WO2018190310A1

WO2018190310A1 - Quality improver and use thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2018190310A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/014976
Authority: WO
Inventors: 誠一郎岸下; 亜希子安田; 晶子溝手; 学宮田; 知代吉實; 毅弘西田; 三宅　正樹; 山本　拓生; 仁志三皷
Original assignee: 株式会社林原
Priority date: 2017-04-11
Filing date: 2018-04-09
Publication date: 2018-10-18
Also published as: TW201902365A; JPWO2018190310A1

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing: a quality improver which has a proper molecular weight, a proper viscosity and solubility in cold water and can be used advantageously in the fields of foods, cosmetics, quasi drugs, drugs, industrial products, etc.; and a use of the quality improver. The problem can be solved by: a quality improver which can be produced by a production method involving a step of gelatinizing a waxy starch and then allowing an amylase to act on a gelatinized product to liquefy the gelatinized product and a step of allowing an α-glucosyltransferase to act on a liquefied product, and which contains an α-glucan mixture having the below-mentioned characteristic properties as an active ingredient; and a use of the quality improver: (1) the weight average molecular weight (Mw) falls within the range from 150 kDa to 3,000 kDa; (2) a value (Mw/Mn) obtained by dividing the weight average molecular weight (Mw) with a number average molecular weight (Mn) is 35.1 or less; and (3) an α-glucan molecule having an isomaltose structure at a non-reducing terminal is contained.

Description

Quality improver and its use

The present invention relates to a quality improving agent and various uses thereof, and in particular, relates to a quality improving agent containing an edible material as an active ingredient and uses thereof.

Edible materials are used mainly for the purpose of improving quality such as aging control, flavor improvement, texture improvement, etc., depending on the various properties of the material. Examples of the material include starch and derivatives thereof, carbohydrates such as alginic acid, pectin, and gum arabic, and proteins such as gelatin, casein, soy protein, milk protein, gluten, and zein. Other than these, lipids such as paraffin, carnauba wax, beeswax, candelilla wax, polyethylene wax, monoglycerides of various fatty acids, and resins such as shellac, rosin, and copal may be used. Among them, edible materials that are useful in that they can be formed into films and capsules include, for example, wafers made from starch, collagen, gelatin, pullulan, and carrageenan.

However, many of these conventionally used edible materials have advantages and disadvantages based on the characteristics of the materials themselves. For example, even if it is an edible material prepared from starch, gelatinized starch and dextrin (partially decomposed starch) have mutually contradictory properties and are not suitable for use as an edible material. There is. In other words, gelatinized starch is water-soluble without reducing the molecular weight of raw starch, and can be used as an adhesive or thickener in various foods and beverages by taking advantage of the adhesiveness and thickening of starch. Although it has an advantage that it can be used, it has a drawback that it is difficult to handle because of its high viscosity, and it is easy to age and form an insoluble precipitate. Incidentally, there is an oblate as an edible material in which gelatinized starch is formed into a film, and it has been widely used as an auxiliary product for wrapping and drinking medicine. It is necessary to lower the viscosity by reducing the gelatinized starch concentration in the aqueous solution, and there is a drawback that the film obtained inevitably is thin and lacks in strength.

On the other hand, dextrin (starch partially decomposed product) has high solubility in water and low viscosity because starch, which is a raw material, is hydrolyzed and reduced in molecular weight by acid, alkali, enzyme, etc. Although it has an advantage, since the reducing power is increased by hydrolysis, there is a problem that when it is mixed and heated with protein or amino acid, it is colored by Maillard reaction. In addition, dextrin has a disadvantage that it is difficult to form a strong film because it has a low molecular weight.

Films made from starch-based edible materials are manufactured by blending plasticizers such as glycerol, sorbitol, and sorbitol esters for the purpose of improving vulnerability at low temperatures and increasing flexibility. In many cases, it is said that when a plasticizer such as a polyhydric alcohol is added, the strength of the film may be significantly reduced (see Patent Document 1).

Under such circumstances, it is an edible material obtained from starch that has been eaten since ancient times, is safe, is available in a relatively large amount, and is inexpensive, and has the advantages of both gelatinized starch and dextrin described above. In other words, if a new edible material having both low reducing power, moderate molecular weight, moderate viscosity, and cold water solubility is obtained, it will be possible to take advantage of these properties to develop an aging regulator and flavor improver as well as an edible film. Because it can be widely used in various fields including food and drink, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, etc., as various quality improvers such as shape retention agents, foam property improvers, texture improvers, etc. Very useful.

JP 2008-79525 A

The present invention is an edible material prepared from starch, which has an appropriate molecular weight, an appropriate viscosity, and cold water solubility, an aging regulator, a flavor improver, a shape retention agent, a foam property improver, a texture It is an object of the present invention to provide a quality improver that can be advantageously used in the fields of food, cosmetics, quasi-drugs, pharmaceuticals, industrial products and the like as various quality improvers such as an improver.

As a result of intensive research to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present applicant has obtained a low glucose equivalent (DE), a low reducing power, and an appropriate molecular weight when gelatinized waxy starch and liquefied by the action of a small amount of amylase. An unprecedented excellent α-glucan mixture having a moderate viscosity is obtained, and the α-glucan mixture is used as an edible material, as a raw material for edible films, as well as a binder for food materials, It has been found that it can be suitably used as a texture improving agent for bread, confectionery, etc., a flaw improving agent for noodle products, a preservability improving agent, and the like. The application was filed as PCT / JP2016 / 85946 (International Publication No. WO2017 / 094895).

The inventors then conducted further research, and among the novel α-glucan mixture found in the above-mentioned prior application, in particular, a value obtained by dividing the weight average molecular weight (Mw) by the number average molecular weight (Mn) ( Mw / Mn) having a specific range and having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end is particularly suitable as a quality improver, specifically an aging regulator, a flavor improver, a physical property improver, etc. As a result, the present invention has been completed.

That is, the present invention is an α-glucan mixture obtained by a production method including a step of gelatinizing waxy starch, allowing amylase to act and liquefying, and a step of allowing α-glucosyltransferase to act, comprising the following (1) to Solving the above problems by providing a quality improver comprising an α-glucan mixture having the characteristics of (3) (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “α-glucan” or “present α-glucan”) as an active ingredient What to do:
(1) the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is in the range of 150 kDa to 3,000 kDa;

(2) The value (Mw / Mn) obtained by dividing the weight average molecular weight (Mw) by the number average molecular weight (Mn) is 35.1 or less; and
(3) An α-glucan molecule having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end is included.

In addition, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems by providing various uses as an aging regulator, a flavor improver, a physical property improver and the like of the quality improver.

Furthermore, this invention solves the said subject by providing the food / beverage products, cosmetics, quasi-drugs, pharmaceuticals, and industrial goods which contain the said quality improvement agent.

The quality-improving agent according to the present invention basically has an α-glucan mixture, which is an active ingredient, having an appropriate molecular weight and viscosity and high solubility in water. It has the advantages of excellent water solubility and excellent handling properties. The quality improver of the present invention has excellent functions such as aging control ability, flavor improvement ability, physical property improvement ability, etc., and is excellent as an aging control agent, flavor improvement agent, physical property improvement agent, etc. It is useful for improving the quality of industrial products, cosmetics, quasi drugs and pharmaceuticals.

5 is a graph showing the viscosity measured after repeated cold thawing for an aqueous solution of this α-glucan. 3 is a graph showing the turbidity measured after refrigerated storage of a mixture of this α-glucan solution and starch liquor. 3 is a graph showing the results of a sensory test on the change in flavor of soymilk prepared using this α-glucan. 2 is a photograph showing the shape retention of a gelatin gel prepared using this α-glucan. 6 is a graph showing the time taken for the present α-glucan aqueous solution to warm to the target temperature after heating. 4 is a graph showing the degree of stickiness of a gelatinized starch gel prepared using this α-glucan.

1. Definition of Terms In this specification, the following terms have the following meanings.

<Waxy starch>
In general, starch (starch) is composed of amylose having a structure in which glucose, which is a constituent sugar, is linked in a straight chain via α-1,4 bonds, and α-1,6 bonds at the location of glucose inside the amylose. It is known that it is in a mixed form with amylopectin having a structure branched via a. “Waxy starch” as used herein refers to a plant of waxy (rice cake) variety, for example, waxy rice (rice), barley, wheat, wheat, corn, millet, whey, corn Means starch. Waxy starch has almost no amylose and has only amylopectin. Waxy corn starch is a starch obtained from waxy corn and is easy to gelatinize. Transparent gel has excellent storage stability. Therefore, it is most widely used and is suitable as a raw material for α-glucan, which is an active ingredient of the quality improver of the present invention.

<Gelatinization>
As used herein, “gelatinization” means a phenomenon in which, when starch granules are heated in the presence of water, the hydrogen bonds of the starch granules are broken and the grains irreversibly swell (or hydrate or dissolve). Starch loses crystallinity and birefringence with gelatinization, increases in viscosity, and reacts rapidly with enzymes (amylases) and chemicals. Gelatinization is also called alpha.

<Liquefaction>
“Liquefaction” as used in the present specification means liquefaction by causing amylase to act on gelatinized starch and partially hydrolyzing it. The liquefied starch (α-glucan) obtained by liquefying the gelatinized starch becomes lower in molecular weight as the degree of hydrolysis increases, and exhibits a lower molecular weight and lower viscosity.

<Mw / Mn (weight average molecular weight / number average molecular weight)>
As used herein, “Mw / Mn” means a value obtained by dividing the weight average molecular weight (Mw) by the number average molecular weight (Mn). Mw / Mn is an index representing the spread (dispersion degree) of the molecular weight distribution. The larger the value, the wider the molecular species range, and the closer the value, the more uniform the molecular species in molecular weight. Means. By the way, Mw / Mn is subjected to gel filtration high performance liquid chromatography (gel filtration HPLC), and its chromatogram is analyzed by molecular weight distribution analysis software to obtain weight average molecular weight (Mw) and number average molecular weight (Mn). It can be calculated by

<Cool water soluble>
As used herein, “cold water solubility” means that a test sample is added to deionized water so as to have a solid concentration of 20% by mass, and stirred at a liquid temperature of 30 ° C. to visually determine the degree of dissolution. Sometimes means the property of completely dissolving within 15 minutes to give a homogeneous solution. The quality improver comprising α-glucan having cold water solubility as an active ingredient is easy to handle because it does not need to be dissolved by heating when blended into various compositions, although it depends on the proportion of α-glucan contained. There is an advantage of being.

<Aging>
The term “retrogradation” as used herein means that gelatinized starch (pregelatinized starch) or liquefied starch changes to a water-insoluble state like natural starch over time. Aging is a state change in which starch molecules naturally associate and partially move into a densely assembled state, and the association of molecules is thought to be mainly due to hydrogen bonding by hydroxyl groups (OH groups) of glucose residues. A phenomenon in which an aqueous solution of gelatinized starch or liquefied starch becomes clouded over time is observed, but this occurs because gelatinized starch or liquefied starch is aged and insolubilized. Although starch is composed of amylose and amylopectin, it is known that linear amylose that is not branched is more likely to age. In addition, aging is known to occur not only in starch but also in polysaccharides such as partially decomposed starch (dextrin), and in general, it is said that the smaller the glucose equivalent (DE) described later, the easier it is to age. .

<Aging resistance>
The term “anti-aging” as used in the present specification means that a material such as the quality improver of the present invention or the composition itself does not easily cause aging, which is a change in the state of the starchy polysaccharide.

<Aging control>
The term “aging control” as used herein refers to the degree of aging, which is a change in the state of the starchy polysaccharide, and the ease of aging, by allowing a material or composition such as the quality improver of the present invention to coexist. It means to adjust, and is different from “aging resistance” in this specification.

<Flavor improvement>
As used herein, “flavor improvement” refers to bitterness, pungent taste, astringency, savory taste, astringent taste, etc. of target foods and beverages, oxidation odor, heated odor, processed odor, raw odor, blue odor, etc. It means to improve off-flavors and the like that people feel unpleasant, and it means that the quality improver of the present invention exerts the effect of flavoring. The “flavor” here is not limited to the “flavor” of foods and drinks, but includes odors of cosmetics, quasi drugs, pharmaceuticals, industrial products, and the like.

<Improvement of physical properties>
As used herein, “improvement of physical properties” literally means that various physical properties of a target product or the like are improved, such as adhesiveness, formability, shine, moisture retention, viscosity, osmotic pressure. In addition to improving physical properties such as syrup and preventing the precipitation of sugar from syrup, etc., curing control, flow control, fogging control, shelf life improvement, adhesion improvement, improvement over the throat, oxidation prevention, collapse Prevent and improve browning prevention, water separation prevention, water retention, moisture controllability, moldability, shape retention, refrigeration resistance, freezing resistance, ice crystal stability, etc. Means.

<Α-Glucosyltransferase>
As used herein, “α-glucosyltransferase” refers to an enzyme that acts on a partially degraded starch and has an activity to transfer α-1,6 glucosyl to its non-reducing terminal glucose residue. By allowing α-glucosyltransferase to act on α-glucan, α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end can be obtained. Examples of α-glucosyltransferase include α-glucosidase, α-glucosyltransferase, and dextrin dextranase.

<Isomalt dextranase digestion>
The term “isomaltodextranase digestion” as used herein means that isomaltdextranase is allowed to act on a test sample to hydrolyze the bond on the reducing end side of the isomaltose structure in the test sample. If isomaltdextranase (EC 3.2.1.94) is a glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, such as dextran, the bond adjacent to the reducing end of the isomaltose structure is α -1,2, α-1,3, α-1,4, and α-1,6 linkages are enzymes that have hydrolytic activity. The test sample contains α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end by subjecting the digestion product to HPLC analysis and examining whether or not isomaltose is observed in the sugar composition. It can be confirmed whether or not. In the experimental section described below, specifically, the test sample is an aqueous solution having a concentration of 1 w / v%, and isomaltdextranase derived from Arthrobacter globiformis (manufactured by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) per gram of the test sample solid. 100 units were added and allowed to act at 50 ° C. and pH 5.0 for 16 hours. The obtained digest was subjected to sugar composition analysis HPLC under the following conditions to quantitate isomaltose.
(HPLC conditions for sugar composition analysis)
Column: Two MCI GEL CK04SS (Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) coupled Eluent: Water Column temperature: 80 ° C
Flow rate: 0.4 mL / min Detection: Differential refractometer RID-10A (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation)

<Glucose equivalent (Dextrose Equivalent, DE)>
“Glucose equivalent (DE)” as used herein is an index indicating the degree of hydrolysis in starch sugar (starch partially decomposed product) obtained by hydrolyzing starch using an acid or an enzyme. It means the numerical value expressed by the formula. The glucose equivalent (DE) is a relative scale when the reducing power of D-glucose (dextrose, glucose) is 100, and the closer to 0, the lower the degree of hydrolysis and the closer to starch. , The closer to 100, the higher the degree of hydrolysis and the closer to glucose.

