JP5944839B2 - Anti-aging starch granules and method for producing the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a starch granule having a property of hardly aging even in a gel form and a method for producing the same.

  Foods obtained by cooking a material containing starch (for example, strawberries, bracken rice, etc .; hereinafter referred to as starch gel-containing foods) often become harder and harder to eat if stored. Or This is mainly due to the fact that the starch in the starch gel formed by cooking ages over time, resulting in the starch gel becoming hard and opaque.

  Today, a wide variety of processed foods are distributed, and the ratio of processed foods containing starch gel is very high. Processed foods often pass several days or more in the distribution process, and are often stored for a long time after production. Therefore, processed food often loses the fresh texture immediately after processing during distribution or storage.

  The deterioration of texture reduces the commercial value of processed foods. Therefore, in the worst case, the food must be discarded after a short period of storage.

  Furthermore, with the diversification of foods, it is required to give foods various shapes, physical properties, and textures. In particular, texture and mouthfeel are attracting attention as important physical properties of food. In the market of foods for persons with difficulty in swallowing and foods for care recipients, which are attracting attention recently, the texture is considered as an important function.

  Conventionally, in order to improve food texture and physical properties of food, various gelling agents have been added to food materials during food preparation. Starch is used as a kind of such a gelling agent. Not only natural starch (ie, raw starch) but also chemically modified forms of starch (eg, acetate starch and phosphate cross-linked starch) are utilized as gelling agents. Natural starch ages vigorously soon after food preparation. Certain functionalized starches (eg, esterified starches and etherified starches) are known to be less susceptible to aging when compared to natural starch, and thus, for example, in many foods to provide improved aging properties. It is used.

  For example, acetate starch, which is a kind of esterified starch, is the most commonly used modified starch. As the acetyl group bonded to the raw material starch used in the starch acetate increases, the gelatinization temperature of the resulting starch acetate decreases, and the tackiness increases. Gels obtained using acetate starch have improved aging and transparency over gels obtained using natural untreated starch. Therefore, acetic acid starch is used for grilled chicken sauce or mitarashi dango sauce, texture improvement and stabilization of frozen noodles, prevention of water separation in frozen egg grilling, and the like. However, foods containing gels produced using starch acetate are also problematic in that the texture becomes poor when stored for a long time in a refrigerator for the reasons described below, making them unusable as products.

  Similarly, paste liquid obtained using phosphorylated starch, which is a kind of esterified starch, exhibits higher viscosity than paste liquid obtained using natural starch. In addition, when the paste is cooled and gelled, the aging property and transparency are improved as compared with the gel obtained using natural untreated starch. However, foods containing gels produced using phosphorylated starch have also had the disadvantage that, for the reasons described below, the texture becomes poor when stored for a long time in a refrigerator, making it unusable as a product.

  Yet another etherified starch is hydroxypropyl starch. Due to the attachment of hydroxypropyl groups to natural untreated starch, hydroxypropyl starch is more hydrophilic and has a lower gelatinization temperature than natural untreated starch. Therefore, the paste obtained using hydroxypropyl starch has a long body texture, and even when the paste is cooled and gelled, it is a gel obtained using natural untreated starch. More improved aging and transparency. Hydroxypropyl starch has recently become widely used in the manufacture of processed foods. However, foods containing gels produced using hydroxypropyl starch also have the disadvantage that, for the reasons described below, when stored for a long period of time in a refrigerator, the texture becomes worse, making it unusable as a product.

  Moreover, in order to improve the aging resistance of gels obtained using these modified starches, it is essential to increase the amount of functional groups to be added. In that case, the starch gelatinization start temperature is significantly reduced. In addition, the maximum viscosity of the starch paste liquid is remarkably increased, and further the gelling power is reduced, which is significantly different from the original physical properties of starch. Therefore, the use for food is limited.

  Furthermore, there is a crosslinking treatment by chemical modification such as phosphoric acid crosslinking or adipic acid crosslinking for the purpose of reducing the gelatinization start temperature, increasing the maximum viscosity, and improving the gelling power. By the way, the reason for the above is that for any modified starch of acetate starch, hydroxypropyl starch and starch obtained by phosphoric acid crosslinking or adipic acid crosslinking thereof, the gel obtained using these modified starches is refrigerator ( For example, when stored at 4-10 ° C. for several days, the starch in the gel ages, and as a result, the gel becomes brittle, loses elasticity, and tends to become opaque and hard. Similarly, the starch gel in the starch gel-containing food is aged by cooling, and the starch gel-containing food becomes brittle, loses its elasticity, and has a hard texture. As a result, the commercial value of the starch gel-containing food is drastically reduced.

  Furthermore, the manufacturing process of the above-mentioned etherified starch, esterified starch, and crosslinked starch is very complicated, process management is difficult, and it leads to a cost increase. Furthermore, etherified starch and esterified starch are introduced with acetyl groups, hydroxypropyl groups, etc., which are not found in natural starch, in the structure, and in order to ensure their safety, the processing method and the processing level are strict. There is also the problem of legal restrictions. Furthermore, there is a problem that chemical treatment is not at all adapted to the needs of consumers seeking safety and security.

  Accordingly, there is a demand for starch that is resistant to aging even when refrigerated and stored in a gel state while maintaining the gel-forming ability of untreated starch. Furthermore, such starch is more preferably starch that is not chemically modified or has a low degree of modification.

  A technique relating to the development of carbohydrates utilizing 4-α-glucanotransferase will be described below. Patent Document 1 describes that cyclic amylose can be synthesized by allowing D enzyme, which is a kind of 4-α-glucanotransferase, to act on amylose. Patent Document 1 also describes that a branched cyclic glucan can be synthesized by allowing a D enzyme to act on a branched glucan such as amylopectin.

  However, the glucan used as the substrate of Patent Document 1 is a glucan that has been gelatinized or dissolved by heating or an organic solvent before the enzyme treatment, and does not maintain the shape of the starch granules. Therefore, enzyme-treated starch granules cannot be obtained by this method.

  Patent Document 2 is obtained by allowing α-1,4-α1,4-glucosyltransferase, which is an enzyme of the same class as 4-α-glucanotransferase, to act as an agent for forming a thermoreversible gel. The use of modified starches is described. However, in Patent Document 2, enzyme treatment is performed after gelatinizing starch, or an enzyme is added to a starch granule suspension, and the gelatinization start temperature is higher than the gelatinization start temperature (for example, the gelatinization start temperature of potato starch is around 60 ° C). Yes, the modified starch is prepared by treatment with the reaction temperature of Example 4 of Patent Document 2 is 70 ° C.). Therefore, the obtained modified starch does not maintain the shape of the starch granules, and with this method, it is not possible to obtain starch granules that have been subjected to enzyme treatment. In fact, even when a starch granule suspension is used, the particle structure is completely observed after the action of α-1,4-α1,4-glucosyltransferase as shown in Example 4 of Patent Document 2. This means that the modified starch does not maintain the shape of the starch granules.

