CA2228386A1 - Food product and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention relates to a food product comprising: (i) the products of fermentation of sedimentary and/or metamorphic rocks using microorganisms; (ii) starch; and (iii) at least one additional ingredient, chosen from an energy circulating agent, a Yin invigorating agent, a heat alleviating agent, a perspiring, antipoisoning and thirst quenching agent, an impurity purifying agent, an energy invigorating agent, a blood building-up agent, a mitigative, a lung, kidney and liver invigorating agent, an anti-palsy agent, a stomachic and micronutrients; and to methods for its manufacture.

Description

CA 02228386 l998-0l-30 W O 97/OS888 PCT~KR96/00121 FOOD PRODUCT AND ITS MANUFACTURING METHOD

Field of the Invention This invention relates to a food product derived from complex enzymes of microorg~ni.cms, and to methods for its manufacture. In particular, it relates to a food product which is uniquely effective in maintaining, promoting and restoring health, and a mamlf~t1~ring method which comprises inoc~ ting rnicroorganisms upon natural rock to f~ ellt organic and 0 inorganic nutrients of the rock with the enzymes of microorg~ni.sm.c, and adding m~li~in~l herbs to the organic material produced by the enzymic r~ tion of the comI)kx enzymes of the micro~ ,;.. ,i.s. . ,.s.

Description of the prior Art Enzymes are proteinaceous catalysts from the biosphere.
Synthesis of biomolecules is achieved smoothly and routinely by cells, through enzymic action. Enzymes are responsible for virtually all of the rh~mic~l r~tions that take place in a living body, and me li~te the syntheses of biological compounds, and can also catalyze chemical reactions outside a living body. Enzymes are obtainable from animals or plants, but microorg~ni~m~ are preferably sources of enzymes, since microorg~ni.cm.c can be cultivated regardless of local conditions and ~lim~ti~ vari~tion~

2 5 and large quantities of desired enzymes can be produced in a short time.

W O 97/05888 PCT~KR96/00121 Microorganisms can produce large qll~ntities and many varieties of enzymes. The user has to screen a microbial strain where the desired enzyme is active, and, at this point, ~lu~llies of the microbial enzyme, such as oLJli~ l t~ dl,-lle, ~lJ~;""""
pH and thermal stability, etc, must be cr,n~ red.
An enzyme functions at a molar concentration si~nifir~3ntly lower than that of the reactant(s) on which it operates, since it catalyzes reactions repeatedly. The enzyme does not alter the equilibrium of the reaction, and one mole of enzyme f~r,ilit~t~s the 0 cullv~l:iion of many moles of reactant to product. The attraction of enzyme molecules for the activated comr l~xes in a reaction leads to a decrease in the energy of activation of the re~ction~
and hence to an increase in the reaction rate. Enzymes are molecules, comr)l~?rnentary in structure to the activated cnm~lexes of the reaction that they catalyze.
Reactive groups of enzymes and substrates both have speri~l reactivity. The precise shape of the active site of the enzyme allows portions of the substrates to be tightly bound.
Structurally, the active site can be a crevice, such as that found in chymotrypsin. As an example of sper,ific reaction between enzyme and substrate, chymotrypsin is a ~ e.ll molecule with a molecular weight of 25,000, comprising about two hundred amino acids. As an enzyme, chymotrypsin has a ~specifir active site for the hydrolysis of protein molecules. Speci*c~lly, it hydrolyzes 2 5 peptide bonds from the carboxylic groups of phenyl~l~nine, tyrosine and tryptophan. It has a specific reactivity for the aromatic amino acids. Therefore, substrate protein molecules, , W O 97/OS888 PCTIK~R96/00121 including aromatic amino acids, bind at the active site of the enzyme. Substrate protein molecules that do not have such a complementary structure may not bind to the enzyme.
It is well known that the enzyme-catalyzed rç~ctions ~ p~n~l on U~)t,illlUlll temperatures. For example, the taste and the smell of beer are regulated by the control of the temperature, where the enzyme amylase and protease are optim~lly active for ~rhz3rification, i.e. 65-70~C and 40~C, respectively. The temperature range where microorg~ni.~mc proliferate is usually 0 -10~C to 70~C, with the optimum tel~ ture for bacteria growth being around 37~C.
The optimum temperature for the proliferation of yeast or mold, however, is 20-30~C, and there are high telll~l ~Lture-oriented bacteria that proliferate vigorously at telll~l ~tures above 40~C . In temperature conditions higher than the optimum, it is hard for bacteria to survive, and they die out due to denaturation of proteins (including enzymes).
Enzymic reactions are used in many industries, e.g. the food engineering, the leather, textile, medical, cosmetic and detergent 2 o industries. They are an e~ n-lin~ field, with enzymic reactions being ~d~r te~l for use in biosensors, pollution and garbage disposal, batteries, residues discarded from fuel and numerous others. Enzymic reactions using microorganisms have been diversely applied to dietary life; for e~mrle, wine, cheese, yoghurt, oriental soybean paste and other fermented foods.

