GB2304049A - Manufacture of health foods by fermentation of rocks - Google Patents

Abstract

Health food compositions comprising i) The products of fermentation of sedimentary and/or metamorphic rocks using microorganisms; ii) starch and iii) at least one of the following a Yin invigorating agent e.g. Rhizoma anemarrhenae , a heat alleviating agent e.g. sea tangle, a perspiring, antipoisoning and thirst quenching agent e.g. Ramulus cinnamomi , an impurity purifying agent e.g. Rhizoma zedoariae , an energy invigorating agent e.g. Radix astragali , a blood building-up agent e.g., Radix angelicae giganiois , a mitigigative e.g. Radix glycyrrhizae , a lung, kidney and liver invigorating agent e.g., Radix ophiopogonis , an anti-palsy agent, e.g. Radix ligustici tenuissimae , a stomachic e.g., Fructus hordei germinatus and micronutrients. The compositions are used to improve appetite, reduce fatigue and treat nephritis, hepatitis, and bronchitis.

Description

FOOD PRODUCT AND ITS MANUFACTURING METHOD This invention relates to a food product derived from complex enzymes of microorganisms, 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 manufacturing method which comprises inoculating microorganisms upon natural rock to ferment organic and inorganic nutrients of the rock with the enzymes of microorganisms, and adding medicinal herbs to the organic material produced by the enzymic reaction of the complex enzymes of the microorganisms.

Enzymes are proteinaceous catalysts from the biosphere.

Synthesis of biomolecules is achieved smoothly and routinely by cells, though enzymic action. Enzymes are responsible for virtually all of the chemical reactions that take place in a living body, and mediate the syntheses of biological compounds, and can also catalyse chemical reactions outside a living body. Enzymes are obtainable from animals or plants, but microorganisms are preferably sources of enzymes, since microorganisms can be cultivated regadless of local conditions and climatic variations, and large quantities of desired enzymes can be produced in a short time.

Microorganisms can produce large quantities and many varieties of enzymes. The user has to screen a microbial strain where the desired enzyme is active, and, at this point, properties of the microbial enzyme, such as optimum temperature, optimum pH and thennal stability, etc, must be considered.

An enzyme functions at a molar concentration significantly lower than that of the reactant(s) on which it operates, since it catalyses reactions repeatedly. The enzyme does not alter the equilibrium of the reaction, and one mole of enzyme facilitates the conversion of many moles of reactant to product. The attraction of enzyme molecules for the activated complexes in a reaction leads to a decrease in the energy of activation of the reaction, and hence to an increase in the reaction rate. Enzymes are molecules, complementary in structure to the activated complexes of the reaction that they catalyse.

Reactive groups of enzymes and substates both have special 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 specific reaction between enzyme and substrate, chymotrypsin is a protein molecule with a molecular weight of 25,000, comprising about two hundred amino acids. As an enzyme, chymotrypsin has a specific active site for the hydrolysis of protein molecules. Specifically, it hydrolyses peptide bonds from the carboxylic groups of phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan. It has a specific rectivity for the aromatic amino acids.

Therefore, substrate protein molecules, 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-catalysed reactions depend on optimum temperatures. For example, the taste and the smell of beer are mgulated by the control of the temperature, where the enzyme amylase and protease are optimally active for saccharification, ie. 65-70*C and 4owt, respectively.

The temperature range where microorganisms proliferate is usually -10C to 70C, with the optimum temperature for bacteria growth being around 37C.

The optimum temperature for the proliferation of yeast or mold, however, is 20-30*C, and there are high temperature-oriented bacteria that proliferate vigorously at temperatures above 40is. 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 industries. They are an expanding field, with enzymes reactions being adapted 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 example, wine, cheese, yoghurt, oriental soybean paste and other fermented foods.

The present invention makes use of fermentation reaction using microorganisms. However, while the examples above use specific microorganisms, this invention may use various kinds of microorganisms, that are beneficial to the health of human beings, to provide a food product which is very effective in maintaining, promoting and restorg health.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new food product, which is beneficial to maintaining, promoting and restoring health.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a food product which is produced by inoculating microorganisms upon natural rock to fennent organic and inorganic nutrients of the rock with the enzymes of microorganisms.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a food product which is produced by adding medicinal herbs to the organic material produced by the enzymic action of the complex enzymes of microorganisms on natural rock.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a food product that is very effective in aiding recovery from fatigue and the improvement of appetite, prevention of skin aging, hangover cures and the treatment of incurable diseases.

This invention utilises microorganisms such as penicillin mold, 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 traditional fermented food made of cabbage, radish, lettuce, etc.) and antibacterial material, Ascomycetes, Basidiomycota and Deuteromycotina.