The amount of reducing sugar is determined according to the conventional modified Park-Johnson method (see Takusaku et al., “Carbohydrate Research”, Vol. 94, pages 205 to 213 (1981)). Quantify glucose as standard. The total amount of solids is determined by a conventional drying method.

<Amylose content>
Since starch has different amylose contents if different types such as corn starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, etc., the “amylose content” can be used as one of the indices for specifying the starch species. As used herein, “amylose content” refers to starch or a partial degradation product (α-glucan) by amylase, or a starch sample such as α-glucan obtained by allowing α-glucosyltransferase to act on them. Means the amylose content of the sample measured based on the color reaction of amylose and iodine in accordance with the amylose content measurement method shown in Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Notification No. 332, Standard Measurement Method. Specifically, (1) 1 mL of ethanol and 9 mL of 1M sodium hydroxide reagent solution are added to 100 mg of an analysis sample, heated in boiling water for 10 minutes, and water is added to prepare exactly 100 mL of the sample solution; (2) Next, 5 mL of the sample solution and 1 mL of 1M acetic acid test solution are mixed, then 2 mL of iodine / potassium iodide test solution is added and mixed, and then water is added to make exactly 100 mL to obtain a measurement solution; (3) After adjusting the temperature by holding the measurement solution at 27 ° C. for 30 minutes, the absorbance at a wavelength of 620 nm is measured using a spectrophotometer; (4) The absorbance and an amylose standard separately prepared using reagent grade amylose The amylose content in the analytical sample is obtained based on a calibration curve measured and prepared in the same manner for the solution, and the amylose content is calculated.

2. The quality improving agent of the present invention is an α-glucan mixture obtained by a production method comprising gelatinizing waxy starch, allowing amylase to act and liquefying, and α-glucosyltransferase to act, and The present invention relates to a quality improver comprising an α-glucan mixture having the following characteristics (1) to (3) as an active ingredient:
(1) the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is in the range of 150 kDa to 3,000 kDa;
(2) The value (Mw / Mn) obtained by dividing the weight average molecular weight (Mw) by the number average molecular weight (Mn) is 35.1 or less; and
(3) An α-glucan molecule having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end is included.

The α-glucan containing the quality improving agent of the present invention as an active ingredient is obtained by a production method including a step of gelatinizing waxy starch, causing amylase to act and liquefying, and a step of allowing α-glucosyltransferase to act Usually, it is in the form of a mixture of various α-glucan molecules having different molecular weights and structures. Waxy starch is a starch that is substantially free of amylose, which is a linear α-1,4 glucan, and is composed only of an amylopectin having a substantially branched structure. Compared with starch containing amylose other than waxy starch, It has the property of being easily aging and not inherently aging, and the same applies to the decomposition products. Waxy starch is also superior in film-forming properties (film forming ability) compared to starch containing amylose other than waxy starch. The present α-glucan obtained by using such waxy starch as a starting material is characterized as the whole α-glucan mixture by the features (1) to (3), which will be sequentially described below. It is difficult to directly define the structural characteristics of various α-glucan molecules contained in this α-glucan. Incidentally, although there is a method using an acid as a method for liquefying gelatinized starch, amylase has an advantage that the degree of hydrolysis can be controlled more easily than acid.

The present α-glucan is characterized in that (1) the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is in the range of 150 kDa to 3,000 kDa, and more preferably in the range of 200 kDa to 3,000 kDa. When the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is less than 150 kDa, the proportion of α-glucan molecules having a small molecular weight increases, the viscosity and film-forming property (film forming ability) decrease, and coloring occurs due to an increase in reducing power. Cause. When the weight average molecular weight exceeds 3,000 kDa, it is difficult to dissolve in water, and since it exhibits a high viscosity, it is difficult to handle and difficult to use.

The α-glucan is characterized in that (2) a value (Mw / Mn) obtained by dividing the weight average molecular weight (Mw) by the number average molecular weight (Mn) is 35.1 or less. When the value of Mw / Mn exceeds 35.1, the proportion of α-glucan molecules having a small molecular weight increases, which results in not only poor film-forming properties, but also causes reduction due to increased reducing power. The inconvenience arises.

In addition, the present α-glucan is an α-glucan having the characteristics of (1) and (2) above and (3) including an α-glucan molecule having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end. Α-glucan with an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end gelatinizes waxy starch and liquefies it with amylase, then acts on a partially degraded starch and α-1,6-glucosyl transfer to the non-reducing end glucose residue It can be obtained by further acting an α-glucosyltransferase having the activity of

This α-glucan contains an α-glucan molecule having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end. This can be confirmed by examining whether or not isomaltose is contained in the digest. The α-glucan used in the present invention is preferably one that produces isomaltose more than 3% by mass and less than 22% by mass by solid digestion by digestion with isomalt dextranase.

This α-glucan contains an α-glucan molecule having a special structure that does not inherently exist in the starch hydrolyzate having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end. (Partially decomposed product) and a linear α-1,4 glucan in which glucose is linked via an α-1,4 bond, have a property that is not easily aged (aging resistance). For example, the α-glucan that produces isomaltose of more than 3% by mass and less than 22% by mass of the digested solid in the isomalt-dextranase digestion has a solid concentration of 30% by mass. Even when kept as an aqueous solution at 6 ° C. for 1 week, it has an aging resistance such that no cloudiness of the solution due to aging is observed. Furthermore, as shown in an experimental example to be described later, the aging resistance is such that even if the step of natural thawing after freezing an aqueous solution with a solid concentration of 30% by mass at −20 ° C. is repeated five times, the viscosity is not changed. Have sex. Therefore, among the present α-glucans, α-glucans that produce more than 3% by weight and less than 22% by weight of isomaltose in the digestion of isomaltodextranase have a relatively high concentration prior to use. In the case of a quality improver containing α-glucan as an active ingredient, the same can be said.

Although the glucose equivalent (DE) of the α-glucan is not particularly limited, the glucose equivalent (DE) can be used as an indicator of the degree of decomposition of waxy starch. Depending on the use of the quality improver, it is desired that the color improver is less likely to be colored or browned due to the Maillard reaction or the like when mixed with protein or amino acid and heated. In such a case, it is desirable that the α-glucan has a low glucose equivalent (DE). When the glucose equivalent (DE) exceeds 2.0, the reducing power increases and causes coloring, so the glucose equivalent (DE) is usually 2.0 or less, preferably 1.8 or less, more preferably Is preferably 1.6 or less.

The waxy starch for obtaining the present α-glucan is not limited by the plant from which it is derived, but a waxy corn starch that is mass-produced and easily available is widely used. Waxy starch is generally said to contain substantially no amylose, which is a linear molecule in which glucose is linearly linked via α-1,4 bonds. In the measurement method of the amylose content based on this, an amylose content of about 25% by mass or less is usually shown. Although the amylose content of the α-glucan used in the present invention obtained from a waxy starch as a raw material and subjected to the α-glucosyl transfer reaction after the decomposition reaction with amylase may vary depending on the type of the waxy starch used as a raw material, In the measurement method of amylose content based on the coloration method, a value of 25% by mass or less is usually shown.

This α-glucan is soluble in cold water, and when added to deionized water to a solids concentration of 20% by mass and stirred at a temperature of 30 ° C., it completely dissolves within 15 minutes, A uniform solution can be obtained.

3. Production method of the present α-glucan The present α-glucan can be produced by a production method including a step of gelatinizing waxy starch, causing amylase to act and liquefying, and a step of causing α-glucosyltransferase to act. The method is not particularly limited by the origin of the waxy starch used, the conditions for gelatinization, and the types and origins of amylase and α-glucosyltransferase.

The method of gelatinizing the raw waxy starch can be performed by a conventional method of heating a waxy starch aqueous suspension. Specifically, for example, a method in which a waxy starch water suspension is placed in a jacketed reactor and heated indirectly, a method in which steam is mixed with the waxy starch water suspension and heated directly, a hot roll of a drum dryer The method of heating above is mentioned. The gelatinized waxy starch is liquefied by adding amylase and hydrolyzing. Nowadays, a method is commonly used in which amylase is added to starch milk (starch suspension) in advance, and the gelatinization and liquefaction proceed simultaneously by heating the starch. For gelatinization and liquefaction, a conventional method may be selected as appropriate, and it is usually performed in either a batch system or a continuous system.

As the amylase for liquefying the gelatinized starch, a commercially available heat-resistant liquefied α-amylase is preferably used. Examples of commercially available thermostable liquefied α-amylase include “Spitase HK” (manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation), “Tarmamyl 60L” (manufactured by Novozyme Japan), “Amylase AD“ Amano ”” (Amano Enzyme) Manufacturing Co., Ltd.), “Christase T10S” (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Co., Ltd.), “Sumiteam L” (manufactured by Shin Nippon Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), and the like.

Furthermore, an α-glucosyltransferase that introduces an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end acts on a partial degradation product of starch, as long as it has an activity to transfer glucose to the non-reducing end glucose residue by α-1,6. It is not limited by origin or physicochemical properties. Examples of the α-glucosyltransferase having such an activity include transglucosidase derived from Aspergillus niger (α-glucosidase), dextrin dextranase derived from Acetobacter capsuratam, International Publication No. WO2008 / “Α-glucosyltransferase” derived from Bacillus or Arthrobacter microorganisms disclosed in US Pat. No. 136331, or Bacillus or Al disclosed in International Publication No. WO 02/010361 by the same applicant as the present application. Examples include “α-isomaltosylglucosaccharide-producing enzyme” derived from microorganisms belonging to the genus Slobacter, and in particular, α-glucosyltransferase and α-isomaltosylglucose derived from microorganisms belonging to the genus Bacillus or Arthrobacter. More sugar-generating enzymes It can be used to apply.

The α-glucosyltransferase disclosed in International Publication No. WO2008 / 136331 pamphlet acts on a maltose and / or α-1,4 glucan having a glucose polymerization degree of 3 or more as a substrate and other non-reducing terminal glucose residues. By α-1,4 or α-1,6 glucosyl transfer mainly to the non-reducing terminal glucose residue of the α-1,4-glucan of -It has an activity to produce bound glucan, and it is complicated from maltose and / or α-1,4 glucan having a degree of glucose polymerization of 3 or more by acting the α-glucosyltransferase and repeating the glucosyltransferase reaction. A branched α-glucan having a simple branched structure can be produced. In addition, the α-glucosyltransferase is α-1,3 glucosyltransferase or α-1,4 linked to α-1,6 linked glucose residues in the interior of glucan, although it is less frequently. By catalyzing 1,3-glucosyl transfer, it also has an activity to produce α-glucan having α-1,3 bond, α-1,4,6 bond and α-1,3,6 bond. Yes. If this α-glucosyltransferase is used, an isomaltose structure can be introduced into the non-reducing end thereof, and this α-glucan can be preferably produced.

Incidentally, the α-glucosyltransferase derived from the genus Bacillus or Arthrobacter disclosed in the pamphlet of International Publication No. WO2008 / 136331 has the following properties (A) to (F).
(A) Action It acts on α-1,4 glucan having a degree of polymerization of maltose and / or glucose of 3 or more, mainly catalyzing α-1,4 glucosyl transfer or α-1,6 glucosyl transfer, and non-reducing terminal glucose residue Transfer glucose to the 4- or 6-position hydroxyl group of
(B) Molecular weight In SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, 90,000 ± 10,000 daltons;
(C) Optimum temperature, pH 6.0, about 50 ° C. under reaction conditions for 30 minutes;
(D) Optimum pH
About 6.0 under reaction conditions at 40 ° C. for 30 minutes;
(E) Temperature stability pH 6.0, stable to 40 ° C. under 60 minutes hold condition; and
(F) pH stability Stable in the range of pH 4.0 to 8.0 under conditions of 4 ° C. and 24 hours holding.

“Α-Isomaltosylglucosaccharide-forming enzyme” disclosed in the pamphlet of International Publication No. WO02 / 010361, that is, α-glucosyltransferase has α-1 having a maltose and / or glucose polymerization degree of 3 or more as a substrate. , 4-glucan, and the non-reducing terminal glucose residue is transferred to the non-reducing terminal glucose residue of other α-1,4-glucan by α-1,6-glucosyl transfer, thereby It has an activity to produce glucan in which glucose is α-linked to a hydroxyl group. Since this α-glucosyltransferase has no activity to transfer glucose further to a glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end once produced, the branched α having a complex branching enzyme as described above -Although glucan cannot be produced, even with this α-glucosyltransferase, the isomaltose structure can be introduced into the non-reducing end without greatly changing Mw / Mn (dispersion degree), and this α-glucan is suitable. Can be manufactured.

Incidentally, the “α-isomaltosylglucosaccharide-forming enzyme” derived from the microorganisms of the genus Bacillus or Arthrobacter disclosed in the pamphlet of International Publication No. WO02 / 010361 has the following properties (G) to (M). is doing.
(G) Action As a non-reducing end-binding mode, a glucose having a degree of polymerization of α-1,4 glucosyl bonds of 2 or more undergoes α-glucosyl transfer without substantially increasing the reducing power. A carbohydrate having an α-1,6 glucosyl bond as a binding mode at the reducing end and an α-1,4 glucosyl bond as a binding mode other than the non-reducing end and having a glucose polymerization degree of 3 or more;
(H) molecular weight having a molecular weight in the range of about 74,000 to 160,000 daltons by SDS-gel electrophoresis;
(I) isoelectric point having an isoelectric point in the range of pI of about 3.8 to 7.8 by an ampholine-containing electrophoresis method;
(J) Optimal temperature, having an optimal temperature in the range of about 40 to 50 ° C. at a reaction of pH 6.0 for 60 minutes;
having an optimum temperature in the range of about 45-55 ° C. in the presence of 1 mM Ca ²⁺ at a reaction of pH 6.0 for 60 minutes;
pH 8.4, reaction for 60 minutes, with optimal temperature at 60 ° C; or
It has an optimum temperature of 65 ° C. in the presence of 1 mM Ca ²⁺ at pH 8.4 for 60 minutes.
(K) Optimum pH
It has an optimum pH in the range of about 6.0 to 8.4 after reaction at 35 ° C. for 60 minutes.
(L) Temperature stability Under a condition of holding at pH 6.0 for 60 minutes, it has a temperature stable region at about 45 ° C. or lower;
has a temperature stability range of about 50 ° C. or lower in the presence of 1 mM Ca ²⁺ under conditions of holding at pH 6.0 for 60 minutes;
has a temperature stability range of about 55 ° C. or lower under conditions of pH 8.0 and 60 minutes; or
has a temperature stability range of about 60 ° C. or lower in the presence of 1 mM Ca ²⁺ under the condition of holding at pH 8.0 for 60 minutes;
(M) pH stability Under the condition of maintaining at 4 ° C. for 24 hours, it has a stable pH range in the range of about pH 4.5 to 10.0.