  The method for preparing enzyme-treated starch granules invented by the present inventors is characterized in that the starch treatment is not gelatinized throughout and the enzyme treatment is carried out in the state of starch granules throughout. If the starch granules are dissolved during the enzyme treatment, the state of the starch granules cannot be maintained, so it is important not to dissolve the starch granules during the enzyme treatment.

  As described above, the enzyme-treated starch granules and the production method thereof of the present inventors are completely different from the enzyme-treated starch and the production method disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

JP-A-8-311103 JP-T-2001-501670

  The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a starch having improved aging properties, particularly less aging progression over time.

  As a result of intensive studies to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have caused 4-α-glucanotransferase to act on starch granules under the condition that the starch granules do not dissolve, thereby allowing the aging to progress over time. The present inventors have found that starch granules having excellent properties of few can be obtained, and based on this, the present invention has been completed. That is, the gel obtained by using the enzyme-treated starch granules obtained by allowing 4-α-glucanotransferase to act on the starch granules under the condition that the starch granules do not dissolve can be aged even when left at a low temperature for a long time. There is little and can maintain a soft texture.

  In the method of the present invention, the point is that the starch granules are treated with an enzyme under conditions where the starch granules do not dissolve. In the conventional enzyme treatment with amylomaltase, the enzyme treatment is performed in a state where starch is gelatinized. However, the enzyme-treated starch obtained by the conventional method has a collapsed starch granule shape, and does not exhibit physical properties such as an increase in viscosity due to swelling of starch granules inherent in starch and a decrease in viscosity due to collapse of starch granules. Moreover, the substance obtained by carrying out the enzyme treatment in a state where the starch granules are broken has completely different characteristics from the enzyme-treated starch granules obtained by the method of the present invention, and does not show the aging inhibiting properties. The enzyme-treated starch granule of the present invention can be obtained by enzyme treatment while maintaining the starch granule, and can exhibit almost the same swelling and disintegration of the granule as untreated starch. Most surprisingly, Even if it gels, the effect that aging is suppressed is shown. The effect of inhibiting aging exhibited by the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention is so excellent that it has not been found at all in conventional starches (including untreated starch, chemically modified starch, and physically treated starch). Furthermore, the method of the present invention is applicable not only to untreated starch, chemically modified starch, and physically treated starch, but also to any arbitrary starch that retains the shape of the starch granules.

In certain embodiments, for example, the following are provided:
(Item 1)
It includes a step of obtaining an enzyme-treated starch granule by treating a starch granule in an aqueous suspension of starch granule with 4-α-glucanotransferase at a temperature not lower than 0 ° C. and not higher than the gelatinization start temperature of the starch granule. A method for producing enzyme-treated starch granules that are difficult to age.

(Item 2)
Item 4. The method according to Item 1, wherein the 4-α-glucanotransferase is a Thermus aquaticus-derived amylomaltase.

(Item 3)
Enzyme-treated starch granules that are difficult to age, and the gel after the gel prepared from the starch granules has been stored at 4 ° C. for 14 days, the starch has an aging degree of 16 hours at 4 ° C. A starch granule characterized by having an aging degree of starch within 200%.

(Item 4)
The Young's modulus of the gel after storing the gel prepared from the starch granules at 4 ° C for 16 hours is 16 hours at 4 ° C for the gel prepared from the untreated starch granules before enzyme treatment corresponding to the starch granules. The starch granule according to claim 3, wherein the starch granule is 90% or more based on Young's modulus of the gel after storage.

(Item 5)
The starch granule of Claim 3 or 4 manufactured by the method of the item 1 or 2.

(Item 6)
The starch gel containing food manufactured using the starch granule of any one of items 3-5.

(Item 7)
A method for producing a starch gel-containing food comprising:
Mixing the food material, the enzyme-treated starch granules according to any one of items 3 to 5 and water to obtain a mixture;
Heating the mixture to gelatinize the enzyme-treated starch granules in the mixture; and cooling and gelatinizing the mixture containing the gelatinized enzyme-treated starch granules to obtain a starch gel-containing food product how to.

  Enzyme-treated starch granules prepared by allowing 4-α-glucanotransferase to act while maintaining the shape of the starch granules have been confirmed to have improved aging even though they are not chemically modified. It was.

  Enzyme-treated starch granules prepared by reacting chemically modified starch with 4-α-glucanotransferase have an aging improvement effect superior to the aging improvement effect obtained by chemical modification such as etherification and esterification. It was confirmed to show.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

(1. material)
(1.1 Starch granules)
In the present specification, the term “starch granules” refers to starch molecules having a crystal structure. The starch granule may be an untreated starch granule, or may be a starch granule obtained by chemically modifying or physically treating the untreated starch granule. If it is preferred to use enzyme-treated starch granules classified as food, the starch granules used are untreated starch granules obtained from plants. Plants store starch molecules as granules (ie, as large crystals) within amyloplasts. This granule is called a starch granule. Within the starch granules, starch molecules are bonded together by hydrogen bonds or the like. Therefore, the starch granules are hardly dissolved in water as they are and are not easily digested. When starch granules are heated with water, they swell and loosen molecules into a colloidal form. This change is called “gelatinization”. The size and form of starch granules vary depending on the plant from which the starch granules were obtained. For example, the average particle size of corn starch grains (corn starch) is about 12 μm to about 15 μm, which is smaller than other starch grains and has a uniform size. Wheat and barley starch granules are divided into two sizes, large starch granules having a particle size of about 20 μm to about 40 μm and small starch granules having a particle size of several μm. Rice has a double grain structure in which a large number of angular starch granules having a diameter of several μm are accumulated in amyloplasts. Potato starch granules have an average particle size of about 40 μm, which is the largest among those commonly used as starch raw materials. In the present invention, various commercially available starch granules can be used. Starch granules may be prepared by a method such as purification of starch granules from plants or the like and used in the present invention.

  In the starch granule state, the starch molecules are strongly bound to each other, so that the enzyme hardly acts. In a specific embodiment for obtaining enzyme-treated starch granules treated as food, the starch granules used in the present invention are isolated or purified from plants, but have been subjected to acid treatment, chemical modification treatment and heat treatment. There is nothing. In the present specification, the term “untreated” starch granule is a naturally occurring starch granule that is derived from other components (for example, proteins, lipids, etc.) coexisting in the natural state. It refers to starch granules that have not been subjected to treatments other than those necessary for separation. Therefore, the treatment in each step in the method for preparing starch granules, such as the step of removing impurities from plants and the like to purify starch, is not included in the treatment of starch granules in this specification. As the starch granule, any starch granule can be used as long as it is a commercially available starch granule.

