Patent Description:
The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.

Pullulan is a polysaccharide polymer of a maltotriose trimer made up of α-(<NUM> → <NUM>)-linked (<NUM> → <NUM>)-α-d-triglucosides, also known as α-<NUM>,<NUM>-α-<NUM>,<NUM>-glucan. Three glucose units in maltotriose are connected by an α-<NUM>,<NUM> glycosidic bond, whereas consecutive maltotriose units are connected to each other by an α-<NUM>,<NUM> glycosidic bond. Pullulan is produced from starch by the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans.

Pullulan is a natural raw material of vegetable capsules with excellent filmforming property, water solubility, biological compatibility, and degradability. However, the production level of this product is low worldwide. In the production of pullulan, the drying process has high requirements on equipment and the energy consumption is large. If the fermentation can't match with the drying production capacity, it can seriously restrict the pullulan production capacity, thus finally restrains the application of pullulan soft capsules.

Conventionally, pullulan is produced by mesophilic fermentation of starch syrup by the selected non-toxigenic strain of Aureobasidium pullulans. The strain is selected by traditional techniques, i.e. the strain is not the product of genetic modification using recombinant technologies. The production strain has a high yield of pullulan, low production of melanin and does not produce aureobasidin A.

After completion of the fermentation, the fungal cells are removed by microfiltration. The cell-free filtrate is heat-sterilized and treated with activated carbon to remove pigments and other impurities by adsorption. The decolorized filtrate is cooled and deionized using cation and anion exchange resins. The deionized solution is concentrated to a solids content of about <NUM> %, treated a second time with activated carbon, and filtered using diatomaceous earth as a filter aid. The filtrate is concentrated by evaporation to a solids content of about <NUM> % and dried in a drum dryer. The dried pullulan is pulverized to a specified particle size and packed in sterilized polyethylene bags.

Currently, the raw material of produced pullulan soft capsules is pullulan dried product, which is the purified fermentation fluid made in the drying process, see e.g. <CIT>), <CIT>), <CIT>), where the pullulan used is in solid form or <NPL>. ) where the concentrated fermentation liquor is dried in a vacuum desiccator before forming films and fibers. A study found that microwave drying would make the pullulan film distorted, while both the spray drying and microwave drying would both result in the browning of the raw pullulan material. Therefore, the drying process during the preparation of pullulan raw material reduces its quality and affects the pullulan soft capsules.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for alternative processes for the production of pullulan soft capsules that addresses the problems outlines above in the conventional methods of pullulan drying.

In some embodiments of the present invention, one aspect is to reduce the impact of low raw material quality on soft capsule preparation of pullulan soft capsules by eliminating the separate drying process, which determines the quality of pullulan formed by conventional methods.

In some embodiments of the present invention, another purpose is to reduce the equipment cost and energy consumption in the drying process by linking pullulan raw material production with soft capsule production. At the same time, by process improvements, the purified pullulan fermentation fluid can be directly used in soft capsule preparation, thus removing the need for a separate melting process. On the one hand, these improvements may decrease material consumption, save the cost of equipment and labor, reduce production time and increase productivity. On the other hand, these improvements may reduce the fluctuating of raw material quality in the re-melting process and guarantee a more stable soft capsule production and quality.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for the production of a pullulan soft capsule comprising fermenting Aureobasidium pullulans cells to produce a pullulan fermentation liquor; filtering the fermentation liquor; concentrating the fermentation liquor; transferring the concentrated fermentation liquor into a gel storage tank having a temperature control function; pumping the concentrated fermentation liquor from the gel storage tank into a reaction tank; adding gelatin and plasticizer to the reaction tank with the concentrated fermentation liquor; and forming the pullulan soft capsule with a soft capsule making machine, wherein the method lacks drying the pullulan to form a solid pullulan product.

Embodiments of the present invention further provide a method for the production of a pullulan soft capsule comprising fermenting Aureobasidium pullulans to produce a pullulan fermentation liquor; filtering the fermentation liquor through at least one of a plate and frame press filter and an ion exchange column; concentrating the fermentation liquor; transferring the concentrated fermentation liquor into a gel storage tank maintaining a temperature from about <NUM> to about <NUM>; pumping the concentrated fermentation liquor from the gel storage tank into a reaction tank; adding a gelatinizer and a plasticizer to the reaction tank to form a soft capsule gel liquid; and forming the pullulan soft capsule with a soft capsule making machine with the soft capsule gel liquid.

Embodiments of the present invention also provide a pullulan soft capsule produced by a process comprising fermenting Aureobasidium pullulans to produce a pullulan fermentation liquor; filtering the fermentation liquor; concentrating the fermentation liquor to provide a mass fraction of <NUM> percent to t <NUM> percent by weight; transferring the concentrated fermentation liquor into a gel storage tank having a temperature control function; pumping the concentrated fermentation liquor from the gel storage tank into a reaction tank; adding gelatin and plasticizer to the reaction tank with the concentrated fermentation liquor; and forming the pullulan soft capsule with a soft capsule making machine.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements.

illustrates a flow chart schematically showing a method for the production of pullulan soft capsules according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.