These microorganisms require an oxygen-sufficient envnit for their respiration. While in an oxygen-deficient environment, alcoholic fermentation takes place and saccharides are decomposed to produce ethanol and carbon dioxide, in the oxygen-sufficient environment, saccharides are used as an energy soorce for the proliferation of microorganisms, and a large amount of bacteria are produced Molds used in this invention cannot conduct pbotosynthesis, 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 circumstances, protein, cellulose or starch is decomposed 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 saccharides by the action of an sapergillus for oriental fermentation, the saccharides produce alcohol by the action of yeast, and the alcohol producers acetic acid by the action of acetobactor.

According to the present invention, sedimentary rocks or metamorphic rocks are inoculated with microorganisms. The organic and inorganic materials of the rocks become involved in the proliferation of microorganisms, whereupon the enzyme-catalysed reaction of the microorganisms produces a new maters Then, ethanol is added to coagulate and sterilise protein molecules, and natural or processed organic acids, such as carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, acetic acid and tataic acid, are also added to maturate reactants, thus activating the synthesis of ionised acidic organic material by the reaction of the caU enzymes of the microorganisms.The ionised organic material is referred to as an acidic product The acidic product is neutralised by an alkaline stone which mainly includes alkaline elements like calcium and so an, and tben is mixed with the extracts from the medicinal herbs (such as energy circulating agent, Yin invigorating agent, heat alleviating agent, perspiring, antipoisoning and thirst quenching agent and purifying agent) which are effective for the human's vitalities.

The mixture is then heated to 70-80 C and cooled gradually to a temperature range of 3o-4ot. Maintaining the temperature of 30-40 C, the mixture 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 invigorating agent, anti-palsy agent and stomachic, and is dried to be pulverised.

The method for manufacturing a food product according to the present invention comprises the following steps: Step 1: Sedimentary rocks or metamorphic rocks are washed and submerged in spring water in constant temperature. Microorganisms, 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 thee days, and two or three times a day thereafter for about fifteen days, adjusting the temperature and pH to the optimum state for proliferation.

In this first step, microorganisms proliferate and the mineral elements or organic/inorganic materials of the rocks are ionised by the catalysed reaction of the enzymes that the microorganisms produce.

Microorganisms which can be used in the inoculation step include Penicillium corylophilum of blue molds, Saccharomyces cerevisiase, endomyces and pichia of Ascomycetes, filobasidium and rhodospridium of Basidiomycota, eupenicillium, talaromyces and carpenteles of Deuterorrwcotina, rhodotorula or red yeast, candida of edible and medicinal yeast, and or basteria for antibiotics, yoghurt and Kimchi.

Step 2 : The microorganisms proliferate vigorously in the first step and the enzymes are activated. When the synthesis of the effective materials is maximised, predetermined amounts of ethanol and organic acid are added After addition of ethanol and organic acid, and after several weeks of maturation, ionised acidic organic compound, synthesised by the complex enzymes, is obtained.

The ethanol in this step is 70-90% ethanol, and the organic acids may include natural carboxylic acids and processed acetic acid, tartaric acid, sulfonic add, butyric acid, lactic acid and other At this point, the ethanol coagulates the protein molecules.

Step 3 : The pH of the acidic products obtained in step 2 is about 2, and the acidic products, including the synthesised organic cornpooods and unreactive enzymes, are placed in a fermenter with alkaline rocks, and the products are maturated for about seven days The vH of the products is raised to pH 7.3, very weak alkaline condition. The alkaline rocks are composed of alkaline elements such as calcium, and used in this invention to neutralise substantially the acidic products and activate the unreactive enzymes in this pH range.

Though the acidic organic compounds are gradually fermented into the neutral compound, the input of alkaline stone accelerates the alkalisation of the organic compound, thus shortening the time for the neutralisation and the whole procedure.

The neutralised 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.

The medicinal herbs selected from the respective groups undergo combined extraction together in an extractor. The extract obtained is then mixed with the neutralised product in a concentrator. The temperature in the concentrator is raised to 70-80 C to fennent the mix with the enzyme that is activated at this temperature range, and maintained at 30-40C for about 10 hours to ferment the mixture with the enzyme which is activated at this temperature range and to concentrate the mixed in vacuum.

During the concentration of the mixture, ethanol is separated, reducing the product to a tenth of its volume.

The humidity in the concentrator is 50%.

Medicinal Herbs - Energy circulating agents.