  In another specific embodiment, the starch granules used in the present invention may be starch granules that have been treated by subjecting untreated starch granules to chemical modification or physical treatment. Examples of chemically modified starch granules include acetylated adipic acid crosslinked starch, acetylated oxidized starch, acetylated phosphate crosslinked starch, sodium octenyl succinate starch, acetate starch, oxidized starch, bleached starch, hydroxypropylated phosphate crosslinked Starch, hydroxypropyl starch, phosphoric acid crosslinked starch, phosphorylated starch and phosphorylated monoesterified phosphoric acid crosslinked starch. “Acetylated adipic acid-crosslinked starch” refers to a product obtained by esterifying starch with acetic anhydride and adipic anhydride. “Acetylated oxidized starch” refers to a product obtained by treating starch with sodium hypochlorite and then esterifying with acetic anhydride. “Acetylated phosphate cross-linked starch” refers to a product obtained by esterifying starch with sodium trimetaphosphate or phosphorus oxychloride and acetic anhydride or vinyl acetate. “Starch sodium octenyl succinate” refers to a product obtained by esterifying starch with octenyl succinic anhydride. “Starch acetate” refers to a product obtained by esterifying starch with acetic anhydride or vinyl acetate. “Oxidized starch” is obtained by treating starch with sodium hypochlorite, and in accordance with the purity test method described in Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Notification No. 485, carboxy group (also referred to as carboxyl group) in sample starch. ) When the carboxy group is 1.1% or less. However, even if the amount of carboxy group is within this range, “bleached starch” is not included in the definition of “oxidized starch”. The “bleached starch” was obtained by treating starch with sodium hypochlorite, and analyzed the carboxy group in the sample starch according to the purity test method described in Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Notification No. 485. In some cases, the carboxy group is 0.1% or less, the test result by the “confirmation test (3)” of the oxidized starch described in the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Notification No. 485 is negative, and the starch properties such as viscosity are generated. This can reasonably explain that the change is not due to oxidation. Even if the amount of carboxy group is 0.1% or less, those whose starch properties such as viscosity are changed from natural starch are classified as oxidized starches and are not handled as food in Japan but as food additives . “Hydroxypropylated phosphate cross-linked starch” refers to a product obtained by esterifying starch with sodium trimetaphosphate or phosphorus oxychloride and etherifying with propylene oxide. “Hydroxypropyl starch” refers to a product obtained by etherifying starch with propylene oxide. “Phosphate cross-linked starch” refers to a product obtained by esterifying starch with sodium trimetaphosphate or phosphorus oxychloride. “Phosphorylated starch” refers to a product obtained by esterifying starch with orthophosphoric acid, potassium salt or sodium salt thereof, or sodium tripolyphosphate. “Phosphoric acid monoesterified phosphoric acid crosslinked starch” means a product obtained by esterifying starch with orthophosphoric acid, potassium salt or sodium salt thereof or sodium tripolyphosphate, and esterifying with sodium trimetaphosphate or phosphorus oxychloride. .

  Examples of the types of physically-treated starch granules include wet heat-treated starch and heat-inhibited starch.

  The starch granules used in the present invention may be ground starch or underground starch. Examples of the underground starch include tapioca starch, potato starch, sweet potato starch, and waste starch. Examples of ground starch include wheat starch, corn starch (eg, high amylose corn starch, normal corn starch and waxy corn starch), rice starch (eg, glutinous rice starch and sticky rice starch), legume starch (eg, mung bean starch, pea starch) , Red bean starch and broad bean starch), amaranth starch and the like. The starch granules used in the present invention are preferably starches derived from potato, rice, cassava, corn or wheat. When untreated starch is used as the starch granules, untreated potato starch, untreated tapioca starch, untreated corn starch, untreated wheat starch or untreated rice starch is preferably used. When using modified starch as starch granules, potato starch, tapioca starch, corn starch, wheat starch or rice starch, acetylated adipic acid crosslinked starch, acetylated oxidized starch, acetylated phosphate crosslinked starch, octenyl succinate starch Sodium, acetate starch, oxidized starch, bleached starch, hydroxypropylated phosphoric acid crosslinked starch, hydroxypropyl starch, phosphoric acid crosslinked starch, phosphorylated starch or phosphoric acid monoesterified phosphoric acid crosslinked starch is preferably used. In the case of using a physically-processed starch, a potato starch, tapioca starch, corn starch, wheat starch or rice starch is preferably a heat-treated starch or a heat-inhibited starch.

  In general, the starch granules are preferably isolated starches separated from proteins, lipids and the like. Therefore, when using rice-derived starch granules, it is preferable to use isolated rice starch or use rice flour from which proteins have been removed by grinding polished rice grains.

  In the present specification, the term “rice flour” refers to pulverized polished rice grains. “Scouring” refers to removing rice cake by polishing rice grains excluding rice husk. There is a whitening ratio as an index of the degree of whitening. The milling rate is calculated by {(weight of milled rice after milling) / (weight of raw rice grains excluding rice husk)} × 100. For example, the polishing rate of 10% means that the weight of the koji is 10%, and the weight of the resulting polished rice grains is 90%. The raw material of the rice flour used in the present invention may be japonica rice or indica rice. Japonica rice is preferred. The raw material of rice flour may be sticky rice or sticky rice. The raw material for the rice flour may be broken rice. The milling rate of the rice flour used as the raw material for the rice flour is preferably about 10% or more, more preferably about 15% or more, and most preferably about 20% or more. The polishing rate is preferably about 95% or less, and more preferably about 90% or less. The protein content of rice flour used in the present invention is usually about 1% by weight or more, and may be, for example, about 5% by weight or about 6% by weight or more. The protein content of the rice flour used in the present invention is preferably about 10% by weight or less, more preferably about 9% by weight or less, still more preferably about 8% by weight or less, about 7% by weight. It is particularly preferred that it is no more than wt%, and most preferred is no more than about 6 wt%. The rice flour must be one that has not been subjected to a treatment (for example, heat treatment) that disrupts the structure of the starch granules in the production process. Rice flour is generally used for rice flour noodles (rice noodles, rice noodles, etc.), Japanese confectionery (sheep, buns, rice crackers, etc.), Western confectionery (cookies, cakes, etc.), bread, dumpling skins, and grilled skins.

