Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L31/00—Edible extracts or preparations of fungi; Preparation or treatment thereof
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G18/00—Cultivation of mushrooms
  • A01G18/20—Culture media, e.g. compost
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G18/00—Cultivation of mushrooms
  • A01G18/40—Cultivation of spawn
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
  • A01G—HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS OR SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING
  • A01G18/00—Cultivation of mushrooms
  • A01G18/50—Inoculation of spawn
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23K—FODDER
  • A23K10/00—Animal feeding-stuffs
  • A23K10/10—Animal feeding-stuffs obtained by microbiological or biochemical processes
  • A23K10/12—Animal feeding-stuffs obtained by microbiological or biochemical processes by fermentation of natural products, e.g. of vegetable material, animal waste material or biomass
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L5/00—Preparation or treatment of foods or foodstuffs, in general; Food or foodstuffs obtained thereby; Materials therefor
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L7/00—Cereal-derived products; Malt products; Preparation or treatment thereof

Definitions

• This invention relates generally to food or feed products and processes. More particularly, this inven ⁇ tion relates to a process for enhancing the protein content of food or feed products. Additionally the invention relates to food and feed products having an increased protein con ⁇ tent as produced by the subject process.
• these grains and grain products usually contain 10% or less protein which is very often deficient in some of t essential amino acids. Since the average person requir at least 65 grams of high quality protein per day for good health, this means that an intake of 650 grams of cereal grains would be required to supply this quantity of protein. Ingesting this much cereal grain would sup too much carbohydrate relative to the amount of protein Furthermore, the protein contained within these cereal grains is generally of relatively poor quality.
• the present invention is directed to a soluti to the above-described problems by increasing the ratio of protein to carbohydrate in cereal grains and product thereof while concominantly improving the overall amino acid balance for the treated grain.
• a food or foodstuff such as a cereal grain (wheat, corn, and the like) treated by the instant process may be dried to the customary moisture levels and processed by conventional methods to provide food and feed products such as bread, dry cereal products, dog and cat foods and the like which contain enough high quality protein to be nutritionally well balanced and have a flavor which is highly acceptable.
• Another aspect of the present invention is the fact that agricultural waste products such as peanut hulls, corn residue, grain straws and the like may be mixed with cereal grains and treated by this process to give products which are particularly well suited for animal feedstuff. Materials such as corn silage could also be treated by the present process.
• At least one publication suggests that mushrooms may be cultivated in a culture medium comp ising, for example,
• ⁇ f - O PI - corn fibers and rice bran (or corn bran) and subsequently the cultivation medium may be used as feedstuff.
• At least one other previously known publication dis ⁇ closes that a nutrient substance which comprises one or more cellulose-containing agricultural waste products may be crushed, mixed with water and placed into a ventilated con- tainer which is sterilized.
• the sterilization is carried out either by heating to 70 to 80°C for 5 hours or by intro ⁇ ducing propylene oxide. After the mixture is placed inside the sterilized container, it is injected with a mycelium of the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus.
• the nutrient substance is preferably wheat, barley, rye, peas, rice shells, sun flower stalks and seeds.
• the container is kept at a constant temperature betwee 16 and 20°C after seeding.
• the temperature is lowered to between 5 and 16°C.
• the container is opened and illuminated with light.
• a substrate such seed oil residues (e.g., cottonseed meal, coconut meal, peanut meal, etc.) which are advantageously mixed with a cereal material such as wheat or the like may be innoculated with a mycelium of mushrooms including, among others, Pleurotus ostreatus.
• the substrate e.g., peanut meal
• the calcium carbonate is added and the pH is adjusted to between
• Pleurotus will grow in the presence of materials already containing protein (cereal grain and the like) without substantially altering the protein already present, and at the same time produce additional protein by fixing nitrogen which is in the air and using the grain as a source of carbon.
• a more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel process for increasing the protein content of food or feed products .
• Another object of the invention is to provide a novel process for increasing the protean content of a food or food- stuff utilizing nitrogen from the atmosphere.
