the purpose of obtaining cell constituents, characterized in that the synotrode projects into the flow-through cell by 1/2 to 2/3 of its length, in that the angle of the synotrode in the acoustic irradation vessel is within the range from 80.5 to 88.5°, in that the ratio of the extent of immer¬ sion of the synotrode (in mm) to the acoustic irradiation volume (in ml) is set to a value within the range from 1:1.1 to 1:20 and in that the ratio of the extent of immersion of the synotrode (in mm) to the proportion of solid matter in the medium to be sonicated (in per cent by weight) is within the range from 1:0.02 to 1:2.2. 2. Process according to Claim 1, characterized in that an amplitude within the range from 20 to 70 is used. 3. Process according to Claims 1 and 2, charac- terized in that the synotrode angle is 85.3°. 4. Process according to Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the concentration of solid matter in the medium to be sonicated is within the range from 0.5 to 65% by weight.

Inventors: GOLZ KARIN, ROEDING JOACHIM, STANZL KLAUS, ZASTROW LEONHARD, GOLZ, KARIN, ROEDING, JOACHIM, STANZL, KLAUS, ZASTROW, LEONHARD
Applicants: GOLZ KARIN, LANCASTER GROUP AG, ROEDING JOACHIM, STANZL KLAUS, ZASTROW LEONHARD, GOLZ, KARIN, ROEDING, JOACHIM, STANZL, KLAUS, ZASTROW, LEONHARD
Application year: 1993
Main classification: C12N1
IPC codes: C12M3, C12N1, C12N13