Rhizoma cyperi, Fructus meliae toosendon, Fructus crataegi - Yin invigorating agents: Rhizona anemarrhenae, Ramulus et Uncus uncariae, Radix trichosanthis - Heat alleviating agents: sea tangle, Bulbous fritillariae - Perspiring, antipoisoning and thirst quenching agents: Ramulus cinnamomi, Herba schizonpe, Folium perillae, Rhizoma cimicifugae, Radix peurariae - Energy circulating and impurity purifying agents: Rhizoma zedoariae, Fructus immaturus ponciri, Fructus ponciri Step 5 : To the concentrate of Step 4, starch is added and mixed in the amount of 25% by weight.

Starch is helpful in the formation of particles and for absorption 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 pulverised into a mesh of 110, giving the final product ie. bealth food.

- Concentrate: 50% by weight - Starch : 2596 by weight Medicinal Hews - Energy invigorating agents : 5% by weight Radix astragali, Radix ginseng, Rhizoma atractylodis macrocephalae - Blood building up agents : 2% by weight Radix angelicae giganiois, Radix paeoniae, lactiflorae, Rhizoma retrnzntae - Mitigatives : 3% by weight Radix glycyrrhizae - Lung, kidney and liver invigorating agents : 2% by weight 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 germinatus - Soybean and other micronutrients : 8% by weight First of all, sedimentary rocks were waeeed and submerged into spring water at constant temperature.

Microorganisms such as Penicillium corylophilum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, filobasidium, eupenicillium, yeast and candida were inoculated upon the sedimentary 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 supplied 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 netitrul pII, were removed to a fermenter containing alkaline rocks, where the products were neutralised 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 Rhizoma cyperi, sea tangle, Rhizoma anemarrhenae, Rhizoma zedoariae and Ramulus cinnamami. The mixture was heated to 70-80 C and then concentrated in a vacuum concentrator at 30-40C 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 ostrwoli, 20g of Radix angelicae gigantois, 30g of Radix glycyrrhizae, 20g of Radix ophiopogonis, log of Radix ligustici tenuissimae, 40g of Fructus hordei genninatus and 80g of soybean (all as powders), and stirred for one hour.

The mixture was dried in an electric drier and pulverised into mesh of 110.

The final products, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, were orally administered to twenty healthy adults, ie. ten men and ten women at 10g a day for a week. Most subjects felt that their appetite had been improved, recovery frin 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 suffers from nephritis, bronchitis and chronic hepatitis for a 1t tire, at 13g, twice a day for two weeks. The conditions of the patients were greatly improved.

The inventors have found that the resist is very excellent, and there are no limits in ages, sexes and varieties of diseases in the application of the product The health food according to the present invention is excellent especially in circulating and invigorating energy (transled into oriental term "Ki (#)") in the human body, building up blood, invigorating internal organs, discharging and purifying impurities and discharging superfluous nutrients, and is very effective in the alleviation of fatigue, the improvement of appetite, the prevention of skin aging, hangover cures and the treatment of intractable diseases.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognise that these and various other modifications and changes may be made to the present invention without strictly following the exemplary application 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 aget, a Yin invigorating agent, a bet alleviating agent, a perspiring, anti-on and thirst quenching agent, an impurity purifying agent, an energy invigaSing agent, a blood building-up agent, a mitigative, a lung, kidney and liver invigorating agent, an anti-palsy agent, a stornachic and micnnutzients.

2. A food product as claimed in claim 1, wherin 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: (1) 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 invigorabng agent, a heat alleviating agent, a perspiring, anti-poisoning and thirst quenching agent, and an impurity purifying agent; (11) starch; and (iii) at least one of each of an energy invigoradng agent, a blood building-up agent, a mitigative, a lung, kidney and liver invigorating agent, an anti-palsy agent, a stomachic and micronutrlents.

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 invigoning agent, 1% af 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 Rhizona 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 Romulus cinnamomi, Herba schizonpe, Folium perillae, Rhizoma cimicifugae or Radix peumine; the impurity purifying agent is Rhizoma zedoariae, Fructus immaturus poncin or Fructus ponciri; the energy invigorating agent is Radix astmgoli, 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 glycyrrtive; the lung, kidney an liver invigorating agent is Radix ophiopogonis, Radix osparag or Radix poRygoni multiplori; the anti-palsy agent is Radix ligustici tenuissimae, Radix dematidis or Rhizoma gustrodiae; 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) neutolising the acidic product produced in step (iii) by addition to a fermenter containing alkaline rocks, and maturating the neutralised product for about seven days; (v) mixing the neutralised 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 imparity 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 enemy invigorating agent, a blood building-up agent, a mitigative, a lung, kidney and liver invigorating agent, an antipalsy 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, Beside, 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 adi

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 fmm 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 thee 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 desaibesi