• Still another object of the present inventio to provide a protein enriched food or feed product pro by this process.
• the present invention provides process for increasing the protein content of a food o feed product which contains carbohydrates. This process comprises 1 :
• the present invention comprises the product produced by the above described process.
• the process of the present .invention involves treating a food or feed product with a spawn culture of the genus Pleurotus.
• the food products useful in this process include any carbohydrate containing food product on which Pleurotus mycelium will grow in the presence of air.
• Such products include, for example, cereal grains such as corn, rye, oats, milo, rice, barley, soybeans, manioc, yams, and sweet potatoes; products of the milling industry that con ⁇ tain carbohydrates such as wheat bran and rice bran; other carbohydrate containing food products such as lima beans, pinto beans , and pulses including white acre peas , black- eyed peas, and the like, and agricultural wastes such as pea ⁇ nut hulls, corn residue, grain straws, cottonseed hulls, bi- gasse, corn silage. Mixtures of two or more food or feed products may also be used.
• the first step in the subject process comprises mixing the food or feed product with water. Water is needed so that when the food or feed product is innoculated with Pleurotus it will have a sufficiently moist environment in which to grow.
• the mixture should contain generally from about 20% to about 80%, typically from about 30% to about 70% and preferably from about 40% to about 60% by weight food or feed product, and correspondingly generally from about 20% to from about 40% to about 60% by weight water.
• ⁇ - percentages are based upon the total weight of the mixture.
• calcium carbonate may be added to the mixture of the food product and the water.
• the purpose of the calcium carbonat is to increase the pH of the mixture to a value in the rang of from about 6 to about 8 for the purpose of providing the preferred pH for the growth of Pleurotus.
• the calcium car ⁇ bonate is also added for the purpose of supplying nutrient to the mixture.
• any com- pound which is non-toxic and which will supply required nu ⁇ trients is useful in the growth of the leurotus mycelium.
• Such compounds include calcium hydroxide, calcium sulfate, dicalcium phosphate, organic calcium salts such as calcium citrate, and the like, and other mineral nutrient materials such as nutrient compounds of potassium, magnesium iron, phosphorus, zinc, copper, boron, sulfur, and the like. Mix tures of two or more nutrient compounds may also be used. These nutrient compounds must be in a form such that they are not toxic to the mycelium. Harvested grains usually contain sufficient quantities of these nutrients and their addition is not required for efficient growth when harvested grains are employed.
• the second step of the present process comprises sterilizing the mixture so as to substantially eliminate the w ta ces whic om with th P tus.
• This mixture may be sterilized by any means known to those skilled in this art.
• the mixture may be sterilized by heating or by pretreating the substrate with chemical compounds such as propylene oxide or anhydrous ammoni .
• the mixture is sterilized by means of heat, it should be heated to termperatures in excess of 120 ⁇ C for a sufficiently long period of time to allow the entire mix ⁇ ture to attain a minimum temperature of 120°C.
• the sterilized mixture is next innoculated with a spawn culture of the genus Pleurotus at temperatures which are generally from about 5 ⁇ C to about 46°C typically from 10 ⁇ C to about 30°C and preferably from about 20°C to about 30°C. Mixtures of two or more members of this genus may al- so be used.
• spawn culture refers to a living culture of the mycelium growing on any substrate which will support its growth.
• the mixture may be innoculated with the spawn cul- ture by adding a small amount of the culture as finely divided as possible and mixing this culture into the new substrate as thoroughly as possible.
• the amount of Pleurotus used to innoculate the food product mixture may be generally from about 0.5% to about 20%; typically from about 1% to about 5%, and preferably from about 1% to about 3% by weight based upon the total weight of the innoculated mixture.
• the innoculated mixture is then maintained in the presence of a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen at a temperature of generally from about 5°C to about 46°C, typically from about 10°C to about 35°C, and preferably from about 20°C to about 30°C. These temperature ranges are important in they represent those temperatures at which Pleurotus will grow. At temperatures substantially below about 5°C or su stantially above about 46°C Pleurotus does not experience substantial growth.