Summary of the Invention W O 97/05888 PCT~KR96/00121 The present invention makes use of ferm~.nt~tion re~.tion using microorganisms. However, while the e~ s above use specific microorganisms, this invention may use various kinds of microu~ , that are b~nefici~l to the health of human beings, to provide a food product which is very effective in maintaining, promoting and restoring health.
An object of the present invention is to provide a new food product, which is beneficial to rr ~in~ining, promoting and restoring health.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a food product which is produced by inoculating microorg~ni~m.s upon natural rock to ferment organic and inorganic nutrients of the rock with the enzymes of microorg~ni~ms Still another object of the present invention is to provide a food product which is produced by adding m~i~.in~l herbs to the organic material produced by the enzymic action of the cornpl~ox enzymes of microorg~ni~m~ on natural rock.
Still another object of the present i~lv~llLion is to provide a food product that is very effective in aiding le~COV~::l,y from fatigue and the improvement of appetite, prevention of skin aging, hangover cures and the treatment of incurable ~lise~ce.c, Detailed Description of the Invention This invention utilzes microorganisms such as penicillin mold, 2 5 which is useful for the manufacture of cheese, yeast, useful for the manufacture of bread and beer, bacteria useful for the manufacture of yoghurt, Kimchi(Korean tr~-lition~l ferm~.nte-l food W O 97/05888 PCTnKR96/00121 made of cabbage, radish, lettuce, etc.) and ~ntih~rterial material, Ascomycetes, Basidiomycota and Deuteromyco~ina.
These microorganisms require an oxygen-sllffl~ient envi, ~ ,ent for their resp*ation. While in an oxygen~ fici~nt ~,lvil ul~lllent~ alcoholic ferrnentation takes place and saccharides are decomposed to produce ethanol and carbon dioxide, in the oxygen-sufficient e~-vilulllll~llt, saccharides are used as an energy source for the proliferation of microor~ni.cm~, and a large amount of bacteria are produced.
0 Molds used in this invention cannot conduct photosynthe~
since they lack chlorophyll. Accordingly, molds obtain energy and material for growth by living on animals or plants and other bacteria, with its thin and long cells formed in fruit bodies.
Under these circumst~nces, protein, cellulose or starch is ~l~comT~osed to become an energy source. Yeast is an initial molecular substance of metabolism, since it is involved in the decomposition of saccharides.
Microorganisms have their own enzymes. Starch produces ~rch~rides by the action of an sapergillus for oriental 2 0 fermentation, the saccharides produce alcohol by the action of yeast, and the alcohol produces acetic acid by the action of acetobactor.
According to the present invention, se(1imPntary rocks or metamorphic rocks are inoculated with microorg~ni~mc. The ~ 2 5 organic and inorganic materials of the rocks become involved in the proliferation of microorganisms, whereupon the enzyme-catalyzed reaction of the microorg~ni~m~ produces a new WO 97/05888 PCT~KR96/00121 material. Then, ethanol is added to coagulate and sterilize protein molecules, and natural or processed organic acids, such as carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, acetic acid and tartaric acid, are also added to maturate reactants, thus activating the synth~.cis of ionized acidic organic material by the reaction of the comr k~x enzymes of the microorg~ni~m~. The ionized organic material is d to as an acidic product. The acidic product is neutralized by an alkaline stone which mainly in~h~ s alkaline elements like calcium and so on, and then is mixed with the 0 extracts from the me1i~in~1 herbs (such as elle:l~y circulating agent, Yin invigorating agent, heat alleviating agent, ~ g, antipoisoning and thirst qll~nching agent and ~ liry,..g agent) which are effective for the human's vit~liti~s.
The mixture is then heated to 70-80~C and cooled gradually to a t~ ture range of 30-40~C. ~ i"g the t~ L~
of 30-40 ~C, the llli~lul ~ is concentrated in a vacuum to separate alcohol. The concentrate is mixed with powders of starch and medicinal herbs, e.g energy invigorating agent, blood building-up agent, mitigative, lung, kidney and liver invi~ul~Llillg agent, anti-palsy agent and stomachic, and is dried to be pulverized.
The method for manllf~t lring a food product according to the present invention comprises the following steps:

Steu 1:
2 5 Sedimentary rocks or metamorphic rocks are washed and subu~ xl in spring water in constant t~ re.
Microorg~ni~m~, such as blue mold, beer yeast, bread yeast, and/or soil bacteria, are inoculated on the rocks in a predetermined amount. The reactants are then stirred every two hours for about three days, and two or three times a day thereafter for about fifteen days, adjusting the tempeld~ul~ and pH to the optirnum state for proliferation.
In this first step, microorg~ni~m~ proliferate and the mineral elements or organic/inorganic materials of the rocks are i~ni7e-1 by the catalyzed reaction of the enzymes that the microorg~ni.~m~
produce.
o Microorganisms which can be used in the inoculation step include Penicillium corylophilum of blue molds, SC~C~ u~yces cereuisiase, endomyces and pichia of Ascomycetes, filobasidium and rhodospridium of Basidiomycota, eupenicillium, talaromyces and c~rpenteles of Deuteromycotina, rhodotorula or red yeast, candida of edible and merlicin~l yeast, and/or bacteria for antibiotics, yoghurt and Kimchi.

stel) 2:
The microorganisms proliferate vigorously in the first step and the enzymes are activated. When the synthe~i~ of the effective materials is ~-la~ li7~1, predetermined amounts of ethanol and organic acid are added. After addition of eth~n~l and organic acid, and after several weeks of maturation, inni7~rl acidic organic compound, synthesized by the comr~l~x enzymes, is 2 5 obtained.
, The ethanol in this step is 70-90% ethanol, and the organic acids may include natural carboxylic acids and processed acetic =
CA 02228386 l998-0l-30 W O 97/05888 PCT/kUR96/00121 acid, tartaric acid, sulfonic acid, butyric acid, lactic acid and others.
At this point, the ethanol coagulates the protein molecules.

~tep 3:
The pH of the acidic products obtained in step 2 is about 2, and the acidic products, including the synthe~i~erl organic compounds and unreactive enzymes, are placed in a fermenter with alkaline rocks, and the products are maturated for about seven days. The pH of the products is raised to pH 7.3, very weak ~lk~lin~? condition. The z~lk~line rocks are composed of alkaline elements such as calcium, and used in this invention to neutralize substantially the acidic products and activate the unreactive enzymes in this pH range.
Though the acidic O~ iC compounds are gradually fermented into the neutral compound, the input of ~lk:l1ine stone accelerates the ~lk~ tion of the organic compound, thus shortening the time for the neutralization and the whole procedure.
The neutralized products are removed to a concentrator.

Step 4:
One medicinal herb is selected from each of the medicinal herb groups listed below, in the same amount.
2 5 The medicinal herbs selected from the respective groups undergo combined extraction together in an extractor. The extract obtained is then mixed with the neutralized product in a W O 97/05888 PCT~KR96/00121 concentrator. The temperature in the concentrator is raised to 70-80~ to ferrnent the llli~l,Ult~ with the enzyme that is activated at this temperature range, and maintained at 30-40~C for about 10 hours to ferment the mixture with the enzyme which is activated at this temperature range and to cfnc~nlrate the llli~l,Ul~ in vacuum.
During the concentration of the ll~i~lule, ethanol is separated, reducing the product to a tenth of its volume.
The humidity in the concentrator is 50%.
0 Medicinal Herbs - Energy circulating agents:
Rhizoma cyperi, Fructus meliae toosendan, Fructus crataegi - Yin invigorating agents:
Rhizona an~"~ullhenae, Ramulus et Uncus uncariae, Radix trichosanthis - Heat alleviating agents:
sea tangle, Bulbus frztillariae - P~ g, antipoisoning and thirst qll~nchin~ agents:
2 o Ramulus ci,~rul"~omi, Herba schizonpe, Folium perillae, Rhizoma cimici~ugae, Radix peurariae - Energy circulating and illll~Ulil~y purifying agents:
Rhizorna zedoariae, Fructus i,,u,u~ rus ponciri, Fructus ponciri Ste~ 5:
To the concentrate of Step 4, starch is added and mixed in :