  In this specification, the term “rice starch” refers to starch refined from rice grains. Rice starch can be produced, for example, by removing protein from the raw rice and purifying it. A general method for producing rice starch will be described in more detail. For example, about 50% of the rice protein is removed and the rice grains are softened by immersing with an alkaline solution to separate the protein from the raw rice and soften the rice grains. And crude starch milk is obtained by grinding, adding an alkali liquid further. The crude starch milk is washed with water (for example, 4 to 5 times) using a combination of a classification type or nozzle type centrifuge, so that protein can be further removed to obtain purified starch milk. The purified starch milk thus obtained is neutralized with hydrochloric acid, washed with water, dehydrated, dried and then purified to obtain purified rice starch having a protein content of about 0.3% or less. Rice starch needs to have not been subjected to a treatment (for example, heat treatment) that disrupts the structure of starch granules in the production process.

  Rice starch is a polyhedral double grain, generally having an average particle size of about 2 to about 5 micrometers, the smallest among commercially available starches. For this reason, it is expensive because it is difficult to manufacture and has a low yield.

  Since rice starch is a fine particle, it can be changed to a smooth surface by adhering to the uneven surface to make it smooth. Therefore, rice starch is often used for industrial materials such as photographic paper and cosmetics, and for lubricants such as hand flour, dusting powder and sprinkle powder for foods.

  Since starch has a slightly different structure depending on its origin, the characteristics of physical properties differ depending on the origin. For example, untreated wheat starch has a high gel-forming ability, but the viscosity of the paste is low and the paste is opaque. Untreated tapioca starch has low gel-forming ability, but the viscosity of the paste is high, the transparency of the paste is also high, and the aging property is moderate. Untreated tapioca starch has an advantage that it is easy to add since it is inexpensive and the paste liquid is transparent, but its use is limited because of its low gel-forming ability. In addition, untreated natural wheat starch could not be used for applications requiring viscosity due to the low viscosity of the paste. Untreated corn starch has a high gel-forming ability, but the viscosity of the paste is somewhat low, the paste is opaque, and has high aging properties.

  Chemical modification alters the physical properties of untreated starch granules. For example, cross-linking such as phosphate cross-linking and adipic acid cross-linking generally makes the gel formed using the resulting starch granules harder and less turbid than the gel formed using untreated starch granules. Often increases. Hydroxypropylation, acetylation, and oxidation treatment generally improves the gel formed using the resulting starch granules to be more transparent and softer than the gel formed using untreated starch granules. Often done. Octenyl succinic acid treatment can generally allow the gel formed using the resulting starch granules to contain oil.

  Physical treatment also modifies the physical properties of untreated starch granules. For example, moist heat treatment generally makes gels formed using the resulting starch granules harder than gels formed using untreated starch granules, and reduces paste viscosity. There are many. For example, heat suppression treatments generally make the gel formed using the resulting starch granules harder than the gel formed using untreated starch granules. Moreover, the thing with long dry heat processing time shows the low paste liquid viscosity similarly to the paste liquid of highly crosslinked starch.

  The starch granules used in the present invention preferably contain as little impurities as possible. The content of impurities in the starch granules is preferably about 10% by weight or less, more preferably about 5% by weight or less, and still more preferably about 1% by weight or less.

  The protein content of the starch granules used in the present invention is preferably about 10% by weight or less, more preferably about 8% by weight or less, still more preferably about 6% by weight or less, particularly preferably about 3%. % By weight or less, most preferably about 1% by weight or less.

(1.2 Enzyme)
The enzyme used in the present invention is 4-α-glucanotransferase. The 4-α-glucanotransferase used in the present invention is an enzyme that transfers a glucosyl group at the non-reducing end of the donor molecule or a unit composed of two or more glucoses to the non-reducing end of the acceptor molecule. Thus, the enzymatic reaction with 4-α-glucanotransferase results in a heterogeneous degree of polymerization of the donor molecule (ie, substrate). If the donor molecule is sufficiently large, 4-α-glucanotransferase can undergo intramolecular transfer, resulting in a product with a cyclic structure.

  The 4-α-glucanotransferase used in the present invention is an enzyme classified into the enzyme number EC 2.4.1.25 defined by the International Union of Biochemical and Molecular Biology. Enzymes classified as EC 2.4.1.25 are enzymes called amylomaltase, disporting enzyme, D-enzyme, disproportionating enzyme and the like (hereinafter also referred to as MalQ). Microbe-derived 4-α-glucanotransferase is called amylomaltase, and plant-derived 4-α-glucanotransferase is called D-enzyme. In the present invention, an enzyme (EC 3.2.1.33 + EC 2.4.1.25) called a glycogen debranching enzyme (Glycogen Debranching Enzyme) having both 4-α-glucanotransferase activity and amylo-1,6 glucosidase activity. Can also be used. 4-α-glucanotransferase activity can be determined based on Terada et al. (Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 65, 910-915 (1999)). The reaction temperature, reaction pH, etc. at the time of measurement can be adjusted in accordance with the properties of 4-α-glucanotransferase for measuring the activity. 4-α-glucanotransferase may be amylomaltase or D-enzyme.

  In the present invention, it is preferable to use 4-α-glucanotransferase having an optimal reaction temperature of about 30 ° C. or higher and about 90 ° C. or lower. In the present specification, “optimum reaction temperature” refers to a temperature at which the activity is highest when the above-described measurement of MalQ activity is carried out by changing only the temperature. The optimum reaction temperature of the 4-α-glucanotransferase used is preferably about 30 ° C. or higher, more preferably about 35 ° C. or higher, still more preferably about 40 ° C. or higher, particularly preferably about 45 ° C or higher, most preferably about 50 ° C or higher. The optimum reaction temperature of the 4-α-glucanotransferase used is preferably about 90 ° C. or lower, more preferably about 85 ° C. or lower, still more preferably about 80 ° C. or lower, particularly preferably about 75 ° C or lower, and most preferably about 70 ° C or lower.

The 4-α-glucanotransferase activity of 4-α-glucanotransferase is measured by the following method:
120 μl of a reaction solution containing 10% maltotriose, 50 mM sodium acetate buffer and enzyme is incubated at 50 ° C. for 10 minutes, and then heated at 100 ° C. for 10 minutes to stop the reaction. The amount of glucose is measured by the glucose oxidase method. The unit amount of 4-α-glucanotransferase is defined as 1 unit (U or Unit) of 4-α-glucanotransferase activity that produces 1 μmol glucose per minute.

  In the method of the present invention, it is preferable that 4-α-glucanotransferase has 4-α-glucanotransferase activity at the temperature at which 4-α-glucanotransferase is allowed to act on starch granules. In this case, “having 4-α-glucanotransferase activity” at a specific temperature means that the 4-α described above is used except that the incubation is performed at 70 ° C. for 10 minutes at that specific temperature. -It means that 4-α-glucanotransferase activity is detected when measurement is carried out in the same manner as the measurement of glucanotransferase activity. The 4-α-glucanotransferase activity at this specific temperature is preferably about 0.1 U / mL or more, more preferably about 0.2 U / mL or more, and further preferably about 0.5 U / mL or more. Particularly preferably about 1 U / mL or more, and most preferably about 1.5 U / mL or more. The higher the 4-α-glucanotransferase activity at this specific temperature is, the more preferable it is, and there is no particular upper limit. For example, about 5,000 U / mL or less, about 2,000 U / mL or less, about 1,000 U / mL or less , About 50 U / mL or less, about 25 U / mL or less, and the like.