• the innoculated mixture must be maintained in the presence of a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen in order to produce an increase in protein content of the food product
• a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen Any ratio of nitrogen to oxygen may be employed in the process of the present invention although the mixtu shall preferably contain more than 10% by weight oxygen an more than 10% by weight nitrogen.
• the amount of gas mixtu which is employed is important only in that substantial protein increase may not_ occur if there is insufficient nitrogen and/or oxygen present during the growth period.
• Other gases may also be included in this mixture. Air whi is at or near the surface of the earth is a preferred gas mixture since it contains oxygen and also contains approxi mately 78% molecular nitrogen by volume.
• the innoculated mixture should be maintained in contact with the gas mixture for a period of time long enough to effect sufficient growth of the mycelium but not for too long a period of time since there is no advantage doing so and since contamination with other fungi or bacte mav occur.
• the ' innoculated mixture should be kept in contact with the gas mixture for generally from about 2 days to about 80 days, typically from about 14 days to about 56 days, and preferably from about 21 days to about 35 days. If the innoculated mixture is kept in contact with the gas mixture for a time period substantially less than about 2 days, then the protein increase is comparatively in ⁇ significant. On the other hand, if the innoculated mixture is kept in contact with the gas mixture for a time period sub- stantially in excess of 80 days, the amount of protein increase over and above that attained up until that time is also comparatively insignificant.
• growth of the mycelium is terminated. Growth may be terminated, for example, by dehydrating the mixture to a moisture content of generally less ⁇ than about 20%, typically less than about 18%, and preferably less than about 12% by weight based upon the total weight of the innoculated mixture. Growth may also be terminated by chemical steriliza- tion or heating.
• the food product Prior to treatment according to the process of the present invention, has a protein content of generally less than about 25 percent, by weight, based upon the weight of the food product as determined by nitrogen analysis.
• the food product After treatment according to the process of the present invention, the food product has a protein content • which is generally at least about 30 percent to 65 oercent by weight higher; based upon the weight of the food product.
• Example 1 illustrate the preparation of the enriched protein food product of the present invention. The following general procedure applies to each of these Example
• One hundred twenty five (125) grams of the food product, one hundred (100) grams of water, and two point fiv (2.5) grams of finely divided calcium carbonate are mixed in a glass container.
• the container is closed with a cotton plug and the mixture is sterilized by heating in a steam autoclave.
• the mixture is then cooled to room temperature and innoculated with a Pleurotus ostreatus spawn culture. T innoculated mixture is then maintained in the presence of atmospheric air at 21°C.
• Table I The specific details of each Example are given in Table I below.
• the protein content of each example was determined by the well known technique of nitrogen analysis.
• the present invention provides a process whereby protein content of a food product is substantially increased by innoculating the food product with mycelium of the genus Pleurotus.
• the ratio of protein to carbohydrate in cereal grains and other food products may be increased, thus alleviating to some degree the problems associated with the lack of protein in the diet of much of the world population.
• Example 2 was repeated except that Agaricus bisporus mycelium was used instead of Pleurotus ostreatus. Sub ⁇ stantially no increase in protein content was measured.
• the above-described Examples illustrate that when the process of the present invention is employed, there is pro ⁇ quizd a food product having an increasedprotein content.
• Agaricus Bisporius rather than Pleurotus, there results sub- stantially no protein increase.

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mycology (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Environmental Sciences (AREA)
• Nutrition Science (AREA)
• Microbiology (AREA)
• Biotechnology (AREA)
• Sustainable Development (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Physiology (AREA)
• Animal Husbandry (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Fodder In General (AREA)
• Micro-Organisms Or Cultivation Processes Thereof (AREA)

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• 1979
  • 1979-08-30 WO PCT/US1979/000670 patent/WO1980000400A1/en unknown
  • 1979-08-30 AU AU50425/79A patent/AU525978B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1979-08-30 CA CA000334756A patent/CA1146798A/en not_active Expired
• 1980
  • 1980-03-25 EP EP19790901178 patent/EP0016824A4/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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