the arnount of 25% by weight.
Starch is helpful in the forrnation of particles and for abso~ption in the stomach. Powders of one medicinal herb from each of the below-described medicinal herb groups are added in the specified amount, and stirred. The mixture is dried and pulverized into a mesh of 110, giving the final product i.e. health food.
- Concentrate: 50~ by weight - Starch: 2~% by weight 0 Meflirin~l Herbs - Energy invigorating agents: ~% by weight Radix astragali, Radix ginseng, Rhizoma atractylodis macrocephalae - Blood building up agents: 2% by weight Radix angelicae giganiois, Radix paeoniae, lactiflorae, Rhizoma ref7m~niae - Mitigatives: 3% by weight Radix glycyrrhizae - Lung, kidney and liver invigorating agents: 2~ by weight 2 o Radix ophiopogonis, Radix asparagi, Radix polygoni multiplori - Anti-palsy agents: 1% by weight Radix ligustici tenuissimae, Radix clematidis, Rhizoma gastrodiae - Stomachic: 4~~ by weight Fructus hordei g~ ir~l,L~s - Soybean and other micronutrients: 8~ by weight CA 02228386 l998-0l-30 W O 97/05888 PCT~KR96/00121 Pl~r~ ed Embodiment of the Invention First of all, sedimentary rocks were washed and submerged into spring water at constant temp~-~tu-~.
Microorganisms such as Penicillium corylophzlum, Sac~-~, urr~ces cerevisiae, fzlobasidium, eupenicillium, yeast and candida were inoculated upon the se-limen~ry rocks. The reactants were stirred every 2 hours for 3 days, and two or three times a day for fifteen days. Then the reactants were sllr)plie-1 1 o with 70% ethanol and carboxylic acid, to be maturated for three weeks. The organic acidic products produced by the maturation and the unreactive enzymes which are active in neutral pH, were removed to a fermenter containing ~lk~line rocks, where the products were neutralized and maturated by the enzyme which is active in the neutral pH for seven days.
The maturated products were removed to a concentrator and mixed with equal amounts of extracts of Rhzzoma cyperi, sea tangle, Rhizoma an~"u~ enae, Rhizoma zedoariae and Ramulus cinnamomi. The mixture was heated to 70-80~C and then concentrated in a vacuum concentrator at 30-40~C for 10 hours.
The ethanol was separated from the concentrator and the humidity in the concentrator was 50%.
To the concentrator was added 250g of starch, 50g of Radix astragali, 20g of Radix angelicae gigantois, 30g of Radix glycyrrhzzae, 20g of Radix ophiopogonis, 10g of Radix ligustici tenuissimae, 40g of Fructus hordei germinatus and 80g of soybean (all as powders), and stirred for one hour. The l~ ,Ul~
was dried in an electric drier and pulverized into mesh of 110.

CA 02228386 l998-0l-30 WO 97/05888 PCTnKR96/00121 The final products, according to the ~ re.l~d embor7.iment of the present invention were orally administered to twenty healthy adults, i.e. ten men and ten women at 10g a day for a week.
Most subjects felt that their appetite had been improved, recovery from fatigue was rapid and their skins had become elastic.
Further, products of the present invention were orally administered to three people who had been respectively jurr~l illg from nephritis, bronchitis and chronic hepatitis for a long time, at 13g, twice a day for two weeks. The conditions of the p~ti~nt~
o were greatly improved.
The inventors have found that the result is very excellent, and there are no limits in ages, sexes and varieties of ~7i.~e~es in the application of the product.
The health food accol .lillg to the present invention is ex-~ellent especially in circulating and invigorating energy (tr~n~l~ted into orienta7. terrn "Ki(~)") in the hl7m~n body, building up blood, invigorating internal organs, ~lic~h~ illg and purifying impurities and ii~ch~rging superfluous nutrients, and is very effective in the alleviation of fatigue, the ~ ov~ ent of appetite, the prevention of skin aging, hangover cures and the treatment of intractable ~iise~ses Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that these and various other mo~lific~tinns and changes may be made to the present invention without strictly following the f?~mr)l~ry :n?plic~tion illustrated and described herein and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

Claims (13)

1. A food product comprising:
(i) the products of fermentation of sedimentary and/or metamorphic rocks using microorganisms;
(ii) starch; and (iii) at least one additional ingredient, chosen from an energy circulating agent, a Yin invigorating agent, a heat alleviating agent, a perspiring, antipoisoning and thirst quenching agent, an impurity purifying agent, an energy invigorating agent, a blood building-up agent, a mitigative, a lung, kidney and liver invigorating agent, an anti-palsy agent, a stomachic and micronutrients.