  4-α-glucanotransferase is present in microorganisms and plants. Examples of microorganisms producing the 4-alpha-glucanotransferase, Aquifex aeolicus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Clostridium butylicum, Deinococcus radiodurans, Haemophilus influenzae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Thermococcus litralis, Thermotoga maritima, Thermotoga neapolitana, Chlamydia psittaci, Pyrococcus sp. , Dictyoglomus thermophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, Synechocystis sp. , E.C. E. coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Thermus aquaticus, Thermus thermophilus and the like. Examples of plants that produce 4-α-glucanotransferase include potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, cassava and other cereals, corn, rice, wheat, barley and other grains, peas, soybeans and other beans, spinach, etc. Is mentioned. The organism producing 4-α-glucanotransferase is not limited to these. 4-α-glucanotransferase may be commercially available, prepared from these organisms by methods known in the art, or using 4-α-glucanotransferase genes from these organisms. It may be prepared by a genetic recombination method. Any 4-α-glucanotransferase known in the art can be used.

  The base sequence encoding Thermus aquaticus Taq MalQ (Taq MalQ is an amylomaltase and a kind of 4-α-glucanotransferase) is shown in SEQ ID NO: 1, and the amino acid sequence is shown in SEQ ID NO: 2. A method for cloning a base sequence encoding Taq MalQ derived from Thermus aquaticus is described in Terada et al. (Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 65, 910-915 (1999)).

  In the present specification, “derived from” an organism with an enzyme does not only mean that the enzyme is directly isolated from the organism, but also the amino acid sequence of the enzyme or the base encoding the enzyme. It also means making an enzyme with the same amino acid sequence based on the sequence in another organism. For example, when a gene encoding an enzyme obtained from a certain organism is introduced into E. coli and the enzyme is isolated from the E. coli, the enzyme is said to be “derived” from the organism.

  A large number of 4-α-glucanotransferases are known, and therefore a large number of 4-α-glucanotransferase amino acid sequences and the base sequences encoding them are known. It is also known in the art that variants having a sequence slightly different from the natural sequence can exist in nature. In the method of the present invention, in addition to the 4-α-glucanotransferase having the sequence exemplified in SEQ ID NO: 2, as long as it has 4-α-glucanotransferase activity, such a naturally occurring 4-α A modified glucanotransferase and a modified product obtained by artificially introducing a mutation into a natural 4-α-glucanotransferase can also be used. The modified 4-α-glucanotransferase preferably has an activity equal to or higher than that of the 4-α-glucanotransferase before the modification is introduced. For example, the amino acid sequence of 4-α-glucanotransferase used in the present invention may, in certain embodiments, be identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 (ie, the control amino acid sequence), ie, 100% identical. In another embodiment, the amino acid sequence may vary by a certain number of amino acids compared to the control amino acid sequence. There is at least one such change (preferably one or several; there is no particular upper limit, for example, about 50 or less, about 40 or less, about 30 or less, about 20 or less, about 10 or less, etc. ) Amino acid deletions, substitutions (including conservative and non-conservative substitutions) or insertions. This change may occur at the amino terminal or carboxy terminal position of the control amino acid sequence, or may occur at any position other than these terminals. Changes in amino acid residues may be interspersed one by one or several residues may be continuous. Those skilled in the art can easily select a desired variant having 4-α-glucanotransferase activity. Alternatively, a gene encoding the target enzyme may be directly chemically synthesized. Such chemical synthesis methods are well known in the art.

  In certain embodiments, the 4-α-glucanotransferase used in the present invention is preferably about 50% or more, more preferably about 60% or more, more preferably about 70, relative to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. %, Even more preferably about 80% or more, particularly preferably about 90% or more, most preferably about 95% or more of the amino acid sequence and has 4-α-glucanotransferase activity . The 4-α-glucanotransferase used in the present invention particularly preferably has about 96% or more, about 97% or more, about 98% or more, or about 99% or more identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. And has 4-α-glucanotransferase activity.

  In this specification (for example, an amino acid sequence, a base sequence, etc.), the “identity” of a sequence refers to the degree of appearance of the same amino acid (a base when comparing base sequences) between two sequences. In general, identity can be determined by comparing the sequences of two amino acids or bases and comparing these two sequences aligned in an optimal manner that may include additions or deletions.

  However, in the present specification, the sequence identity is determined by GENETYX-WIN Ver. It is calculated using the maximum matching of 4.0 (Genetics Co., Ltd.). This program rearranges the sequence data to be analyzed into the sequence so that the matching amino acid pairs are maximized while replacing the sequence data to be compared and taking into account deletions. (Matches), mismatches (Mismatches), and gaps (Gaps) are each given a score to calculate the sum and output the minimum alignment to calculate the identity at that time (references: Takeshi, K., and Gotoh, O 1984. Sequence Relationships ammonia Vario 4.5 S RNA Species J. Biochem. 92: 1173-1177). As used herein, sequence identity is determined by GENETYX-WIN Ver. The maximum matching of 4.0 is calculated using the following conditions: Matches = −1; Mismatches = 1; Gaps = 1; * N + = 2.

  Modification of the base sequence encoding 4-α-glucanotransferase can be carried out using methods well known in the art, for example, site-directed mutagenesis, mutagenesis using mutagen (target gene is nitrite, etc. Or a UV treatment), error-prone PCR, or the like. Site-directed mutagenesis is preferably used from the viewpoint of easily obtaining the target mutation. This is because if site-directed mutagenesis is used, a target modification can be introduced at a target site. Alternatively, a nucleic acid molecule having a target sequence may be directly synthesized. Such chemical synthesis methods are well known in the art. Site-directed mutagenesis techniques are described, for example, in Nucl. Acid Research, Vol. 10, pp. 6487-6500 (1982).

  In designing such modifications, the hydrophobicity index of amino acids can be considered. The importance of the hydrophobic amino acid index in conferring interactive biological functions in proteins is generally recognized in the art (Kyte. J and Doolittle, RFJ. Mol. Biol. 157 ( 1): 105-132, 1982). The hydrophobic nature of amino acids contributes to the secondary structure of the protein produced and then defines the interaction of the protein with other molecules (eg, substrates, etc.). Each amino acid is assigned a hydrophobicity index based on their hydrophobicity and charge properties. They are: isoleucine (+4.5); valine (+4.2); leucine (+3.8); phenylalanine (+2.8); cysteine / cystine (+2.5); methionine (+1.9); alanine (+1 .8); Glycine (−0.4); Threonine (−0.7); Serine (−0.8); Tryptophan (−0.9); Tyrosine (−1.3); Proline (−1.6) ); Histidine (-3.2); glutamic acid (-3.5); glutamine (-3.5); aspartic acid (-3.5); asparagine (-3.5); lysine (-3.9) And arginine (-4.5).