In the production of this α-glucan, the feed concentration of the raw waxy starch, the amylase used for liquefaction (partial decomposition), the addition amount of the amylase, the α-glucosyltransferase used to introduce the isomaltose structure, the α -Addition amount of glucosyltransferase, gelatinization, liquefaction, reaction temperature and reaction time of α-glucosyl transfer, stop temperature of these reactions, reaction method (batch method, continuous method), etc. Depending on the physical properties required, it may be selected as appropriate. The feed concentration of the raw waxy starch is usually 10% by mass or more, preferably about 20 to 50% by mass, more preferably 30 to 35% by mass. As shown in the experimental section described later, the waxy starch was partially decomposed by adjusting the amount of amylase added, and the weight average molecular weight (Mw) of the waxy starch liquefied product (α-glucan) in the reaction solution was 150 kDa to It can be controlled within the range of 3,000 kDa. Although the weight average molecular weight (Mw) of the liquefied product can be measured by gel filtration HPLC, the correlation between the weight average molecular weight of the liquefied product and glucose equivalent (DE) is preliminarily determined, and the weight average molecular weight of the liquefied product is The correlation with the viscosity of the liquefied liquid can be examined and grasped by measuring the glucose equivalent (DE) of the liquefied product, the viscosity of the liquefied liquid, etc., instead of the weight average molecular weight measurement. As shown in the experimental section to be described later, in order to set the weight average molecular weight (Mw) of the waxy starch liquefied product to 150 kDa or more, the DE is usually less than 1.0, preferably 0.62 or less. Good. In order to keep the DE of waxy starch liquefied products to a relatively low value of less than 1.0, the gelatinization and liquefaction reaction should be terminated in as short a time as possible. The gelatinization and liquefaction methods are based on starch suspension. The continuous method in which the liquid (starch milk) can be heated more uniformly and rapidly is more preferable than the batch method.

In addition, the amount of the isomaltose structure of the α-glucan can be adjusted by the amount of α-glucosyltransferase added, and may be appropriately adjusted according to the physical properties required for the α-glucan to be produced.

Note that α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the action of α-glucosyltransferase has a larger Mw / Mn value than the α-glucan used as a raw material, and has a glucose equivalent (DE ) May increase slightly, but as shown in the experimental section described later, the Mw / Mn range obtained by adjusting the amount of action of α-glucosyltransferase is 35.1 or less, glucose equivalent (DE ) Is less than 2.8, for example, α-glucan is not only an excellent edible film material that can be used without problems when formed into a film, but also a quality improver, in particular, aging control It can also be advantageously used as an agent, flavor improver, physical property improver and the like.

The solution containing the α-glucan obtained by the enzyme reaction can be used as it is as a quality improver, but is generally used after further purification. As a purification method, a normal method used for sugar purification may be appropriately employed. For example, decolorization with activated carbon, desalting with H-type or OH-type ion exchange resin, fractionation with an organic solvent such as alcohol and acetone, and the like. One or more purification methods such as separation by a membrane having separation performance can be appropriately employed.

This α-glucan is in the form of a mixture of α-glucan having a relatively large molecular weight and contains almost no low molecular weight oligosaccharide. Therefore, it is necessary to fractionate the obtained reaction product by means such as column chromatography. Although there is no particular limitation, it is optional to perform further fractionation according to the purpose of use. When ion exchange chromatography is employed for fractionation, for example, column chromatography using a strongly acidic cation exchange resin disclosed in JP-A-58-23799 and JP-A-58-72598 is advantageously used. Can be used. At this time, it is optional to adopt any of a fixed floor method, a moving floor method, and a simulated moving floor method.

Although the α-glucan obtained in this way can be used as it is in solution, it is preferable to dry it into a powder so that it is advantageous for storage and easy to use depending on the application. For drying, for example, a dryer such as a drum dryer, a spray dryer (spray dryer), a hot air dryer, a vacuum dryer, a flash dryer, a freeze dryer, a fluidized bed dryer, or the like can be used. In consideration of productivity and cost, it is preferable to use a drum dryer or a spray dryer. If necessary, the dried product can be pulverized into a powder, or the powder can be screened or granulated to adjust to a specific particle size range.

4). Function and use of the quality improver of the present invention The quality improvement in the present invention refers to improving the quality of products such as food, cosmetics, quasi-drugs, pharmaceuticals and industrial products, or intermediate products thereof. Means aging control ability, flavor improvement ability, physical property improvement ability, and the like.

When the quality improver of the present invention is a powder, it is white and excellent in fluidity, and exhibits good solubility in water, so that it can be used for various applications. The quality-improving agent of the present invention includes aging control, flavor improvement, physical property improvement, adhesion, osmotic pressure control, shaping, shine imparting, water retention, moisture retention, viscosity imparting, other sugars Since it has properties such as anti-crystallizing properties, not only aging regulators, flavor improvers, and physical property improvers, but also quality improvers, stabilizers, excipients, fogging modifiers, shelf life improvers, walkers Retention improver, cure modifier, flow modifier, viscoelasticity improver, adhesion improver, throat improver, antioxidant, browning inhibitor, water separation inhibitor, intestinal, molding agent, shape retainer, refrigeration resistant agent Also, as a freezing tolerant, an ice crystal stabilizer, etc., it can be advantageously used in various compositions such as foods, foods, feeds, feeds, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial products.

The α-glucan, which is an active ingredient of the quality improver of the present invention, has a special structure that does not inherently exist in the hydrolyzate of starch, that is, the non-reducing end isomaltose structure. Unlike a mixture (a partially decomposed starch) or a linear α-1,4 glucan in which glucose is linked via α-1,4 bonds, it has the ability to control aging of coexisting starchy polysaccharides. As shown in the experimental section to be described later, for example, an α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, and isomalt dextranase digestion, more than 3 mass% and less than 22 mass% per solid of digest The α-glucan that produces isomaltose is aged with the starch liquefaction solution even when it is kept at 4 ° C. for 5 days as a solution containing a solid concentration of 5% by mass. It has aging control properties so as to remarkably suppress white turbidity. Therefore, as an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, and in the isomalt dextranase digestion, more than 3% by weight and more than 22% by weight per solid product When α-glucan that produces less isomaltose is used, it has the advantage that the quality of the product containing starchy polysaccharides can be remarkably controlled to maintain the quality, and is extremely suitable as an aging regulator. is there.

As described above, the α-glucan, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, has a glucose equivalent (DE) of usually about 2.0 and hardly gives sweetness, so that it is not preferable that sweetness is given. It can be added to and used for products without worrying about the effect on taste. Furthermore, since the α-glucan, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, has a flavor improving action, for example, by appropriately adding it to commercially available soy milk, the delicious taste and blue odor of soy milk can be reduced. Can be suppressed. Therefore, the quality improving agent of the present invention has the advantage that the flavor can be improved with almost no sweetness to a product having an off-flavor or off-flavor, which may cause off-flavor. Suitable as an improving agent.

Α-glucan, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, is characterized by having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) in the range of 150 kDa to 3,000 kDa, and has an appropriate viscosity. When added to an aqueous solution having a low viscosity, viscosity can be imparted to the aqueous solution and a body feeling can be imparted to the aqueous solution. Therefore, the quality improving agent of the present invention is suitable as a physical property improving agent that imparts thickness and improves viscosity to a liquid product, for example.

Further, the present α-glucan is, for example, gelatin, collagen, pectin, agar, carrageenan, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, gellan gum, gum arabic, guar gum, tara gum, tamarind seed gum, curdlan, psyllium seed gum, alginic acid, hyaluronic acid , Starch, modified starch, dextrin, dextran, carboxyvinyl polymer, cross-linked polyacrylic acid, hydroxyethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, sodium acrylate, etc. Have. Therefore, the quality improving agent of the present invention has an advantage that the gel strength can be adjusted, for example, for a product containing a high molecular weight gelling agent, and is suitable as a physical property improving agent.

In the quality improving agent of the present invention, α-glucan which is an active ingredient may be used alone, but other materials such as polysaccharides, extenders, and excipients are used depending on the use. Agent, filler, thickener, surfactant, foaming agent, antifoaming agent, pH adjuster, stabilizer, flame retardant, mold release agent, antibacterial agent, coloring agent, flavoring agent, nutrition, taste, It is optional to use a mixture with one or more kinds of ingredients generally used in the fields of foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and industrial products selected from taste products, medicinal substances and physiologically active substances.

In addition to α-glucan, which is an active ingredient, the quality improving agent of the present invention includes, for example, flour, glucose, fructose, isomerized sugar, sugar, maltose, trehalose, honey, maple sugar, sorbitol, maltitol, dihydrochalcone, Stevioside, α-glycosyl stevioside, Rakanka sweet, glycyrrhizin, thaumatin, sucralose, L-aspartylphenylalanine methyl ester, dulcin, monelin, acesulfame potassium, cyclamate, aspartame, neotame, alitame, advantame, luznum, saccharin, glycine, alanine And a sweetener such as dextrin, starch, pullulan, dextran, lactose and the like. In addition, the quality improver of the present invention can be molded into various shapes such as granules, spheres, short bars, plates, cubes, etc., as they are or as necessary, mixed with extenders, excipients, binders, etc. It is also optional to use.

Various molded products containing the quality improver of the present invention or intermediate products thereof, for the purpose of further improving flexibility and strength, food, cosmetics, quasi-drugs, pharmaceuticals, etc., if necessary It is also optional to use other polymeric substances, appropriate excipients, or other components such as plasticizers that are usually used in the field of It is also possible to use the quality improving agent of the present invention as a binder. Other excipients include polysaccharides such as pullulan, carrageenan, xanthan gum, carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose, hemicellulose, gum arabic, guar gum, pectin, chitin, agarose, dextran, dextrin, amylose and modified starch, or their Macromolecules such as derivatives, proteins such as gelatin or casein, saccharides such as sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, sucrose, maltose, lactose, α, α-trehalose, α, β-trehalose, gum arabic, corn starch, crystalline cellulose, Aluminum hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, barium hydroxide, calcium sulfate, calcium sulfite, calcium carbonate, silica, calcium silicate, basic magnesium carbonate, Kaori It includes inorganic substances such as talc. In particular, α, α-trehalose can be advantageously used as a stabilizer because it has the action of suppressing the denaturation of active ingredients due to oxidative degradation and keeping the activity stable. Plasticizers include sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, erythritol, lactitol, xylitol, and reduced starch syrup, monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose, galactose, xylose, rhamnose, and psicose, maltose, sucrose, trehalose, lactose, and tulanose. , Disaccharides such as cellobiose, maltotriose, panose, raffinose, melezitose, maltotetraose, stachyose, cyclodextrins and other oligosaccharides, glycerol, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol and other polyhydric alcohols, triethyl citrate , Triacetin, tributyl citrate, acetyl triethyl citrate, acetyl tributyl citrate, dibuphthalate And esters such as dibutyl sebacate, diethyl phthalate, vinyl pyrrolidone glycol triacetate, paraoxybenzoic acid ester, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester, glycerin fatty acid ester, and the like. They can be used in appropriate combinations. The plasticizer can be used for, for example, a film, a sheet, a capsule film and the like containing the quality improver of the present invention, and can be advantageously used in combination with a soft capsule film. It is not limited to products.

The quality improving agent of the present invention can be used advantageously as a food material, among others. Use in food is not particularly limited, and using the binding property of the quality improving agent of the present invention, molded snacks, molded cheese, molded dried fruit, fish molded products, fish egg molded products, fish food, livestock meat foods, It can be used for simulated meat foods and molded delicacy foods. Moreover, it can also be used for food loosening agents, food anti-sticking agents, processed rice, etc. by utilizing the film-forming (coating) property. In addition, it can be used for starchy polysaccharide-containing foods, chilled chilled products, frozen products, etc. by utilizing the aging controllability. Furthermore, with the use of flavor improving properties and physical property improving properties, beverages such as soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, and desserts such as frozen desserts have an excellent richness, rich taste, milky feeling, fruit juice feeling, etc. Emphasized, in powdered foods such as vinegar, powdered soy sauce, powdered seasoning, powdered fragrance, and powdered tea, in addition to excellent flavor retention, effects such as masking of miscellaneous taste, expression of flavor, etc. can be expected. In emulsified liquid nutritional foods such as enteric nutrients, and retort pouch foods such as curry, stew, cooked rice, sugar beet, side dish, soup and pasta sauce, stabilization of emulsification, suppression of oil-off, prevention of protein aggregation, The effect of masking of retort odor after sterilization can be expected, and in seasonings such as dressing and mayonnaise, it can be expected to have excellent richness, impart rich body, and express flavor, etc. Effect as a fat substitute for fats and oils can also be expected.

Further, the quality improver of the present invention can be used for improving the texture, improving the storage stability of the food and improving the yield by adding it to bread, rice flour bread, confectionery, and noodle strip products. A preferred method of using the quality improver of the present invention for foods is to mix and knead with other raw materials such as flour, salt, sugar, water, and knead to form and cook the dough. Can be mentioned. The blending ratio in the food is greater than 0% by mass and 30% by mass or less, preferably 10% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 5% by mass or less per solid as a ratio at the time of preparing the dough. The quality improver of the present invention uses waxy starch as a raw material, so it gives bread, rice flour bread, confectionery, noodle strip products a moist feeling, sticky feeling, softness, good mouthfeel, crispness, etc. be able to.

As confectionery, it can be used mainly for the dough prepared and then baked, steamed, fried, dried, etc., for example, buns, rice cakes, daifuku, dumplings, fertilizers, seaweeds, carcass, in the middle Grilled, Yokan, Kintsuba, Imagawa-yaki, rice cracker, Japanese confectionery such as hail, okoshi, biscuits, cookies, crackers, wafers, sponge cakes (roll cake, castella), butter cakes (pound cake, madeleine, gateau chocolate, financier) , Cream candy, Baumkuchen, muffin, souffle, pie, tart, donut, waffle, pudding and other Western confectionery, moon cake, Chinese confectionery, chips, puffs, fries and other snacks. Also, not limited to the above, creams such as butter cream and custard cream, hard candy such as jasper, drop, toffee and butterscotch, soft candy such as caramel, nougat, marshmallow, gummy, jelly beans and Bontang rice cake It can also be used for chocolates, chewing gums, and the like. It can also be used for ice cream, ice milk, lacto ice, sorbet, shaved ice, ice candy, ice pop, parfait, sundae, frappe and other frozen desserts, jelly, pudding, mousse, bavaroa, panna cotta, yogurt, apricot tofu, etc. Is possible.

Examples of noodle strip products include noodles such as udon, somen, Chinese noodles, buckwheat noodles, rice noodles, pho, etc. Examples include skins such as wonton, gyoza, shumai, and spring rolls.

