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 film-forming 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 will seriously restrict the pullulan production capacity, thus finally restrains the application of pullulan empty 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. For the formation of capsules, the dried pullulan is melted and formed into the desired capsules.

Currently, the raw material of produced pullulan empty capsules is pullulan dried product, which is the purified fermentation fluid made in the drying process. 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 affect the pullulan capsules.

In addition, the following documents are known: <CIT>, concerning a film forming solution usable for the manufacture of an allergen free hard capsules; <CIT>, concerning a process for manufacturing pullulan hard capsules; <CIT>, concerning hard pullulan capsules; <CIT>, concerning a rigid capsule and its manufacture; <CIT>, concerning a hard capsule and its production method; <CIT>, concerning a high molecular weight pullulan polysaccharide additive as well as application thereof in capsule preparation; and <CIT>, concerning a capsule composition comprising pullulan.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for alternative processes for the production of pullulan empty 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 capsule preparation of pullulan empty 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 capsule production. At the same time, by process improvements, the purified pullulan fermentation fluid can be directly used in 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 capsule production and quality.

The present invention provides a method for the production of a 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 transfer tank to form a capsule gel liquid; and forming the pullulan capsule from dipping a mold into the capsule gel liquid, 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 pullulan capsules 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 transfer tank to form a capsule gel liquid; and forming the pullulan capsule from dipping a mold into the capsule gel liquid.

A pullulan capsule produced by a process comprising fermenting Aureobasidium pullulans 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 transfer tank to form a capsule gel liquid; and forming the pullulan capsule from dipping a mold into the capsule gel liquid is also disclosed.

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 empty 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.

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 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 empty pullulan 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 capsule production to provide a unique approach for empty capsule formation. The purified pullulan fermentation fluid can be directly used in capsule preparation, thus removing the need for a melting process. On the one hand, the method may decrease material consumption, save the cost of equipment and labor, reduce production time and increase productivity. On the other hand, the method may reduce the fluctuating of raw material quality in the re-melting process and guarantee a more stable capsule production and quality.

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

Gelling agents can be placed into a transfer tank. Then, varieties of pigment can be added according to the desired color formulas. The concentrated liquor can then be pumped into the transfer tank and mixed for about <NUM>~<NUM> and then let stand for about <NUM>~<NUM> to form capsule gel liquid. The gel liquid can be standing in water at about <NUM>~<NUM> for production usage.

After mold dipping into the gel liquid, the machine speed can be about <NUM>~<NUM>/second, and the oven temperature is about <NUM> ~ <NUM>. Then, it can rotate evenly under the set mechanical drive. The mold can be placed into the kiln to dry. After about <NUM> ~ <NUM> drying, a single section of capsules can be removed from the mold with demold equipment.

A cutting machine may be used to cut the capsule single section into a specified length of various sizes.

A capsule jointing machine may be used to joint sections of the same batch together to get capsule finished products.

Many of the above described steps may be performed using equipment that is known in the art. For example, ion exchange resins and filtration devices for processing pullulan are known in the art. Embodiments of the present invention provide a novel method for the production of pullulan capsules that does not require a drying or melting step, as is performed in conventional methods.

All the features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying abstract and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise.

Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or lettered solely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numbering and lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken to indicate the ordering of elements and/or steps in the claims.

It must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of examples and that they should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claim 1:
A method for the production of a 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 transfer tank to form a capsule gel liquid; and
forming the pullulan capsule from dipping a mold into the capsule gel liquid, wherein the method lacks drying the pullulan to form a solid pullulan product.