  One amino acid can be replaced by another amino acid having a similar hydrophobicity index and still result in a protein having a substantially similar biological function (eg, a protein that is substantially equivalent in enzymatic activity) This is well known in the art. In such amino acid substitution, the hydrophobicity index is preferably within ± 2, more preferably within ± 1, and even more preferably within ± 0.5. It is understood in the art that such amino acid substitutions based on hydrophobicity are efficient. As described in US Pat. No. 4,554,101, the following hydrophilicity indices have been assigned to amino acid residues: arginine (+3.0); lysine (+3.0); aspartic acid (+3. 0 ± 1); glutamic acid (+ 3.0 ± 1); serine (+0.3); asparagine (+0.2); glutamine (+0.2); glycine (0); threonine (−0.4); proline ( Alanine (−0.5); histidine (−0.5); cysteine (−1.0); methionine (−1.3); valine (−1.5); leucine (−0.5 ± 1); -1.8); isoleucine (-1.8); tyrosine (-2.3); phenylalanine (-2.5); and tryptophan (-3.4). It is understood that an amino acid can be substituted with another that has a similar hydrophilicity index and can still provide a biological equivalent. In such amino acid substitution, the hydrophilicity index is preferably within ± 2, more preferably within ± 1, and even more preferably within ± 0.5.

  In the present invention, “conservative substitution” refers to a substitution in which the hydrophilicity index and / or the hydrophobicity index of the amino acid to be replaced with the original amino acid is similar as described above. Examples of conservative substitutions are well known to those of skill in the art and include, but are not limited to, substitutions within the following groups: arginine and lysine; glutamic acid and aspartic acid; serine and threonine; glutamine and asparagine; And valine, leucine, and isoleucine.

  The enzyme used in the method of the present invention may be isolated from a natural microorganism that produces the target enzyme. For example, first, a microorganism that produces the enzyme of interest can be obtained in a suitable medium (eg, L broth (1% Bactto-Tryptone (Difco Laboratories, Detroit, Mich., USA), 0.5% Bacto-Yeast Extract (Difco) , 0.5% NaCl, pH 7.3)) and cultured overnight at a suitable temperature (eg, about 30 ° C. to about 40 ° C.) with shaking. Subsequently, this culture solution is centrifuged to precipitate microorganisms, and a culture supernatant is obtained. The obtained culture supernatant is concentrated with a UF membrane to obtain a target enzyme solution. If further purification is required, fractionation by ion exchange chromatography using Q-Sepharose or the like, fractionation by gel filtration chromatography using Sephacryl S-200HR (Pharmacia) or the like, if necessary. By using a combination of fractions obtained by hydrophobic chromatography using Phenyl-TOYOPEARL 650M (manufactured by Tosoh Corporation) or the like, a solution containing the purified target enzyme can be obtained.

  Alternatively, the 4-α-glucanotransferase used in the method of the present invention introduces a nucleic acid molecule containing a base sequence encoding the target 4-α-glucanotransferase into an appropriate host cell to express the enzyme, The expressed 4-α-glucanotransferase can be obtained by purifying it from the host cell or its culture.

  A nucleic acid molecule (also referred to as gene) containing a base sequence encoding natural 4-α-glucanotransferase is trypsinized from the purified 4-α-glucanotransferase obtained as described above, and a trypsin-treated fragment obtained The N-terminal amino acid sequence of one of the separated peptide fragments is identified by a peptide sequencer, and then the appropriate oligonucleotide probe is prepared using a synthetic oligonucleotide probe prepared based on the identified amino acid sequence. It can be obtained by screening a genomic library or a cDNA library. The basic strategies for preparing oligonucleotide probes and DNA libraries and for screening them by nucleic acid hybridization are well known to those skilled in the art. For example, Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual (1989); DNA Cloning, Volumes I and II (DN Glover ed. 1985); Oligonucleotide Synthesis (M. J. Gait ed Hc 1984), Nucleid. D. Hames & S. J. Higgins (1984).

  Alternatively, utilizing the homology to a base sequence encoding the amino acid sequence of a known 4-α-glucanotransferase, for example, by hybridization using a nucleic acid probe containing at least a part of this base sequence, A biological species different from the biological species having α-glucanotransferase can be screened to obtain a nucleic acid molecule containing a 4-α-glucanotransferase gene possessed by the different biological species. Such methods are known in the art.

  Alternatively, degenerate primers corresponding to regions conserved in various 4-α-glucanotransferase amino acid sequences can be prepared, and the base sequence of 4-α-glucanotransferase can be obtained by PCR. . Such methods are known in the art.

  When a genomic library is screened to obtain a nucleic acid molecule containing a base sequence encoding 4-α-glucanotransferase, the resulting nucleic acid molecule can be subcloned using methods well known to those skilled in the art. For example, a plasmid containing the target base sequence can be easily obtained by mixing λ phage containing the target base sequence, appropriate E. coli, and appropriate helper phage. Thereafter, the solution containing the plasmid is used to transform appropriate E. coli to obtain a transformant, whereby the target base sequence can be subcloned. The obtained transformant is cultured, a plasmid is obtained, for example, by alkaline SDS method, and the target base sequence can be determined by analyzing this plasmid. Methods for determining the nucleotide sequence of plasmids are well known to those skilled in the art. As another method, a primer synthesized based on a part of the target base sequence is used, and genomic DNA such as Thermus aquaticus is used as a template, and 4-α-glucanotransferase is directly used by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Genes can also be amplified.

  Alternatively, the gene encoding 4-α-glucanotransferase may be chemically synthesized based on a known base sequence.

  The base sequence encoding the amino acid sequence of 4-α-glucanotransferase used in the method of the present invention varies to a certain number compared to the nucleotide sequence encoding the control amino acid sequence (ie, the control base sequence). It may be. Such changes may be selected from the group consisting of at least one nucleotide deletion, substitutions including transitions and transversions, or insertions. This change may occur at the position of the 5 'end or 3' end of the control base sequence, or may occur at any position other than these ends. The change in base may be interspersed with one base at a time, or may be continuous with several bases.

  Base changes can result in nonsense, missense or frameshift mutations in the coding sequence and can result in changes in the enzyme encoded by the base sequence after such changes.