2. A food product as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fermentation product is produced by blue molds, Ascomycetes, Basidiomycota, Deuteromycotina, yeast, and/or bacteria for antibiotics, yoghurt and Kimchi.

3. A food product as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 which comprises:
(i) a concentrate containing the products of fermentation of sedimentary and/or metamorphic rocks, using microorganisms and at least one of each of an energy circulating agent, a Yin invigorating agent, a heat alleviating agent, a perspiring, anti-poisoning and thirst quenching agent, and an impurity purifying agent;

(ii) starch; and (iii) at least one of each of an energy invigorating agent, a blood building-up agent, a mitigative, a lung, kidney and liver invigorating agent, an anti-palsy agent, a stomachic and micronutrients.

4. A food product as claimed in claim 3, which contains, by weight, 50% concentrate, 25% starch, 5% of an energy invigorating agent, 2% of a blood building-up agent, 3% of a mitigative, 2% of a lung, kidney and liver invigorating agent, 1%
of an anti-palsy agent, 4% of a stomachic and 8% micronutrients.

5. A food product as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein:
the energy circulating agent is Rhizoma cyperi, Fructus meliae toosendan or Fructus crataegi;
the Yin invigorating agent is Rhizoma anemarrhenae, Ramulus et Uncus uncariae or Radix trichosanthis;
the heat alleviating agent is sea tangle or Bulbus fritillariae;
the perspiring, antipoisoning and thirst quenching agent is Ramulus cinnamomi, IIerba schizonpe, Folium perillae, Rhizoma cimicifugae or Radix peurariae;
the impurity purifying agent is Rhizoma zedoariae, Fructus immaturus ponciri or Fructus ponciri;
the energy invigorating agent is Radix astragali, Radix ginseng or Rhizoma atractylodis macrocephalae;
the blood building-up agent is Radix angelicae giganiois, Radix paeoniae, lactiflorae or Rhizoma rehmanniae;
the mitigative is Radix glycyrrhizae;
the lung, kidney an liver invigorating agent is Radix ophiopogonis, Radix asparagi or Radix polygoni multiplori;
the anti-palsy agent is Radix ligustici tenuissimae, Radix clematidis or Rhizoma gastrodiae;
the stomachic is Fructus hordei germinatus; and the source of micronutrients is soybean.

6. A method for manufacturing a food product comprising:
(i) submerging sedimentary and/or metamorphic rocks in spring water at constant temperature;
(ii) inoculating microrganisms upon the rocks and stirring;
(iii) adding 70-90% ethanol and organic acid and leaving to maturate for 2 or 3 weeks;
(iv) neutralizing the acidic product produced in step (iii) by addition to a fermenter containing alkaline rocks, and maturating the neutralized product for about seven days;
(v) mixing the neutralized product from step (iv) with extracts from an energy circulating agent, a Yin invigorating agent, a heat alleviating agent, a perspiring, antipoisoning and thirst quenching agent and an impurity purifying agent;
(vi) heating the mixture from step (v) to 70-80°C and standing the mixture at 30-40°C for about 10 hours to be concentrated;
(vii) admixing to the product of step (vi), starch and powders of an energy invigorating agent, a blood building-up agent, a mitigative, a lung, kidney and liver invigorating agent, an anti-palsy agent, a stomachic and micronutrients.

7. A method for manufacturing a food product as claimed in claim 6, wherein the microorganisms are blue molds, Ascomycetes, Basidiomycota, Deuteromycotina, yeast, and/or bacteria for antibiotics, yoghurt and Kimchi.

8. A method for manufacturing a food product as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the organic acid is carboxylic acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, sulfonic acid, butyric acid or lactic acid.

9. A method for manufacturing a food product as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein in step (vii) 50% of the concentrate from step (vi), 25% starch, 5% of an energy invigorating agent, 2% of a blood building-up agent, 3% of a mitigative, 2% of a lung, kidney and liver invigorating agent, 1%
of an anti-palsy agent, 4% of a stomachic and 8% micronutrients are admixed.

10. A method for manufacturing a food product as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein in step (v) the agents are as defined in claim 5, and/or in step (vii) the additives are as defined in claim 5.

11. A method for manufacturing a food product as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the microorganisms inoculated upon the rocks are stirred every two hours for about three days, and then two or three times a day for fifteen days.

12. A food product substantially as hereinbefore described.

13. A method for manufacturing a food product substantially as hereinbefore described.