In addition, the quality improving agent of the present invention has an excellent solubility in water for the present α-glucan as an active ingredient, and therefore it can be easily added to beverages depending on the content of the present α-glucan. It can be suitably used for the purpose of dissolving and improving the texture over the throat and improving the storage stability. As a preferred method of using the quality improver of the present invention for beverages, mixing with any other beverage material such as water, tea, coffee, fruit juice, alcohol, dairy products, extracts, carbonic acid and the like can be mentioned. The blending ratio in the beverage is more than 0% by mass and 30% by mass or less, preferably 10% by mass or less, particularly preferably 5% by mass or less per solid, as the amount of the α-glucan. Since this α-glucan is made from waxy starch, it can impart rich physical properties such as body, thickness, mellowness and body feeling.

Examples of beverages include water beverages, green tea, gyokuro, roasted tea, kobu tea, black tea, oolong tea, barley tea, mate tea, and other coffee beverages, cocoa beverages, fruit juice beverages, carbonated beverages, functional beverages. , Soft drinks such as sports drinks, jelly drinks, and non-alcoholic drinks, beer, sparkling wine, wine, fruit liquor, sake, shochu, liqueur, brandy, whiskey and other liquor drinks, processed milk, yogurt and other milk drinks , Soy milk, soups, energy drinks, beauty drinks and the like.

The quality improving agent of the present invention can be advantageously used for other general foods and drinks. For example, soy sauce, powdered soy sauce, miso, powdered miso, moromi, hashio, sprinkle, vinegar, three cups of vinegar, powdered sushi vinegar, Chinese soup, tenyuyu, noodle soup, sauce, ketchup, grilled meat sauce, curry roux, stew of soup, soup It can also be advantageously used as a quality improver for various seasonings such as Nomoto, Dashi-no-moto, compound seasonings, mirin, new mirin, table sugar, coffee sugar, and syrup. Also, for example, pastes such as flower paste, peanut paste, fruit paste, processed foods of fruits and vegetables such as jam, marmalade, syrup pickles, sugar cane, sesame tofu, konjac, pickles such as Fukujin pickles, bedara pickles, thousand pickles Pickles, takuwanzuke, pickled vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, livestock meat products such as ham and sausage, fish ham, fish sausage, fish products such as sea urchin, chikuwa, tempura, sea urchin, squid salty, vinegar kombu , Various delicacies such as rice fields such as sakisume, cod, thai, shrimp, boiled seaweeds made with seaweed, wild vegetables, seaweed, small fish, shellfish, bean products such as boiled beans, natto, tofu, steamed tea Egg products such as egg tofu, side dish foods such as potato salad, rolls of konbu, dairy products, fish meat, livestock meat, fruits, bottled and canned vegetables, pudding mix, hot It can be advantageously used as a quality improver that can be incorporated into various foods such as cake mix, instant juice, instant coffee, instant juice powder, instant soup, and baby food, therapeutic food, peptide food, frozen food, There is no limitation.

In addition, the quality improver of the present invention, as described above, α-glucan, which is an active ingredient, has good solubility in water and high strength when formed into a film or the like, as well as an aging-controlling effect and flavor improvement. In addition, it has physical properties improving action such as action, shape retention and viscoelasticity, antioxidant ability and browning prevention ability, and the molecular weight distribution of α-glucan contained as an active ingredient is within a specific range. Can be expected to always give a constant strength, dissolution rate, and disintegration rate to the molded product. Therefore, the quality improving agent of the present invention can be used not only for foods but also for cosmetics, pharmaceutical products for which the pharmacokinetics of active ingredients are always required to be constant, quasi drugs, sheets, As a molded article such as a capsule, soft capsule, microcapsule, fiber used for gauze or surgical thread, etc., or as an excipient, binder or coating agent when preparing tablets or granules, and further It can be a solid preparation of a dissolution type.

In addition to the quality improver of the present invention, various components widely used in the respective fields can be appropriately blended in the molded product produced using the quality improver of the present invention as at least a part of the raw material. When the molded product is a cosmetic or quasi-drug or an intermediate product thereof, lotion, milky lotion, cosmetic liquid, cream, gel, makeup base, foundation, teak, funny, concealer, lipstick, lip balm, mascara, Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, Eyebrow, Facial Cleanser, Shampoo, Rinse, Conditioner, Hair Conditioner, Hair Nourishing, Scalp, Hair Coloring, Shaving Agent, Sunscreen, Nail Cosmetic, Body Powder, Ointment, Pack, Mask, Bath Agent, oral refreshing film, etc., for example, preservatives such as paraoxybenzoic acid ester, benzalkonium chloride, pentanediol, arbutin, ellagic acid, kojic acid, tranexamic acid, nicotinamide, vitamin C Derivatives, placenta extract, tetrahydrocurcuminoids, Whitening agents such as Tamine P, anti-inflammatory agents such as allantoin, isopropylmethylphenol, glycyrrhizic acid, licorice extract, lactoferrin, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid, cell activators such as Photosensitive Element 101, Photosensitive Element 301, elastin, Moisturizers such as keratin, urea, ceramide, oils such as squalane, petrolatum, cetyl tri-2-ethylhexanoate, water-soluble polymers such as carrageenan, carboxymethylcellulose, locust bean gum, carboxyvinyl polymer, 1,3-butylene Alcohols such as glycol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, sorbitol, maltitol, etc., can be blended individually or in combination of one or more, without losing their active ingredients or activity Good feeling, and stable and high-quality cosmetic or quasi drug or its intermediate products can be easily manufactured.

In addition, when the molded product is a pharmaceutical product, a quasi-drug or an intermediate product thereof, it can be in the form of a solid such as a granule, a tablet, a sugar-coated tablet, a liquid, or a paste. For example, azathioprine, cyclosporine, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, tacrolimus hydrate, immunosuppressive agents such as busulfan, capecitabine, rituximab, trastuzumab, bevacizumab, docetaxel, imatinib mesylate, 5-fluorouracil, anastrozole, taxol, Anticancer agents such as tamoxifen, dotetaxel, hydroxycarbamide, antiviral agents such as abacavir sulfate, sarcitabine, didanosine, famciclovir, ribavirin, amoxicillin, tarampicillin, cefixime, sulfamitisol, levofloxacin hydrate, cefuka Antibiotics such as penpivoxil hydrochloride hydrate, cefcitrene pivoxil, clarithromycin, acetaminophen, aspirin, etenzamide, sari Antipyretic analgesics such as methyl lurate, steroids such as prednisolone, dexamethasone, betamethasone, proteins or peptides such as interferon-α, -β, insulin, oxytocin, somatropin, BCG vaccine, Japanese encephalitis vaccine, measles vaccine, polio Biologics such as vaccine, seedling, tetanus toxoid, hub antitoxin, human immunoglobulin, retinol, thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, cyanocobalamin, L-ascorbic acid, carotenoid, ergosterol, tocopherol, biotin, calcitonin, coenzyme Q, α -Vitamin preparations such as lipoic acid, nicotinic acid, menaquinone, ubiquinone, pyrroloquinone quinoline and their derivatives, ginseng extract, aloe extract, propolis extract, licorice extract, Herbal extracts such as baboon extract, assembly extract, etc., can be blended alone or in combination of two or more, alone or in combination as appropriate, without losing their active ingredients and activities, stable and high-quality pharmaceuticals or quasi-drugs Products or intermediate products thereof can be easily manufactured.

The quality improver of the present invention can also be used as a material for industrial products. Industrial products here are agricultural chemicals, fertilizers, feeds, paper products, abrasives, glues, adhesives (binders), gelling agents, water separation preventing agents, excipients, water retention agents, moisturizing agents, moisture permeation agents. , Water absorbent, absorbent, adsorbent, deodorant, thickener, binder, lubricant, gloss imparting agent, lubricant, film agent, flame retardant, antifoaming agent, foaming agent, hydrophilizing agent, Antistatic agent, Emulsifier, Surfactant, Dispersant, Suspending agent, Conditioning agent, Filter aid, Dissolving aid, Overflow agent, Paper additive, Stabilizer, Separation agent, Coating agent, Penetration Agent, diluent, tonicity agent, disintegrating agent, buffering agent, bulking agent, yield improver, reinforcing agent, oil repellent, oil proofing agent, protective agent, solidifying agent, soil improver, filler, paint, dye, It refers to pigments, inks, cleaning agents, softeners, toiletry products, biodegradable resins (bioplastics), gas barrier resins, etc. For example, in the fields of agricultural chemicals, fertilizers, feeds, etc., it is possible to use the agricultural chemicals and fertilizers as excipients when granulating and tableting using the adhesion improving ability of the quality improving agent. Utilizing the ability of this α-glucan to control aging, it can be used as a fertilizer, feed viscoelasticity improver, flavor improver, stabilizer, antioxidant, and shelf life improver. Also, for example, in the papermaking field, it can be used as a surface coating agent and a reinforcing agent for paper products by utilizing the binding property and film forming ability of a quality improving agent, and also as a material for nonwoven fabrics and packaging materials. . Furthermore, it can also be used as a substitute for polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a substitute for carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), a gypsum board, cement, a binder for battery separators, and the like.

Hereinafter, the background to the selection of α-glucan, which is the active ingredient of the present invention, in Experiments 1 to 5 and Reference Experiment Examples will be described.

<Experiment 1: Preparation of various α-glucans with different degrees of decomposition using waxy starch>
Using waxy corn starch as a waxy starch, various α-glucans having different degrees of hydrolysis were prepared and their physical properties were examined.

Commercially available waxy corn starch (trade name “waxy corn starch Y”, manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.) is suspended in deionized water to a solids concentration of 30% by mass, and calcium chloride is adjusted to a concentration of 0.1% by mass. After the addition, the pH was adjusted to 6.0 to obtain a waxy corn starch suspension. Heat-resistant α-amylase (trade name “Spitase HK”, manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation) was added to this waxy corn starch suspension at 0 (no addition), 0.001, 0.002, 0.004 per waxy corn starch solid. , 0.008 or 0.02% by mass, heated at pH 6.5, 100 ° C. for 20 minutes to gelatinize and liquefy, and heated at 140 ° C. for 30 minutes to stop the reaction, and activated carbon treatment , Desalting with an ion exchange resin, filtration with a membrane filter, and then using a disk-type spray drying device (manufactured by Niguchi Co., Ltd.), an inlet temperature of 205 ° C., an outlet temperature of 103 ° C., an air volume of 12.4 m ³ / min, The α-glucan powder is set by spray drying and setting the disk rotation speed at 18,000 rpm and the raw material supply speed at 23 kg / hour. Each prepared by about 2 kg, and a test sample 1-6.

About 20 μg of each of the test samples 1 to 6 was subjected to gel filtration HPLC under the following conditions, the weight average molecular weight (Mw) and the number average molecular weight (Mn) were measured, and Mw / Mn was determined. The weight average molecular weight (Mw) and the number average molecular weight (Mn) are the same chromatogram of the test sample based on a calibration curve prepared based on a gel filtration HPLC chromatogram of a pullulan standard product for molecular weight measurement (manufactured by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.). Was obtained by analyzing with molecular weight distribution analysis software.
(Gel filtration HPLC conditions)
Column: TSK GEL α-M (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation), 2 linked eluent: 10 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.0)
Flow rate: 0.3 mL / min Column temperature: 40 ° C
Detector: differential refractometer (RID10A, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation)
Analysis software: Data analysis software (trade name “LC Solution GPC Software”, manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation)

In addition, for the test samples 1 to 6, glucose equivalent (DE) was measured as an index for knowing the degree of hydrolysis. Further, each of the test samples 1 to 6 was dissolved in deionized water so as to have a solid concentration of 20% by mass, and the solubility in cold water was determined. Furthermore, test samples 1 to 6 were made into aqueous solutions having a solid concentration of 30% by mass, and each solution was measured at 35 ° C. using a dynamic viscoelastic rheometer (trade name “MCR102” manufactured by Anton Pearl Japan Co., Ltd.). The viscosity was measured. The viscosity of an aqueous solution having a solid concentration of 30% by mass was expressed as a shear viscosity under conditions of 35 ° C. and a shear rate of 10.8 / sec. The results are summarized in Table 1.

As can be seen from Table 1, the test sample 1, that is, the gelatinized waxy corn starch not treated with thermostable α-amylase, has a viscosity of 26,700 mPa・ S showed high viscosity and had difficulty in handling. In addition, pretreatment for high molecular weight distribution analysis by gel filtration HPLC could not be performed, and weight average molecular weight (Mw) and number average molecular weight (Mn) could not be measured. Furthermore, test sample 1 was inferior in water solubility and did not have cold water solubility.

On the other hand, in test samples 2 to 5 prepared by the action of a small amount of thermostable α-amylase, as the amount of amylase increases, the degree of degradation of gelatinized waxy corn starch increases, and the weight average molecular weight (Mw), The number average molecular weight (Mn) decreased and Mw / Mn decreased. Test samples 2 to 5 have a weight average molecular weight (Mw) in the range of 2,560 to 183 kDa and Mw / Mn in a range of 3.95 to 8.09. Unlike test sample 1, the test samples 2 to 5 have cold water solubility. Was. Further, the viscosity of the aqueous solution having a solid concentration of 30% by mass in the test samples 2 to 5 shows a lower value as the amount of amylase acting increases, that is, as the degree of hydrolysis increases, 2,330 to 220 mPa · s. Met. On the other hand, the test sample 6 prepared by acting 0.02% by mass of heat-resistant α-amylase per waxy corn starch solid has a small weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 39.1 kDa and a large value of Mw / Mn of 35.9. The viscosity was as low as 57 mPa · s in an aqueous solution having a solid concentration of 30% by mass.

<Experiment 2: Suitability of various α-glucans as edible film materials>
Using the test samples 1 to 6 obtained in Experiment 1 as raw materials, each was formed into a film without adding a plasticizer, and the properties of the obtained films were examined, whereby various α-glucans as edible film materials were used. Suitability (film suitability) was examined.

The test samples 1 to 6 obtained in Experiment 1 were uniformly dissolved in deionized water so that the solid concentration would be 30% by mass, and defoamed by centrifugation (3,000 rpm, 10 minutes). When we tried to form a film on a flat plate made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using a baker applicator (trade name “YBA”, manufactured by Yoshimitsu Seiki Co., Ltd.) About the test sample 6, since the viscosity of aqueous solution was low, film forming property was bad, and it was difficult to shape | mold into a film. On the other hand, since the test samples 1 to 5 could be formed into films, a film having a thickness of about 40 μm was prepared from each of the test samples 1 to 5 as film samples 1 to 5.

The external appearance of each of the obtained film samples 1 to 5 was visually observed, (◯): a good film having a uniform thickness and a smooth surface; and (×): a non-uniform thickness. The film suitability was evaluated in two stages: a film with uneven surface. In addition, the transparency of each film sample was visually observed and evaluated in two stages: (◯): transparent; and (x): turbid. Furthermore, the film cut into 1 cm square for each film sample was put into 200 mL of deionized water maintained at 30 ° C., and the time until the film was completely dissolved visually was measured under stirring. The film was evaluated for water solubility in two stages: complete dissolution within 1 minute; The results are shown in Table 2.