  The base sequence encoding the amino acid sequence of 4-α-glucanotransferase is also a sequence that is not identical to but homologous to the base sequence encoding the amino acid sequence of natural 4-α-glucanotransferase. Can be used. Examples of such a base sequence having homology to the base sequence encoding the amino acid sequence of 4-α-glucanotransferase include, for example, GENETYX-WIN Ver. In 4.0 maximum matching, when used and compared under the above conditions, at least about 30%, at least about 35%, at least about 40%, at least about 45%, at least about 50% relative to the sequences to be compared. %, At least about 55%, at least about 60%, at least about 65%, at least about 70%, at least about 75%, at least about 80%, at least about 85%, at least about 90%, at least about 95%, or at least about Examples include, but are not limited to, base sequences having 99% identity.

  4-α-encoded by a nucleic acid molecule that hybridizes under stringent conditions with a nucleic acid molecule having a complementary sequence of a base sequence encoding naturally-known 4-α-glucanotransferase (eg, SEQ ID NO: 1). Glucanotransferase can be used in the method of the present invention as long as it has 4-α-glucanotransferase activity. Nucleic acid containing a modified base sequence obtained by modifying a nucleic acid molecule that hybridizes under stringent conditions with a nucleic acid molecule having a complementary sequence of a base sequence encoding naturally known 4-α-glucanotransferase The molecule-encoded 4-α-glucanotransferase can also be used in the methods of the present invention as long as it has the ability to produce starch with suppressed aging. Those skilled in the art can easily select a desired 4-α-glucanotransferase gene.

  As used herein, the term “stringent conditions” refers to conditions that hybridize to specific sequences but not to non-specific sequences. The setting of stringent conditions is well known to those skilled in the art and is described, for example, in Molecular Cloning (Sambrook et al., Supra). “Stringent conditions” are, for example, 50% formamide, 5 × SSC (750 mM NaCl, 75 mM trisodium citrate), 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.6), 5 × Denhardt's solution (0.2% BSA, 0 .2% Ficoll 400 and 0.2% polyvinylpyrrolidone), hybridization at 65 ° C. in a solution containing 10% dextran sulfate, and 20 μg / ml denatured sheared salmon sperm DNA, and subsequent 0.1-2 fold Washing is performed at 65 ° C. with a SSC (saline-sodium citrate) solution (concentration of a 1-fold concentration SSC solution is 150 mM sodium chloride, 15 mM sodium citrate). Therefore, specifically, a polynucleotide that hybridizes under stringent conditions is specifically prepared by using, for example, a filter on which colony or plaque-derived DNA is immobilized, 50% formamide, 5 × SSC (750 mM NaCl, 75 mM buffer). Trisodium acid), 50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 7.6), 5 × Denhardt's solution (0.2% BSA, 0.2% Ficoll 400 and 0.2% polyvinylpyrrolidone), 10% dextran sulfate, and 20 μg / ml After hybridization at 65 ° C. in a solution containing denatured sheared salmon sperm DNA, a 0.1- to 2-fold concentrated SSC (saline-sodium citrate) solution (the composition of the 1-fold concentrated SSC solution is 150 mM chloride). Sodium, 15 mM sodium citrate A is) using helium, it refers to a polynucleotide which can be identified by using a condition that the filter washed with 65 ° C. conditions.

  The nucleic acid molecule used to produce 4-α-glucanotransferase used in the method of the present invention is conservatively modified with respect to a nucleic acid molecule containing a base sequence encoding natural 4-α-glucanotransferase. It may be a nucleic acid molecule. “Nucleic acid molecule conservatively modified with respect to a nucleic acid molecule comprising a base sequence encoding natural 4-α-glucanotransferase” is the same or essential as the amino acid sequence of natural 4-α-glucanotransferase. Nucleic acid molecules comprising base sequences encoding identical amino acid sequences. The “amino acid sequence essentially identical to the amino acid sequence of natural 4-α-glucanotransferase” means an amino acid having essentially the same 4-α-glucanotransferase activity as natural 4-α-glucanotransferase. An array. Due to the degeneracy of the genetic code, a large number of functionally identical base sequences encode any given amino acid sequence. For example, the codons GCA, GCC, GCG and GCU all encode the amino acid alanine. Thus, at every position where an alanine is specified by a GCA codon, the codon can be changed to GCC, GCG or GCU without changing the encoded alanine. Similarly, for an amino acid that can be encoded by multiple codons, at every position where that amino acid is specified by a codon, the codon is any arbitrary encoding that amino acid without altering the specific amino acid encoded. It can be changed to another codon. Such nucleotide sequence variations are “silent mutations,” which are one species of conservatively modified mutations. All base sequences herein that encode a polypeptide also include all possible silent variations of the nucleic acid. Silent mutation includes “silent substitution” in which the encoded amino acid does not change and the case where the nucleic acid does not encode an amino acid (for example, mutation in an intron, mutation in other untranslated region, etc.). When a nucleic acid encodes an amino acid, silent mutation is synonymous with silent substitution. As used herein, “silent substitution” refers to substituting a base sequence encoding a certain amino acid with another base sequence encoding the same amino acid in the base sequence. Based on the phenomenon of degeneracy in the genetic code, when there are a plurality of base sequences encoding a certain amino acid (for example, glycine), such silent substitution is possible. Therefore, a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence encoded by a base sequence generated by silent substitution has the same amino acid sequence as the original polypeptide. In the art, each codon in a nucleic acid (except AUG, which is usually the only codon that encodes methionine, and TGG, which is usually the only codon that encodes tryptophan), produces a functionally identical molecule. It is understood that it can be modified. Thus, each silent variation of a nucleic acid that encodes a polypeptide is implicit in each described sequence. Preferably, such modifications can be made to avoid substitution of cysteine, an amino acid that greatly affects the conformation of the polypeptide.

  The base sequence encoding 4-α-glucanotransferase used in the present invention can be changed in accordance with the codon usage frequency in the organism to be introduced for expression. Codon usage reflects the frequency of use of genes that are highly expressed in the organism. For example, if intended to be expressed in E. coli, optimize for expression in E. coli according to published codon usage tables (eg, Sharp et al., Nucleic Acids Research 16, No. 17, pages 8207 (1988)). be able to.

  An expression vector can be prepared using a nucleic acid molecule containing a base sequence modified as described above. Methods for producing expression vectors using specific nucleic acid sequences are well known to those skilled in the art.

  As used herein, “operably linked” refers to a transcriptional translational regulatory sequence (eg, promoter, enhancer, etc.) or translational regulation in which the desired base sequence results in expression (ie, activation). It is placed under the control of the array. In order for a promoter to be operably linked to a gene, the promoter is usually placed immediately upstream of the gene, but need not necessarily be adjacent.