The invention and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description wherein illustrated embodiments are described. It is to be expressly understood that the illustrated embodiments are set forth as examples and not by way of limitations on the invention as ultimately defined in the claims.

As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims.

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.

The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or description below.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, many careful considerations and compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimal configuration of a commercial implementation of any system, and in particular, the embodiments of the present invention. A commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of the present invention may be configured according to the needs of the particular application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s), result(s), component(s), approach(es), or step(s) of the teachings related to any described embodiment of the present invention may be suitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and matched, or improved and/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average skills and known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation that addresses the needs of the particular application.

Broadly, embodiments of the present invention provide methods for the production of pullulan soft capsules that eliminates the need to dry pullulan solid product, thereby reducing the equipment cost and energy consumption. The pullulan raw material production can be linked directly with the soft capsule production to provide a unique approach for soft capsule formation. The purified pullulan fermentation fluid can be directly used in soft capsule preparation, thus removing the need for a melting process. On the one hand, the method can decrease material consumption, save the cost of equipment and labor, reduce production time and increase productivity. On the other hand, the method can reduce the fluctuating of raw material quality in the re-melting process and guarantee a more stable soft capsule production and quality.

Referring now to the FIG. , Aureobasidium pullulans can be fermented and produced at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The fermentation of Aureobasidium pullulans may be performed by known techniques. Its raw materials include sucrose or glucose, some of which can be used for the growing consumption of microbial cells, and the rest can turn into polysaccharose.

Raw material and water may be placed proportionally into the seed tank and provided with a sterilization treatment. The temperature can be controlled at about <NUM>~<NUM>. Bacteria can be added to cultivate for <NUM>-<NUM>, so as to provide sufficient quantity of liquid for the fermentation tank to produce bacteria.

Raw material and nutritive material may be placed proportionally into the fermentation tank. Purified water may then be added. After sterilization, the fermentation liquor may then be added. The temperature is typically controlled at about <NUM>~<NUM>. The resulting mixture is stirred and cultivated for about <NUM>~<NUM>. After that, pullulan fermentation liquor will be obtained.

The plate and frame press filter may then be used to filter and substantially remove the bacteria in the fermentation liquor.

The resulting fermentation liquor may be poured into resin column for ion exchange, so as to substantially remove the small amount of small protein and salt content therefrom.

The inlet valve of the filter system can maintain a working pressure of about <NUM>. During the process, purified water can be used to backwash the filter system and the liquor may be concentrated. According to the setting, the mass fraction of the concentrated liquor can be controlled to about <NUM>-<NUM> (w/w) percent.

The concentrated liquor may be transferred into a gel storage tank, which has a temperature control function, so that the liquor will be immersed in the tank at about <NUM>~<NUM>.

The concentrated liquor can then be pumped into the reaction tank. Gelatinizers, plasticizers, moisturizing agents and anti-hygroscopic agents may be added to the reaction tank at ambient pressure with an agitation speed of about <NUM>-<NUM> r/min.

The gelatinizer is gelatin. Other gelatinizers which can be sued include gellan gum, high acyl gellan gum, or the like. The gelatin may be obtained from various sources, such as through a partial hydrolysis of collagen, derived, for example, from animal bones, skin or connective tissues. In some embodiments, the gelatinizer may have a gelatin strength (bloom) between <NUM> and <NUM> and a viscosity range from about <NUM> to 45milli poise, for example.

The plasticizer may be present to make the soft capsule elastic and pliable. Some of the most common plasticizers include sorbitol and glycerin.

The moisturizing agent can be any moisturizing agent known in the capsule formation arts, including, for example, methylglycine-proline.

The anti-hygroscopic agent can be any anti-hygroscopic agent known in the capsule formation arts, including, for example, one or combination of stearic acid and lauric acid.

The resulting mixture can be stirred until a first dispersion is formed, keeping the gel solution at a temperature of <NUM>-<NUM> for <NUM>-<NUM> and vacuuming for <NUM>-<NUM>.

The gel solution can then be cooled to a temperature of about <NUM>-<NUM>. The gel solution can be pelleted with a soft capsule making machine, to obtain a soft capsule formed with pullulan polysaccharide.

In some embodiments, the soft capsule making machine can produce a thin gelatin ribbon that can be used to with an encapsulation machine to create a soft capsule containing an appropriate fill material, such as a pharmaceutical preparation. The soft capsule making machine as described herein may take various forms, including those that are typically used in the art to make conventional soft capsules. The specifics for each of these machines may vary, where the present invention provides a concentrated pullulan liquor that can be used, with gelatinizers and plasticizers, for example, to create a desired soft capsule.

Claim 1:
A method for the production of a pullulan soft capsule, comprising:
fermenting Aureobasidium pullulans cells to produce a pullulan fermentation liquor;
filtering the fermentation liquor;
concentrating the fermentation liquor;
transferring the concentrated fermentation liquor into a gel storage tank having a temperature control function;
pumping the concentrated fermentation liquor from the gel storage tank into a reaction tank;
adding gelatin and plasticizer to the reaction tank with the concentrated fermentation liquor; and
forming the pullulan soft capsule with a soft capsule making machine, wherein the method lacks drying the pullulan to form a solid pullulan product.