In addition, 10 pieces of each of the film samples 1 to 5 cut into a circle having a diameter of 20 mm were prepared, each 10 pieces were subjected to the piercing break strength test, and the average value of the piercing break strength of each film sample was prepared. Asked. The results are also shown in Table 2.

As seen in Table 2, film sample 1 prepared from test sample 1 simply gelatinized waxy corn starch is a film with uneven surface and lacking transparency, and does not completely dissolve in the water solubility test. It was inferior in nature. On the other hand, film samples 2 to 5 were films having a uniform thickness, a smooth surface, and excellent transparency and water solubility. In addition, about the test sample 6, as above-mentioned, the viscosity was low and it was difficult to shape | mold into a film itself, and the film sample 6 was not obtained.

As described above, test samples 2 to 5 have suitability as a material for preparing a good edible film without using a plasticizer, while test samples 1 and 6 lack suitability. Met.

From the results of

Experiments

1 and 2, the weight average molecular weight (Mw) obtained by subjecting test samples 2 to 5 and film samples 2 to 5, ie, waxy starch, to amylase and partially decomposing it is 150 kDa to 3,000 kDa. Α-glucan having a range of Mw / Mn of less than 10 is excellent in cold water solubility and has a property of maintaining an appropriate viscosity. Also, by molding the α-glucan, it is uniform, transparent and water-soluble. It was found that an edible film having excellent properties can be obtained.

<Experiment 3: Preparation of α-glucan having isomaltose structure at non-reducing end (part 1)>
In this experiment and experiment 4, for the purpose of imparting further superior properties to the α-glucan, a glycosyltransferase is further allowed to act on the α-glucan, and an α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end is obtained. Prepared.

That is, the amount of heat-resistant α-amylase (trade name “Spitase HK”, manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation) per waxy corn starch solid was 0.002% by mass, and the other operations were the same as in Experiment 1. An α-glucan-containing solution was obtained. To this α-glucan-containing solution, 1 g of solid α-glucan was obtained by purifying a purified preparation of α-glucosyltransferase derived from Bacillus circulans PP710 disclosed in the pamphlet of International Publication No. WO2008 / 136331 by the same applicant as the present application. The reaction was stopped by adding 0.25, 0.5, 2.5, 10 or 25 units per unit, acting at pH 6.0, 50 ° C. for 24 hours and heating at 140 ° C. for 10 minutes. After purification in the same manner as in Experiment 1, about 2 kg each of α-glucan was prepared by spray drying using a disk type spray drying apparatus (manufactured by Niro Co., Ltd.), and used as test samples 7 to 11.

For Test Samples 7 to 11, the weight average molecular weight (Mw), the number average molecular weight (Mn), and Mw / Mn were determined in the same manner as in Experiment 1. In addition, in order to evaluate the degree of containing α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end in each test sample, the above-described isomalt-dextranase digestion test was carried out using a 1 w / v% aqueous solution of test samples 7-11. The isomaltose content in the obtained digest was measured. Furthermore, the glucose equivalent (DE) and cold water solubility of the test samples 7 to 11 were evaluated, and the viscosity of each of the solutions having a solid concentration of 30% by mass prepared from each of the test samples 7 to 11 was evaluated in the same manner as in Experiment 1. In addition, aging resistance of the test samples 7 to 11 was evaluated. For aging resistance, each aqueous solution with a solid concentration of 30% by mass was stored at 6 ° C. for 1 week, (×): White turbidity due to aging was observed in the aqueous solution at 1 week of storage; (◯): Storage for 1 week The state of the clear aqueous solution is maintained at the time of (1); The results are summarized in Table 3. The results of Test Sample 3 prepared by adding 0.002% by mass of heat-resistant α-amylase to the waxy corn starch suspension obtained in Experiment 1 per waxy corn starch solid are also shown in Table 3 as a control.

As shown in Table 3, test samples 7 to 11 obtained by allowing 0.002% by mass of thermostable α-amylase to act on waxy corn starch and further causing α-glucosyltransferase to act on the isomaltodextranase Digestion confirmed that 1.57% to 25.4% by weight of isomaltose was produced per solid of digested material, and although the degree was different, all of them had an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end. It was confirmed to be an α-glucan mixture containing α-glucan molecules having

In test samples 7-11, the greater the amount of action of α-glucosyltransferase, the greater the Mw / Mn (dispersity) of the obtained test sample, and the test sample with the largest amount of action of 25 units / g-substrate. In the case of 11, it increased to 62.3. Although the test samples 7 to 11 had no significant change in the weight average molecular weight (Mw) compared to the test sample 3, Mw / Mn was clearly increased by the action of α-glucosyltransferase, and the α-glucan Variation in molecular weight of molecular species occurred. The viscosities of the aqueous solutions of the test samples 7 to 11 having a solid concentration of 30% by mass were 651 to 990 mPa · s, which were slightly lower than those of the test sample 3 to which no α-glucosyltransferase was allowed to act. I couldn't. In addition, among the test samples 7 to 11, as in the test sample 3, the test sample 7 showed white turbidity in the aging resistance test in which an aqueous solution with a solid concentration of 30% by mass was held at 6 ° C. for 1 week. Although no aging property was observed, it was found in the same aging resistance test that the test samples 8 to 11 had remarkable aging resistance that maintained the state of a transparent aqueous solution at the time of storage for 1 week.

Α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end was prepared from α-glucan having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) smaller than that in Experiment 3, and examined in the same manner as in Experiment 3.

Treatment was performed in the same manner as in Experiment 1 except that the amount of heat-resistant α-amylase used per waxy corn starch solid was changed to 0.004% by mass to obtain α-glucan having a further reduced molecular weight. In this α-glucan, a purified preparation of α-glucosyltransferase derived from Bacillus circulans PP710 strain was added to the α-glucan at 0.5, 1.0, 2.5 or 5. The reaction was stopped by adding 0 units, acting at pH 6.0, 50 ° C. for 24 hours and heating at 140 ° C. for 10 minutes. After purification in the same manner as in Experiment 3, about 2 kg each of α-glucan was prepared by spray drying using a disk type spray drying apparatus (manufactured by Niguchi Co., Ltd.), and used as test samples 12 to 15.

For Test Samples 12 to 15, as in Experiment 3, the weight average molecular weight (Mw), number average molecular weight (Mn), Mw / Mn, isomaltose content in isomaltdextranase digest, glucose equivalent (DE) Was measured, and the viscosity and aging resistance of a solution with solubility in cold water and a solid concentration of 30% by mass were evaluated. The results are summarized in Table 4. The results of Test Sample 4 prepared by adding 0.004% by mass of heat-resistant α-amylase per waxy corn starch solid to the waxy corn starch suspension obtained in Experiment 1 are also shown in Table 4 as a control.

As seen in Table 4, test samples 12 to 15 obtained by allowing 0.004% by mass of thermostable α-amylase to act on waxy corn starch and further causing α-glucosyltransferase to act on the isomaltodextranase Since it was confirmed that the digestion produced 1.5% to 20.6% by mass of isomaltose per solid of the digested product, the same as in the case of test samples 7 to 11 obtained in Experiment 3 In addition, it was confirmed that both included an α-glucan molecule having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end.

In Test Samples 12 to 15, the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is 365 to 449 kDa, about 1/3 that of Test Samples 7 to 11 obtained in Experiment 3, and α-glucan having a lower molecular weight. It was confirmed that. Mw / Mn of test samples 12 to 15 showed values of 8.3 to 37.5. Although the test samples 12 to 15 did not change much in the weight average molecular weight (Mw) as compared to the test sample 4, Mw / Mn was clearly increased as the amount of action of α-glucosyltransferase increased. The glucose equivalent (DE) of test samples 12 to 15 was in the range of 0.46 to 2.76. The viscosity of the aqueous solution of the test samples 12 to 15 having a solid concentration of 30% by mass was 294 to 525 mPa · s, which was not significantly different from that of the test sample 4 in which no α-glucosyltransferase was allowed to act. In addition, among the test samples 12 to 15, as in the test sample 4, the test sample 12 showed white turbidity in the aging resistance test in which an aqueous solution having a solid concentration of 30% by mass was maintained at 6 ° C. for 1 week. Although no aging property was observed, it was found in the same aging resistance test that the test samples 13 to 15 had remarkable aging resistance that maintained the state of a transparent aqueous solution at the time of storage for 1 week.

As a result of

Experiments

3 and 4, in particular, as shown in Tables 3 and 4, the isomaltose dextranase digest is digested with a low isomaltose content of 1.57% by mass or 1.50% by mass. Test sample 7 and test sample 12 having low isomaltose content contained in the digest of isomaltdextranase of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the reducing end did not have aging resistance. On the other hand, test samples 8 to 11 and test samples 13 to 15 having an isomaltose content of 3.83% by mass or more have aging resistance, and the above experimental results indicate that α-glucan is converted to α-glucosyltransferase. It is clear that if the isomaltose structure is introduced and incorporated at 3% by mass or more at the non-reducing end, the aging resistance can be further imparted while maintaining the properties of the α-glucan used as a raw material. Became.

<Experiment 5: Suitability of α-glucan having isomaltose structure at non-reducing end as edible film material>
Films having a thickness of about 40 to 50 μm were prepared using test samples 7 to 15 obtained in

Experiments

3 and 4 as raw materials in the same manner as in Experiment 2, and designated as film samples 7 to 15, respectively. Next, as in Experiment 2, the film samples 7 to 15 were evaluated for appearance (film suitability), transparency, and water solubility, and puncture breaking strength was measured. Table 5 shows the results of film samples 7 to 11 using α-glucan having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 1,210 kDa or more as a raw material, and film samples using α-glucan having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of less than 500 kDa as a raw material. The results of 12 to 15 are summarized in Table 6, respectively.

As seen in Table 5, film samples 7 to 10 prepared using α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end and having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 1,210 kDa or more are as follows: Similar to film sample 3 prepared using α-glucan obtained by partially degrading waxy corn starch with amylase, it was excellent in transparency and water solubility, and puncture strength was as strong as 2.0 N / mm ² or more. Had properties. However, the test sample 11, that is, the film sample 11 prepared from α-glucan whose Mw / Mn value increased to 62.3 by the action of α-glucosyltransferase, becomes very brittle and obtains a film. It was difficult.

Further, as seen in Table 6, film samples 12 to 14 prepared using α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end and having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of less than 500 kDa, Similar to film sample 4 prepared using α-glucan obtained by partially degrading waxy corn starch with amylase, it is excellent in transparency and water solubility, and has a strong puncture and break strength of 2.0 N / mm ² or more. Had the same properties. However, the test sample 15, that is, the film sample 15 prepared from α-glucan whose Mw / Mn value increased to 37.5 by the action of α-glucosyltransferase, becomes very brittle and obtains a film. It was difficult.

From the results of

Experiments

3, 4 and 5, the α-glucan obtained by gelatinizing waxy corn starch and allowing amylase to act further causes α-glucosyltransferase to act, and the isomaltose content in the digest of isomalt-dextranase It was found that α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end to an extent of more than 3% by mass has remarkable aging resistance. Further, when the results obtained from

Experiments

1 and 2 and the results obtained in

Experiments

3, 4 and 5 are combined, the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is in the range of 150 kDa to 3,000 kDa, and Mw / Mn is 35.1. The following α-glucan is soluble in cold water, has an appropriate viscosity, has good handling, is excellent in aging resistance and film-forming property, and is difficult to be colored. It became clear that it was suitable as an active ingredient.

<Reference Experimental Example 1: Amylose content of α-glucan>
Waxy corn starch (trade name “waxy corn starch Y”, manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.) used as a raw material for α-glucan in

Experiments

1, 3 and 4, and α-glucan obtained in Example 3 described later, The amylose content was measured and compared for α-glucan having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 566 kDa, Mw / Mn of 13.2, and an isomaltose dextranase digested isomaltose content of 7.0% by mass. Furthermore, as reference values, amylose content of commercially available corn starch (trade name “Showa Corn Starch”, manufactured by Shikishima Starch Co., Ltd.) and high amylose corn starch (trade name “starch corn derived”, code number: S4180, manufactured by Sigma Aldrich) It measured similarly about.

As described above, the amylose content of each sample was measured based on the color reaction of amylose and iodine according to the amylose content measurement method shown in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Notification No. 332, Standard Measurement Method. In this experimental example, an amylose standard solution was prepared using a reagent grade amylose (trade name “Potatoamylose Type III” manufactured by Sigma Aldrich), and a calibration curve was prepared. The results are shown in Table 7.

As seen in Table 7, the amylose content (% by mass) of waxy corn starch and α-glucan obtained in Example 3 was measured to be 13.4% by mass and 10.3% by mass, respectively, in this measurement method. . On the other hand, the amylose content of commercially available corn starch and high amylose corn starch was measured to be 35.9% by mass and 46.9% by mass, respectively. In general, the amylose content is said to be higher in the order of high amylose corn starch> corn starch> waxy corn starch, and the above measured values support this conventional knowledge.

Incidentally, α-glucan, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, is obtained by partially decomposing waxy starch with amylase and then allowing α-glucosyltransferase to act to produce α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end. It is manufactured by generating. Since amylase and α-glucosyltransferase are not enzymes that degrade the branched structure through α-1,6 bonds in waxy starch like starch debranching enzyme, the action of amylase and α-glucosyltransferase Does not produce linear amylose from waxy starch and does not increase the amylose content in the reaction product. Therefore, in this measurement method, α-glucan containing the quality improving agent of the present invention as an active ingredient showed an amylose content equal to or lower than that of waxy corn starch. This α-glucan was produced using waxy corn starch as a raw material. It tells that it is a thing. In other words, α-glucan having a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 150 kDa or more and having an amylose content of less than 15% by this measurement method is obtained at least from waxy starch. It can be said that there is.

Hereinafter, in Experiments 6 to 16, various functions of α-glucan, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, will be described in detail.

<Experiment 6: Aging resistance of this α-glucan during freezing storage>
The freezing tolerance of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improver of the present invention, obtained by the method of Example 1 described later was examined and evaluated. The α-glucan obtained by the method of Example 1 was dissolved in deionized water so as to have a solid concentration of 30% by mass to obtain a test carbohydrate solution, which was a sample with 0 cold thawing cycles. 3 g of this test carbohydrate solution was dispensed into a test tube, frozen at −20 ° C., and then naturally thawed to obtain a sample with one cold thawing. Similarly, samples with 3 and 5 cold thawing cycles were prepared, and the viscosity of the test carbohydrate solution with each cold thawing cycle was measured using a dynamic viscoelastic rheometer (trade name “MCR102”, Anton Pearl Japan Co., Ltd.). Measured at 30 ° C. The results are shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the test carbohydrate solution prepared by using the α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 has a viscosity of about 1,400 mPa · s before freezing. This viscosity was maintained with almost no change even after repeated cold thawing 5 times. That is, it has been found that α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, has very excellent aging resistance against cold thawing.

<Experiment 7: Aging control of α-glucan to liquefied starch>
Comparison of aging control of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, obtained by the method of Example 1 and comparison with two commercially available dextrins derived from waxy corn starch evaluated. Two dextrins derived from α-glucan and waxy corn starch obtained by the method of Example 1 (trade name “Paindex # 100”, manufactured by Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., and trade name “Sandeck # 30”, Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd. (Manufactured by the company) was dissolved in deionized water to a solids concentration of 10% by mass to obtain a saccharide solution. Next, tapioca starch was suspended in pure water so as to have a solid concentration of 30% by mass, and calcium chloride was added thereto so as to have a final concentration of 1 mM, and then adjusted to pH 6.0. α-Amylase (trade name “Spitase HK”, manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation) was added at 10 units per gram of solid matter and passed through a continuous liquefier at a flow rate of 1 L / min for 25 minutes at 100 ° C. Subsequently, the enzyme reaction was stopped by heating at 140 ° C. for 5 minutes to obtain a tapioca starch partial decomposition product solution. This tapioca starch partial decomposition product was dissolved in deionized water so as to have a solid concentration of 10% by mass, and subjected to an aging control test as a starch liquefaction solution. Each carbohydrate solution and starch liquefaction solution were mixed in an equal amount by mass to obtain test solutions 1 to 3, respectively. The compositions of the test solutions 1 to 3 are shown in Table 8. Each test solution was dispensed into a test tube, stored in a sealed state at 4 ° C. for 5 days, and then turbidity (Abs 720 nm) was measured as an index for aging control. The results are summarized in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the

test solutions

2 and 3 prepared using the control and two commercially available waxy corn starch-derived dextrins showed a turbidity of 0.9 or more after refrigerated storage, and became markedly cloudy. In contrast, the test solution 1 prepared by using the α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 maintains the turbidity after refrigerated storage at 0.19, which is extremely low. It had been. From these results, α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, remarkably suppresses aging of coexisting starchy polysaccharides, and exhibits excellent aging control. It was found to have the ability.

<Experiment 8: Flavor improvement of soymilk of this α-glucan>
The taste improving property of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, obtained by the method of Example 1 was examined and evaluated by a sensory test. The α-glucan obtained by the method of Example 1 was commercialized with soymilk (trade name “delicious unadjusted soymilk”, Kikkoman, so that the solids concentration would be 0.5 mass%, 1.0 mass%, and 2.0 mass%. Added to and dissolved in Beverage Co., Ltd. to obtain test soybean milk 1 to 3 for flavor improvement test. Subsequently, the sensory test by 12 panelists was implemented about the flavor of each prepared soymilk, and it evaluated using VAS method. For the four items of blue odor, savory taste, sweet taste, and deliciousness, the flavor of the control soymilk without the addition of α-glucan is 0, the imaginable highest flavor state is 10, and the lowest flavor state is -10. The flavor of the test soymilk was expressed as a numerical value, and the average value was evaluated. The results are summarized in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the test soymilk 1 to 3 prepared using α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 was used in the items of blue odor, savory taste, and deliciousness. All showed values of 0.4 or more, and the effect increased in a dose-dependent manner. The α-glucan had little effect on sweetness. Therefore, the test soymilk 1 to 3 prepared using the α-glucan has almost no change in sweetness, the blue odor and the savory taste are remarkably reduced as compared with the additive-free soymilk. Was shown to be increased. That is, it has been found that α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, has an off-flavor odor and an excellent flavor improving ability.

<Experiment 9: Shape retention of gelatin gel of this α-glucan>
The property improvement property of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention obtained by the method of Example 1, was examined using the shape retention of gelatin gel as an index. evaluated. The α-glucan obtained by the method of Example 1 or a commercially available dextrin derived from waxy corn starch (trade name “Sandeck # 30”, manufactured by Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd.) so that the concentration becomes 10.0% by mass in terms of solid matter. Were dissolved in water heated to 65 ° C. to prepare

carbohydrate solutions

1 and 2, respectively. A gelatin solution was prepared by dissolving commercially available gelatin (trade name “Gelatin 21”, manufactured by Nitta Gelatin Co., Ltd.) having a solid concentration of 2.4% by mass in water heated to 65 ° C. Next, the

saccharide solution

1 or 2 and the gelatin solution were mixed in equal amounts, respectively, and then placed in a container and refrigerated at 4 ° C. for 16 hours to prepare

test gelatin gels

1 and 2. A control gelatin gel was prepared in the same manner except that water heated to 65 ° C. was used instead of the saccharide solution. After forming the gelatin gel, the gelatin gel was taken out of the container and stored at 20 ° C. for 4 hours, and then each gelatin gel was photographed to evaluate the shape retention. The results are shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the test gelatin gel 2 prepared using the control gelatin gel and the commercially available dextrin derived from waxy corn starch was deformed immediately after removal from the container, and the degree of deformation further increased after 4 hours. The test gelatin gel 1 prepared using α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 was taken out from the container. Immediately after, the shape of the container was maintained, and even after 4 hours, it was a gelatin gel that hardly collapses so as to maintain the shape of the container, indicating that the shape retention was high. That is, it was found that α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, has an excellent shape retention ability.

<Experiment 10: Ability of this α-glucan to improve foam physical properties of meringue>
The property improvement property of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, obtained by the method of Example 1 was examined and evaluated using meringue foam property as an index. . To 100 parts by weight of egg white, 45 parts by weight of sugar and 5 parts by weight of α-glucan obtained by the method of Example 1 were added and dissolved, and a test meringue was prepared with a whisk. On the other hand, as a control, a control meringue was prepared in the same manner except that 50 parts by weight of sugar was added to 100 parts by weight of egg white. The same amount of each meringue was put in a container and stored refrigerated at 4 ° C. for 18 hours. The state of meringue foam immediately after preparation and after 18 hours was subjected to a sensory test by visual observation of five panelists. ++: very fine, +: fine, ±: normal and foam maintained,-: coarse foam Evaluation was made on a four-point scale. Table 9 shows the average values of the evaluations of five panelists.

As shown in Table 9, the control meringue was evaluated as “+” immediately after preparation and the foam was fine, but was evaluated as “−” after 18 hours of refrigeration, and the foam became coarse and almost disappeared. . In comparison, the test meringue prepared by using the α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 has finer and smoother bubbles immediately after the preparation than the control meringue. It was elastic, creamy and rich, and was rated “++”. Furthermore, the test meringue foam was less likely to disappear, and was evaluated as “±” even after 18 hours as compared with the control meringue, and the foam was maintained. That is, the meringue blended with the α-glucan has improved foam quality, and its bubbles are stabilized over time. It has been found that the α-glucan possessed has an excellent ability to improve foam physical properties.

<Experiment 11: Improving the texture of this α-glucan bracken>
Examination and evaluation of physical properties of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, obtained by the method of Example 1, using the texture of warabimochi as an index did. 200 parts by weight of sugar and 400 parts by weight of water are mixed with 100 parts by weight of modified starch (trade name “SF-1700”, manufactured by Showa Sangyo Co., Ltd.), heated in a 600 W microwave oven for 2 minutes, and then heated. Further, the operation of kneading and heating in a 600 W microwave oven for 2 minutes was repeated 6 times to prepare a control warabimochi. The test bracken was obtained by adding 1%, 2.5%, 5.0%, 10.0% by weight of sugar to α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1. Test warabimo 1 to 4 were prepared in the same manner as the control except that it was replaced. Table 10 shows the compositions of the control bracken and the test bracken 1 to 4. A sensory test was conducted on the texture of each of the prepared warabimochi with five panelists, with + as the standard softness (control), +: slightly soft, ++: soft, +++: fairly soft, +++: very It was evaluated in four grades: soft. The average values of the five panelists are summarized in Table 11.

As shown in Table 11, in comparison with the control, test bracken koji 1 to 4 prepared using α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 has a blending amount of α-glucan. As it increased, it had a softer texture. That is, it was found that α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, has an excellent texture improvement ability.

<Experiment 12: Examination of temperature stability of α-glucan>
The property improving property of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, obtained by the method of Example 1 was examined and evaluated using the heat retaining property of an aqueous solution as an index. . The α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 or a commercially available dextrin derived from waxy corn starch (trade name “Sandeck # 30”, manufactured by Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd.) Test

aqueous solutions

1 and 2 were prepared by dissolving in water to 10.0 mass%, and the control was water. 200 mL each of the control and each aqueous test solution was placed in a glass container, capped and heated in a boiling water bath. After opening, a temperature logger was placed so as to be positioned at the center of the sample, and the temperature retention was evaluated by measuring the time required for the temperature to drop from 70 ° C. to the target temperature under room temperature conditions. Summarized in

As shown in FIG. 5, the time required for the control and the test aqueous solution 2 to decrease to each set temperature was short, and the temperature decrease was rapid. In contrast, the test aqueous solution 1 prepared by using the α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 has a gradual temperature decrease, and decreases to each set temperature. It was revealed that the time required was long. That is, it was found that α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, is excellent in heat retention and temperature stability.

<Experiment 13: Examination of the viscosity of gelatinized starch of this α-glucan>
The property improvement property of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention obtained by the method of Example 1, was examined using the viscosity of gelatinized starch gel as an index. evaluated. Corn starch (trade name “Showa Corn Starch”, manufactured by Shikishima Starch Co., Ltd.) having a solid concentration of 15.0% by mass was heated in a boiling bath to prepare a starch gelatinization solution, which was then kept warm in the boiling bath. In addition, the α-glucan obtained by the method of Example 1 or a commercially available dextrin derived from waxy corn starch (trade name “Sandeck # 30”, manufactured by Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd.) so that the solid concentration is 10.0% by mass, Each was dissolved in water and then heated in a boiling bath to prepare

carbohydrate solutions

1 and 2, which were kept warm in the boiling bath. Next, an equal amount of starch gelatinization liquid heated and kept in a boiling bath and

sugar solution

1 or 2 heated and kept in a boiling bath are mixed, put into a container, and allowed to stand at room temperature for 1.5 hours. Test gelatinized starch gels 1-2 were formed. Loss tangent (used as an index of stickiness) using a rheometer (trade name “MCR102”, manufactured by Anton Pearl Japan Co., Ltd.) immediately after gel formation and after storage for 5 days at 4 ° C. tan δ) was determined and the degree of stickiness of each gel was evaluated and is shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, immediately after gel formation, the degree of viscosity of the test gelatinized starch gel 1 prepared using α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 was 0.12. As compared with Test Gelatinized Starch Gel 2, the value was about 1.2 times. 5 days after the preparation, although the degree of stickiness of the test gelatinized starch gel 1 decreased to about 0.05, it showed a value of 1.7 times or more as compared with the test gelatinized starch gel 2, The reduction rate was lower than that of the test gelatinized starch gel 2. That is, the α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, is prepared by gelatinizing starch gel after 5 days of refrigeration compared to commercially available dextrin. It has been found that it is excellent in maintaining a high degree of stickiness and suppressing a decrease in stickiness accompanying a change with time.

<Experiment 14: Examination of water separation of carrageenan gel of this α-glucan>
The property improvement property of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, obtained by the method of Example 1 was examined and evaluated using carrageenan gel water separation as an index. . In about 800 mL of deionized water, according to the formulation shown in Table 12, κ-carrageenan (trade name “Carrageenin CSK-1”, sold by Saneigen FFI Co., Ltd.), sugar, obtained by the method of Example 1 Add α-glucan or commercially available dextrin derived from waxy corn starch (trade name “Sandeck # 30”, manufactured by Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd.), warm to 80 ° C. or higher with a microwave oven, and completely dissolve by stirring. I let you. Each obtained aqueous solution was added with deionized water at 50 ° C. and stirred to finally make 1000 g each. After 78 g of each aqueous solution was dispensed into a plastic cup, the upper part of the cup was covered with a plastic paraffin film (trade name “Parafilm M”, manufactured by Bemis Company) to prevent evaporation of water, and 20 ° C. at room temperature (22 ° C.). A gel containing κ-carrageenan at a final concentration of 0.8% (w / w) was prepared by standing for a minute. A control carrageenan gel was prepared in the same manner except that only κ-carrageenan and sugar were used. The three kinds of prepared carrageenan gels were each stored at 4 ° C. for 2 weeks in a state filled in a container. For each carrageenan gel after storage for 2 weeks, a plastic paraffin film was taken, the water that emerged on the gel surface by water separation was absorbed into the filter paper, weighed, and the water separation amount was determined by subtracting the mass of the filter paper. The amount of water separation was measured for each of five carrageenan gels, and the average water separation amount, the ratio of the average water separation amount to the total mass of the gel, and the relative water separation amount with respect to the average water separation amount of the control gel are summarized in Table 13.

As shown in Table 13, the amount of water separation after storage at 4 ° C. for 2 weeks reached 3.0% of the total gel weight in the case of the control gel, while 1.6% in the commercial dextrin-containing gel. In the gel in which α-glucan having an isomaltose structure was blended at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1, it remained at 0.8%. The water separation amount of the present α-glucan-containing gel was remarkably reduced to about 1/4 of the water separation amount of the control gel. That is, it was found that α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, has an excellent ability to suppress water separation.

<Experiment 15: Improving the texture of this α-glucan bread>
The property improving property of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, obtained by the method of Example 1 was examined and evaluated using the elasticity of bread as an index. Each component was mixed with the composition shown in Table 14, and bread was baked using a home bakery (SD-BMT1000 type, manufactured by Panasonic Corporation) with a bread bread program (menu 4) built in the main body. The amount of α-glucan obtained by the method of Example 1 was set to 5% of the weight of the flour, and the amount of water was reduced by the amount of this α-glucan. The control bread was prepared using the same method except that the α-glucan was not added. The center part of the inner phase of the baked bread was cut into a 2 cm square, and the cut out part was subjected to a condition using a rheometer (CR-500DX type, manufactured by Sun Kagaku Co., Ltd.) with a plunger diameter of 15 mm and a pedestal rising speed of 5 mm / sec. Below, the force required to compress the height of the cut bread by 20% was measured and used as elasticity. The results are summarized in Table 15.

As shown in Table 15, the test bread prepared by blending α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 showed an elasticity of 0.42N and an elasticity of 0.21N. Compared to the control bread shown, the value was doubled. It was shown that an elastic bread can be prepared by blending this α-glucan. In other words, the bread blended with the present α-glucan has a greater elasticity than the control bread without the present α-glucan, and when eaten, it is a bread that gives a resilient and comfortable texture. . From this, it was found that α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, has an excellent texture improvement ability.

<Experiment 16: Effect of the α-glucan on the texture of gummi>
About the physical property improvement property of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention obtained by the method of Example 1, for sensory evaluation using gummy texture as an index And evaluated. Among the components shown in Table 16, those obtained by removing gelatin and citric acid solution were mixed in a glass container, and maintained at 121 ° C. using an electric stove (SK-65, 600 W, manufactured by Ishizaki Electric Manufacturing Co., Ltd.). While being heated, it was boiled until Brix was 90. When the temperature of the boiled mixture was lowered to 60 ° C., the amount of gelatin and citric acid 50% (w / v) solution shown in Table 16 were added and stirred well, then filled into a starch mold made of roasted starch A gummy with a diameter of 22 mm was formed. When the gummy solidified to some extent, the roasted starch was further sprinkled and allowed to stand overnight at room temperature (22 ° C.) to prepare gummy. In order to compare the texture of the gummy containing α-glucan obtained by the method of Example 1 and the control gummy, the prepared two kinds of gummy were put in their mouths separately for 10 panelists, and slowly The chewing (about 1 time per second) or the fast chewing (about 2 times per second) chewing with the back teeth, the texture of the control gummi and the texture of this α-glucan combination gummi In comparison, this α-glucan-containing gummy was evaluated in three stages, “hard”, “equivalent”, and “soft”, compared to the control gummy. Table 17 summarizes the number of panels that were evaluated for each of the two types of biting speeds when biting slowly and when biting fast.

As shown in Table 17, when chewed slowly, the gummy prepared by blending α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 has almost the same hardness as the control gummy. The number of respondents who responded that this was the most (8/10 out of 10) was higher, but when chewing quickly, the panel that responded that this α-glucan-containing gummy was firmer than the control gummy. (7 out of 10 people). As a result, it became clear that the gummi containing the α-glucan gave a soft texture equivalent to that of the control gummi when chewed slowly and a firm texture when chewed quickly. That is, the gummi containing the α-glucan is a dilatancy-like gummy that gives a unique texture that cannot be obtained with conventional gummi, and is an active ingredient of the quality improver of the present invention, at the non-reducing end. It has been found that α-glucan having an isomaltose structure has an excellent texture improvement ability.

As shown in Experiments 9 to 16, α-glucan, which is an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention, has a shape retention effect, a foam property improvement effect, a texture improvement effect, a heat retention effect / temperature stabilization effect, and a stickiness degree adjustment effect. Excellent effects such as water separation inhibiting effect were exhibited. That is, it was found that the quality improver of the present invention has an excellent ability to improve physical properties.

Hereinafter, the quality improving agent of the present invention comprising α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end used in the present invention as an active ingredient and its use will be described in detail by way of examples. It is not limited at all by an example.

Commercially available waxy corn starch (trade name “waxy corn starch Y” manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.) is suspended in deionized water to a solids concentration of 30% by mass, so that calcium chloride has a concentration of 0.1% by mass. After the addition, the pH was adjusted to 6.0 to obtain a waxy corn starch suspension. To this waxy corn starch suspension, a heat-resistant α-amylase (trade name “Spitase HK / R”, manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation) was added in an amount of 0.005% by mass per waxy corn starch solid, at pH 6.5 and 100 ° C. By heating for 20 minutes, gelatinization and liquefaction were carried out. Further, α-glucosyltransferase derived from Bacillus circulans PP710 strain disclosed in International Publication No. WO2008 / 136331 was added to 1.25 per gram of waxy corn starch solids. After adding the unit and allowing it to act at pH 6.0 and 50 ° C. for 24 hours, the reaction was stopped by heating at 140 ° C. for 10 minutes, and the mixture was supplied to a spray dryer and spray-dried at 135 ° C. The dried product was pulverized through a pulverizer to obtain powdery α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end.

The α-glucan has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 1,070 kDa, a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 63.1 kDa, Mw / Mn (dispersity) of 16.9, and has cold water solubility, The viscosity of the aqueous solution having a solid concentration of 30% by mass was 861 mPa · s. The glucose equivalent (DE) of the α-glucan was 0.89, and the isomaltose content of the α-glucan digested with isomaltose dextranase was 5.6% by mass. The α-glucan is an α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, and is transparent when stored for 1 week in an aging resistance test in which an aqueous solution having a solid concentration of 30% by mass is maintained at 6 ° C. for 1 week. It had remarkable aging resistance that maintained the state of the aqueous solution. The α-glucan is suitable as an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention. Examples of the quality improving agent containing the α-glucan as an active ingredient include edible film raw materials, foods, cosmetics, quasi drugs, It can be suitably used as a thickener or binder for pharmaceuticals or industrial products.

Commercially available waxy corn starch (trade name “waxy corn starch Y” manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.) was suspended in deionized water to a solids concentration of 30% by mass, and calcium chloride was added to a concentration of 0.1% by mass. After that, the pH was adjusted to 6.0 to obtain a waxy corn starch suspension. By adding heat-resistant α-amylase (trade name “Spitase HK”, manufactured by Nagase ChemteX Corporation) to this waxy corn starch suspension at 0.002 mass% per waxy corn starch solid, and heating at 100 ° C. for 20 minutes. Then, gelatinization and liquefaction were performed, and 1.0 unit of α-glucosyltransferase derived from Bacillus circulans PP710 disclosed in the pamphlet of International Publication No. WO2008 / 136331 was added per 1 g of waxy corn starch solid, pH 6 A powdery α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end was obtained by the same operation as in Example 1 except that the mixture was allowed to act at 0.0 and 50 ° C. for 24 hours.

The α-glucan had a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 1,270 kDa, Mw / Mn of 22.1, was soluble in cold water, and the viscosity of an aqueous solution having a concentration of 30% by mass was 896 mPa · s. The isomaltose content of the digest obtained by allowing isomaltdextranase to act on the α-glucan was 9.3% by mass. The α-glucan is an α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, and in an aging resistance test in which an aqueous solution having a solid concentration of 30% by mass is maintained at 6 ° C. for 1 week, aging occurs at the time of storage for 1 week. It had aging resistance that showed no cloudiness due to. The α-glucan is suitable as an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention. Examples of the quality improving agent containing the α-glucan as an active ingredient include edible film raw materials, foods, cosmetics, quasi drugs, It can be suitably used as a thickener or binder for pharmaceuticals or industrial products.

Commercially available waxy corn starch (trade name “waxy corn starch Y” manufactured by J-Oil Mills Co., Ltd.) was suspended in deionized water to a solids concentration of 35% by mass, and calcium chloride was added to a concentration of 0.1% by mass. After that, the pH was adjusted to 6.0 to obtain a waxy corn starch suspension. Heat-resistant α-amylase (trade name “Termamyl 60L”, manufactured by Novozymes Japan Co., Ltd.) is added to this waxy corn starch suspension in an amount of 0.004% by mass per waxy corn starch solid, and heated at 100 ° C. for 20 minutes. Then, gelatinization and liquefaction were performed, and 1.0 unit of α-glucosyltransferase derived from Bacillus circulans PP710 disclosed in the pamphlet of International Publication No. WO2008 / 136331 was added per 1 g of waxy corn starch solid, pH 6 A powdery α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end was obtained by the same operation as in Example 2 except that the mixture was allowed to act at 0.0 and 50 ° C. for 20 hours.

The α-glucan had a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 566 kDa, Mw / Mn of 13.2, was soluble in cold water, and the viscosity of an aqueous solution having a concentration of 30% by mass was 483 mPa · s. The isomaltose content of the digest obtained by allowing isomaltdextranase to act on the α-glucan was 7.0% by mass. The α-glucan is an α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, and in an aging resistance test in which an aqueous solution having a solid concentration of 30% by mass is maintained at 6 ° C. for 1 week, aging occurs at the time of storage for 1 week. It had aging resistance that showed no cloudiness due to. The α-glucan is suitable as an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention. Examples of the quality improving agent containing the α-glucan as an active ingredient include edible film raw materials, foods, cosmetics, quasi drugs, It can be suitably used as a thickener or binder for pharmaceuticals or industrial products.

After replacing waxy corn starch with waxy rice starch, gelatinizing and liquefying, the α-glucosyltransferase derived from Arthrobacter globiformis PP349 strain disclosed in International Publication No. WO2008 / 136331 is further solidified into waxy rice starch. The same procedure as in Example 3 was performed except that 2.5 units per gram was added and the mixture was allowed to act at pH 6.0 and 50 ° C. for 24 hours. Glucan was obtained.

The α-glucan had a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 1,360 kDa, Mw / Mn of 22.4, was soluble in cold water, and the viscosity of an aqueous solution having a concentration of 30% by mass was 840 mPa · s. The isomaltose content of the digest obtained by allowing isomaltdextranase to act on the α-glucan was 17.5% by mass. Further, the α-glucan is an α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end, and in the aging resistance test in which an aqueous solution having a solid concentration of 30% by mass is maintained at 6 ° C. for 1 week, the time point of 1 week of storage It had aging resistance that showed no turbidity due to aging. The α-glucan is suitable as an active ingredient of the quality improving agent of the present invention. Examples of the quality improving agent containing the α-glucan as an active ingredient include edible film raw materials, foods, cosmetics, quasi drugs, It can be suitably used as a thickener or binder for pharmaceuticals or industrial products.

<Frozen cooked rice> Using α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 as a quality improver, water is added to this and completely dissolved to obtain a carbohydrate solution having a concentration of 25% Was prepared. 600 parts by mass of raw rice was washed, immersed in water at 15 ° C. for 60 minutes, cooked in a conventional manner, and steamed for 5 minutes. While stirring the steamed cooked rice, the sugar solution heated to 80 ° C. is 2.5% as α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end with respect to the mass of raw rice used for cooking rice. In addition, the mixture was placed in a heat insulating container and kept for an additional 45 minutes with occasional stirring. This cooked rice is cooled, subdivided into containers one by one, frozen and stored for 24 hours, then chilled and thawed at 5 ° C for 24 hours, and then sampled at room temperature. And it kept the same taste as it was immediately after production.

<Cooked rice for chilled use> α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 2 was used as a quality improver, and water was added to this to completely dissolve it. A 5% sugar solution was prepared. 600 parts by mass of raw rice was washed, immersed in water at 15 ° C. for 60 minutes, cooked with 800 parts by mass of the carbohydrate solution, and steamed for 10 minutes to obtain cooked rice. After cooling this cooked rice, divide it into containers one by one, store it in chilled for 48 hours, and test it after returning it to room temperature. As a result, the quality-improving agent demonstrates the ability to control aging, and tastes comparable to that immediately after production. Was holding. With this cooked rice, rice balls were made, stored at 5 ° C for 24 hours, 36 hours, and 48 hours, then returned to room temperature and sampled. It was confirmed that the quality-improving agent exhibited excellent aging control ability.

<Sushi rice> 14 parts by weight, α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 3 as a quality improving agent, 25 parts by weight of sugar, and 25 parts by weight of tap water are added to 6 parts by weight of salt. While heating, the solution was completely dissolved, cooled to room temperature, and 30 parts by mass of grain vinegar was added thereto to prepare a saccharide solution containing vinegar. After washing 600 parts by mass of raw rice, it was immersed in water at 15 ° C. for 60 minutes, hydrated to 1.35 times the mass of raw rice, cooked in a conventional manner, and steamed for 15 minutes. While stirring the steamed cooked rice, 200 parts by mass of the sugar solution heated to 30 ° C. was added, and the state was maintained without further cooling for 5 minutes (final cooked rice temperature 55 ° C.). Spread and cool to prepare sushi rice. This product was stored at -20 ° C for 1 week, thawed at chilled for 24 hours at 5 ° C, returned to room temperature, and tasted, and the aging control ability, physical property improvement ability, and flavor improvement ability of the quality improver were demonstrated. The taste was inferior to that immediately after. This product can be used as it is or refrigerated and used as sushi rice when making nigiri sushi, roll sushi, chirashi sushi, inari sushi, pressed sushi, etc. It can also be used as sushi rice when manufacturing nigiri sushi. In addition, it can be frozen and stored in the state of nigiri sushi with sushi seeds on it.

<Spaghetti> An α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 4 was used as a quality improver, and an appropriate amount of water was added thereto to completely dissolve it. A saccharide solution was prepared. 100 parts by weight of commercially available spaghetti (dried product) is boiled with hot water in a conventional manner, and the noodles immediately after being boiled from hot water are placed in a heat-retaining container and heated to 75 ° C. while stirring gently. 5 parts by mass was added and held for 30 minutes to allow the carbohydrates to penetrate. The product was returned to room temperature after 48 hours of chilled storage or frozen storage, and the noodles were evaluated for looseness. As a result, the quality-improving agent exhibited aging control and physical properties, and it was manufactured in any storage method. It had the same looseness immediately after that.

<Spaghetti> 2,000 parts by weight of a saccharide solution in which α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 is used as a quality improving agent and dissolved in 0.5% by mass Was used to prepare 100 parts by weight of commercially available spaghetti (dried product). The product was returned to room temperature after 48 hours of chilled storage or frozen storage, and the noodles were evaluated for looseness. As a result, the quality-improving agent exhibited aging control and physical properties, and it was manufactured in any storage method. It had the same looseness immediately after that.

<Taste reduction inhibitor of starch gelatinized food> α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 2 was used as a quality improver and water-containing crystal α, α-trehalose (trade name “ Toreha ”, Hayashibara Co., Ltd.), hydrous crystal maltose (trade name“ San Mart ”, Hayashibara Co., Ltd.), maltotetraose-rich syrup (trade name“ Tetrap H ”, Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) And dissolved in a mass ratio of 1: 1: 1: 1, containing an α-glucan, α, α-trehalose, maltose, and maltotetraose-rich carbohydrate having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end in terms of anhydride. A syrup-like taste reduction inhibitor having a sugar concentration of 30% by mass was prepared. This product was further spray-dried by a conventional method to prepare a powdery taste reduction inhibitor. *

These taste reduction inhibitors can be used as they are or dissolved in water, and further used as a taste reduction inhibitor for starch gelatinized foods in combination with other starch aging inhibitors or food quality improvers. it can. The present taste lowering inhibitor coexists with and is in contact with starch gelatinized food immediately after starch is gelatinized by heating, and maintains the starch gelatinized food at room temperature, at a relatively high temperature for a certain period of time. It can control the aging of starch that may progress when stored and distributed in chilled, refrigerated or frozen state, and can suppress the generation of curing and off-flavors. In addition to the above effects, when the present taste reduction inhibitor is applied to the production of noodles such as udon, soba noodles, Chinese noodles and spaghetti, it can also be used for the purpose of improving the looseness of the noodles.

<Frozen squid> 100 parts by weight of raw squid, 1 part by weight of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end produced by the method of Example 3, 3 parts by weight of salt, 1 part by weight of trehalose, 1 part by weight of sorbitol, 1 part by weight of maltitol, 0.5 part by weight of 2-O-α-D-glucosyl-L-ascorbic acid (trade name “ASCOFRESH” manufactured by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) and 92.5 parts by weight of water In the immersion liquid consisting of After removing the immersion liquid, it was stored frozen at −20 ° C. to prepare a frozen squid. In this product, the quality improver demonstrates the ability to improve physical properties such as resistance to freezing and water separation prevention, and the ability to improve flavor, whitening does not occur even during long-term frozen storage, and there is little drip when thawing, It is a high-quality frozen squid with no odor.

<Ice milk> Nonfat powdered milk (milk fat content: 0.8%, non-fat milk solid content: 96.2%) 8 parts by weight, egg yolk 2 parts by mass, sugar 12 parts by mass, non-obtained by the method of Example 4 5 parts by mass of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the reducing end as a quality improver, 5 parts by mass of trehalose (trade name “Treha” manufactured by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) and 60 parts by mass of water were added and dissolved with stirring. . Next, 8 parts by weight of fresh cream (milk fat content: 47.0%, non-fat milk solid content: 4.0%) was added, and further heated and stirred, and then homogenized with a homogenizer. This was cooled and stored at 5 ° C., filled into a container, and stored frozen to obtain ice milk. This product is a high-quality ice milk with a good taste, taste and mouth-melting properties, and a quality-improving agent that exhibits improved physical properties such as ice crystal stability and curability control, and improved flavor.

<Orange Jelly> 500 parts by weight of orange juice and 291 parts by weight of water are heated to 80 ° C., and 8 parts by weight of κ-carrageenan (trade name “Carrageenin CSK-1”, Saneigen FFI Co., Ltd.) 150 parts by weight of sugar and 50 parts by weight of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 as a quality improver were added and dissolved with stirring. After cooling to 50 ° C., 1 part by mass of 2-O-α-D-glucosyl-L-ascorbic acid (trade name “ASCOFRESH” manufactured by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) was added and dissolved while stirring. An orange jelly was obtained by filling this solution in a container and storing it in a refrigerator. This product is a high-quality orange jelly with a quality-improving agent that improves physical properties and flavor, such as shape retention, stability and water separation prevention, and has a beautiful appearance, good texture and good flavor. It is.

<Lactic acid bacteria beverage> 175 parts by weight of skim milk powder, 100 parts by weight of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 2 and a powder containing high lactosucrose (trade name “milk Oligo ", manufactured by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) in 1,500 parts by mass of water, sterilized at 65 ° C. for 30 minutes, cooled to 40 ° C., and then inoculated with 30 parts by mass of a starter of lactic acid bacteria. And culturing at 37 ° C. for 8 hours to obtain a lactic acid bacteria beverage. This product contains oligosaccharides and has not only an intestinal regulating action, but also a quality improver that can improve the physical properties such as stability and formability and the ability to improve flavor to keep lactic acid bacteria stable. It is a high quality lactic acid bacteria beverage that can be made.

<Green juice powder> With respect to 25 parts by mass of barley young leaf powder and 25 parts by mass of kale powder, 40 parts by mass of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 3 as a quality improver and Trehalose powder (trade name “Treha”, manufactured by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) 5 parts by mass, water-soluble dietary fiber (trade name “Fiber Rixa”, manufactured by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) 5 parts by mass, 2-O-α-glucosyl-L-ascorbic acid (Product name “ASCOFRESH”, manufactured by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.) 1 part by mass was thoroughly mixed and stirred, pulverized into a fine powder, weighed and packaged to obtain a product. This product exhibits the ability to improve the physical properties of quality improvers and is excellent in dispersibility, color development and stability of young barley leaf powder and kale powder, and it can be dissolved or suspended in an appropriate amount of water. In the case of turbidity, the flavor improving ability of the quality improving agent is exerted, there is no off-flavor, and the product value is high as a high quality green juice.

<Custard cream> 100 parts by mass of corn starch, 100 parts by mass of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 4 as a quality improver, 60 parts by mass of water containing trehalose, 40 parts by mass of sucrose, And 1 part by weight of salt are thoroughly mixed, 280 parts by weight of hen's egg is added and stirred, 1,000 parts by weight of boiled milk is gradually added thereto, and the mixture is further stirred by heating. The corn starch is completely gelatinized. When the whole became translucent, the fire was turned off, cooled, added with an appropriate amount of vanilla fragrance, weighed, filled and packaged to obtain a product. This product is a high quality custard cream that has a smooth luster and texture, with a quality improving agent that exerts the ability to control starch aging and improve flavor, and has a smooth luster and texture.

<Strawberry> According to a conventional method, water was added to 10 parts by mass of raw material red beans, boiled, astringent and extracted, and water-soluble impurities were removed to obtain about 21 parts by mass of red bean grains. To this raw bean paste, 14 parts by mass of sucrose, and 5 parts by mass and 10 parts by mass of water were added as a quality improver with α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 and boiled. A small amount of salad oil was added and kneaded so as not to break the granule, and about 35 parts by mass of the product koji was obtained. As for this product, the quality improver exhibits starch aging control ability, physical property improvement ability, flavor improvement ability, color burning, water separation, stable, good taste, rice cake bread, manju, dumpling, middle, ice confectionery, etc. It is suitable as a confectionery material.

<Uiro no Mo> 90 parts by weight of rice flour, 20 parts by weight of corn starch, 70 parts by weight of anhydrous crystalline maltitol, and α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 2 as a quality improver Mass parts and 4 parts by mass of pullulan were uniformly mixed to produce a waxy element. Ui-no-Moto, an appropriate amount of Matcha and water were kneaded, and the mixture was placed in a container and steamed for 60 minutes to produce Matcha Uiro. This product contains maltitol and is not only low in calories, but also exhibits the ability to improve the physical properties and flavor of the quality improver, and has good shine, mouthfeel, and good flavor. In addition, the starch aging control ability of the quality improver is demonstrated, and it is a long-lasting Uro.

<Bread> 100 parts by weight of wheat flour, 2 parts by weight of yeast, 5 parts by weight of sucrose, 1 part by weight of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 3 and 0 inorganic food .1 part by mass was kneaded with water according to a conventional method, the middle seed was fermented at 26 ° C. for 2 hours, and then aged and baked for 30 minutes. This product exhibits the ability to improve the physical properties of starch, the ability to control starch aging, and the ability to improve flavor, and it has good hue and durability, moderate elasticity, good shelf life, and good flavor. The bread.

<Ham> 15 parts by mass of sodium chloride and 3 parts by mass of potassium nitrate are uniformly rubbed into 1,000 parts by mass of pork thigh and deposited in a cold room for one day and night. A salt composed of 500 parts by weight of water, 100 parts by weight of sodium chloride, 3 parts by weight of potassium nitrate, 50 parts by weight of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 4 and a spice The product was soaked in a pickled solution in a cold room for 7 days, then washed with cold water, wound with a string, smoked, cooked, cooled and packaged according to a conventional method to obtain a product. This product is a high-quality ham that exhibits the ability to improve the physical properties and flavor of the quality improver, has a good color, and has a good flavor.

<Aji Opening> 125 parts by mass of sodium chloride in 1,000 parts by mass of water and 75 parts by mass of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1 were dissolved. Opened horse mackerel was soaked in the seasoning liquid according to a conventional method for 30 minutes, and then dried with warm air of 30 ° C. for 1 hour to produce a dried horse mackerel. The open-boiled dried mackerel of the present invention is a product that not only has excellent taste, but also has an acidity and fish odor, and has a strong appetite in color and luster. It is.

<Pickles> 1,000 parts by mass of radish with 35 parts by mass of salt, 80 parts by mass of sugar, 35 parts by mass of vinegar, 5 parts by mass of gardenia pigment, and α- having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 2 50 parts by mass of glucan as a quality improver was mixed as appropriate, placed in a plastic bag and stored in a refrigerator at 4 ° C. for a week to prepare pickled radish. The pickle of the present invention is a high-quality pickle that is not only excellent in texture and taste, but also has a stable color and appetite, because the physical properties improving ability and flavor improving ability of the quality improver are demonstrated. is there.

<Mayonnaise> Quality improvement of α-glucan having 20 parts by mass of egg yolk, 2.5 parts by mass of salt, 5 parts by mass of water, 12.5 parts by mass of vinegar and non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 3 After adding 5 parts by mass as an agent in a container and stirring, it was further stirred while gradually adding 200 parts by weight of edible oil to prepare mayonnaise. The mayonnaise of the present invention exhibits the ability to improve the physical properties and flavor of the quality improver and not only has a good texture and taste, but also has high stability, gloss, good mouthfeel, and good appetite. It is a high quality mayonnaise.

<Powdered peptide> 40% soy peptide solution for food (trade name “Hi-Nut S”, manufactured by Fuji Oil Co., Ltd.) 1 part by mass, α having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 4 -2 parts by mass of glucan as a quality improver was mixed, placed in a plastic vat, dried under reduced pressure at 50 ° C, and pulverized to obtain a powdered peptide. This product is not only useful for confectionery materials such as premixes and frozen desserts, because the flavor improving ability of the quality improving agent is demonstrated, and it is useful as a confectionery material for premixes, frozen desserts, etc. It is also useful as an intestinal adjustment material for foods and tube feeding fluids.

<Edible film> 15 parts by mass of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1, 8 parts by mass of glycerol, 1 part by mass of polysorbate 80, and 76 parts by mass of deionized water are placed in a container. The mixture was suspended and dissolved by stirring at 800 rpm for 1 hour at room temperature using a magnetic stirrer. Thereafter, this solution was degassed under reduced pressure for 6 hours at room temperature, and then a polyester film (trade name “Scotchpak 1022 Release liner) coated with a fluoropolymer using a fully automatic film applicator (trade name“ Coat Master 510 ”, manufactured by Eriksen). “3M”), and a film was produced under conditions of a wet thickness of 650 nm and 5 mm / second. The produced film was dried in a hot air oven at 60 ° C. for 1.5 hours to obtain an edible film. This product is a high-quality edible film that exhibits the ability to improve the physical properties of a quality improver, is supple and stretchable, has little stickiness, and has a good transparency.

<Cosmetic cream> 2 parts by weight of polyoxyethylene glycol monostearate, 5 parts by weight of self-emulsifying glyceryl monostearate, 1 part by weight of liquid paraffin, 10 parts by weight of glyceryl trioctanoate and appropriate amounts of preservatives are heated and dissolved according to a conventional method. In addition, 2 parts by mass of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 2 as a quality improver, 2 parts by mass of L-lactic acid, 5 parts by mass of 1,3-butylene glycol, and Add 66 parts by weight of purified water, emulsify with a homogenizer, add 1 part by weight of glucosyl hesperidin (trade name “Alpha Glucosyl Hesperidin”, manufactured by Hayashibara Co., Ltd.), add a suitable amount of perfume, and stir and mix. Manufactured. This product contains glucosyl hesperidin and not only has antioxidant properties, but also exhibits the ability to improve the physical properties of quality improvers, has high stability, high quality sunscreen, skin cleanser, fair skin, etc. Can be used as advantageous.

<Toothpaste> 45 parts by mass of dibasic calcium phosphate, 1.5 parts by mass of sodium lauryl sulfate, 25 parts by mass of glycerin, 0.5 parts by mass of polyoxyethylene sorbitan laurate, and the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 3 Toothpaste was obtained by mixing 15 parts by mass of α-glucan having a maltose structure as a quality improver and 0.02 parts by mass of saccharin with 18 parts by mass of water. This product is a stable formulation that exhibits the ability to improve physical properties such as stability and moisture retention of quality improvers, and does not impair functions such as detergent detergency. The feeling after use is also good.

<Food Edible Solid Formulation> 100 parts by mass of α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 4 as a quality improver, 200 parts by mass of hydrous crystals of trehalose, 200 parts by mass of powder containing high maltotetraose Parts, powdered egg yolk 270 parts, skim milk powder 209 parts, sodium chloride 4.4 parts, potassium chloride 1.8 parts, magnesium sulfate 4 parts, thiamine 0.01 parts, sodium L-ascorbate A blend consisting of 1 part by weight, 0.6 part by weight of vitamin E acetate and 0.04 part by weight of nicotinamide is prepared, and 25 grams of this blend is filled into a moisture-proof laminate sachet and heat sealed to obtain a product. It was. This product is a liquid food that is stable and excellent in regulating the intestine due to its ability to improve the physical properties such as stability and formability of the quality improver and the ability to regulate the intestine. It can be used for the intestine and the like by a method of tube use, and can be advantageously used for energy supply to a living body.

<Fertilizer bar>
Compound fertilizer (nitrogen 12%, phosphoric acid 8%, potassium 12%), α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end obtained by the method of Example 1, calcium sulfate, and water were each in a mass ratio of 70:10: The mixture was mixed sufficiently and then heated to 80 ° C. with an extruder (L / D = 20, compression ratio = 1.8, die diameter = 15 mm) to produce a fertilizer bar. This product has the strength suitable for full-layer fertilization because the α-glucan exhibits easy-to-handle properties, such as binding, shape retention, shaping, and releasability. Furthermore, the elution rate of the fertilizer component can be adjusted by changing the blending ratio. Further, if necessary, it is also possible to advantageously carry out blending of plant hormones, agricultural chemicals, soil improvers and the like with this fertilizer bar.

The quality improver of the present invention comprises an α-glucan having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end as an active ingredient, exhibits an appropriate molecular weight range, is excellent in cold water solubility, retains an appropriate viscosity, various raw materials, and intermediate materials For example, the composition is excellent in aging control, flavor improvement, and physical property improvement, and therefore can be advantageously used in the fields of food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial products. In particular, it can be advantageously used as an aging control agent for starch-containing foods, a flavor improving agent for foods having a nasty smell, a physical property improving agent, and the like, and has a great industrial significance.

Claims

An α-glucan mixture obtained by a production method comprising gelatinizing waxy starch, allowing amylase to act and liquefying, and allowing α-glucosyltransferase to act, comprising the following features (1) to (3) A quality improving agent comprising an α-glucan mixture having:
(1) the weight average molecular weight (Mw) is in the range of 150 kDa to 3,000 kDa;
(2) The value (Mw / Mn) obtained by dividing the weight average molecular weight (Mw) by the number average molecular weight (Mn) is 35.1 or less; and
(3) An α-glucan molecule having an isomaltose structure at the non-reducing end is included.
The α-glucan mixture produces isomaltose in an amount of more than 3% by mass and less than 22% by mass by digestion with isomalt dextranase (EC 3.2.1.94). Item 6. The quality improving agent according to Item 1.
The quality improving agent according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the waxy starch is waxy corn starch.
4. The α-glucan mixture is added to deionized water so as to have a solid concentration of 20% by mass and stirred at 30 ° C. for 15 minutes to completely dissolve and give a uniform solution. The quality improver described in 1.
The quality improvement agent in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 4 as an aging regulator.
The quality improver according to any one of claims 1 to 4, as a flavor improver.
The quality improver according to any one of claims 1 to 4, as a physical property improver.
A food, cosmetic, quasi-drug or pharmaceutical comprising the quality improver according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
Industrial goods containing the quality improving agent according to any one of claims 1 to 7.