  In some cases, the enzyme gene should be processed in order to operably link the modified nucleic acid sequence to the regulatory element. For example, when the distance between the promoter and the coding region is too long and a decrease in transcription efficiency is expected, or the interval between the ribosome binding site and the translation initiation codon is not appropriate. Examples of processing means include digestion with restriction enzymes, digestion with exonucleases such as Bal31 and ExoIII, or introduction of site-specific mutations using single-stranded DNA such as M13 or PCR.

  Subsequently, the target 4-α-glucanotransferase is expressed by introducing the expression vector prepared as described above into cells.

  As used herein, “expression” of 4-α-glucanotransferase refers to 4-α- encoded by the transcription and translation of a base sequence encoding the 4-α-glucanotransferase in vivo or in vitro. Glucanotransferase is produced.

  Examples of cells (also referred to as hosts) into which an expression vector is introduced include prokaryotes and eukaryotes. A cell into which an expression vector is introduced can be easily selected in consideration of various conditions such as ease of expression of the target enzyme, ease of culture, speed of growth, and safety. Examples of such cells include microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. More preferable examples of the cells include mesophilic microorganisms (for example, yeast, mold, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis). The cell may be a microbial cell, but may be a plant, animal cell or the like. Depending on the cell used, the 4-α-glucanotransferase can be post-translationally processed.

  In the method of the present invention, the technique for introducing an expression vector into a cell can be any technique known in the art. Examples of such techniques include transformation, transduction, transfection and the like. Such technology for introducing a nucleic acid molecule is well known in the art and frequently used. For example, Ausubel F. et al. A. (1988), Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Wiley, New York, NY; Sambrook J et al. (1987) Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd Ed. , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, a separate volume of experimental medicine “Gene Transfer & Expression Analysis Experimental Method” Yodosha, 1997, and the like.

  The amount of 4-α-glucanotransferase used in the method of the present invention is preferably about 0.1 U / g substrate or more with respect to starch granules (ie, substrate) in the suspension at the start of the reaction. More preferably about 0.5 U / g substrate or more, most preferably about 1 U / g substrate or more. The amount of 4-α-glucanotransferase used in the method of the present invention is typically about 100,000 U / g substrate or less with respect to the starch granules in the suspension at the start of the reaction, preferably Is about 50,000 U / g substrate or less, more preferably about 10,000 U / g substrate or less. If the amount of 4-α-glucanotransferase used is too large, the enzyme denatured during the reaction may easily aggregate. If the amount used is too small, the yield of the target enzyme-treated starch granules may decrease.

  When producing the starch granules of the present invention, other enzymes may be used in combination as long as the effects obtained by the present invention are not impaired. Examples of such enzymes include blanching enzymes and amylolytic enzymes.

(1.3 Other materials)
In the production of the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention, any material usually used in enzyme treatment can be used as long as it does not interfere with the action of 4-α-glucanotransferase. Examples of such other materials include salts and buffering agents. In general, it is known that the rate of enzyme reaction is dramatically improved by adding an appropriate specific salt to each enzyme. Therefore, it is preferable to add such a specific salt. The treatment time can be shortened by adding an appropriate salt to each enzyme.

(2. Method for producing enzyme-treated starch granules)
It includes a step of obtaining an enzyme-treated starch granule by treating a starch granule in an aqueous suspension of starch granule with 4-α-glucanotransferase at a temperature not lower than 0 ° C. and not higher than the gelatinization start temperature of the starch granule. The method produces enzyme-treated starch granules that are not susceptible to aging. Details will be described below.

(2.1 Preparation of reaction solution (suspension))
In the production method of the present invention, for example, starch granules, 4-α-glucanotransferase, and a solvent dissolving them are used as main materials. All of these materials are usually added at the start of the reaction, but any of these materials may be added during the reaction. The solvent used in the production method of the present invention can be any solvent as long as it does not impair the enzyme activity of the enzyme used. A typical solvent is water (for example, ion exchange water, purified water, tap water, etc.). The solvent may be water in the cell lysate obtained accompanying the enzyme when preparing the enzyme.

  In the production method of the present invention, first, a reaction solution is prepared. The reaction solution can be prepared, for example, by adding starch granules and 4-α-glucanotransferase to a suitable solvent. For example, 4-α-glucanotransferase may be added after suspending starch granules in a solvent (for example, water or buffer) to prepare a starch granule suspension. Alternatively, the reaction solution may be prepared by mixing a suspension containing starch granules and a solution containing 4-α-glucanotransferase. Any buffer may be added to this reaction solution for the purpose of adjusting the pH, if necessary, as long as the enzyme reaction is not inhibited.

  The pH of the reaction solution can be arbitrarily set as long as the enzyme used can exert its activity. The pH of the reaction solution is preferably near the optimum pH of the enzyme to be used. The pH of the reaction solution is typically about 2 or more, preferably about 3 or more, more preferably about 4 or more, particularly preferably about 5 or more, and particularly preferably about 6 or more. Most preferably, it is about 7 or more. The pH of the reaction solution is typically about 13 or less, preferably about 12 or less, more preferably about 11 or less, particularly preferably about 10 or less, particularly preferably about 9 or less. Most preferably, it is about 8 or less. In one embodiment, the pH of the reaction solution is typically within ± 3 of the optimum pH of the enzyme used, preferably within ± 2 of the optimum pH, and more preferably of the optimum pH. Within ± 1, most preferably within ± 0.5 of the optimum pH.

  The amount of starch granules in the reaction solution can be arbitrarily set as long as it is an amount capable of enzymatic reaction. The amount of starch granules in the reaction solution is preferably about 5% by weight or more, more preferably about 10% by weight or more, further preferably about 20% by weight or more, and most preferably about 30% by weight or more. It is. The amount of starch granules in the reaction solution is preferably about 60% by weight or less, more preferably about 50% by weight or less, still more preferably about 40% by weight or less, and most preferably about 35% by weight or less. It is.

  The amount of 4-α-glucanotransferase (ie, enzyme) in the reaction solution can be arbitrarily set as long as it is an amount capable of performing an enzyme reaction. The amount of the enzyme is preferably an amount sufficient to carry out the reaction within a reasonable time. The larger the amount of enzyme, the shorter the time required for the reaction, and the smaller the amount of enzyme, the longer the time required for the reaction. If the amount of the enzyme is too large, the cost becomes very high, and further, the enzyme may be aggregated to form a precipitate, so it is preferable to set appropriately.

  The amount of 4-α-glucanotransferase in the reaction solution is preferably about 0.01% by weight or more, more preferably about 0.05% by weight or more, and still more preferably based on the dry weight of starch granules. Is about 0.1% by weight or more. The amount of the enzyme in the reaction solution is preferably about 10% by weight or less, more preferably about 5% by weight or less, still more preferably about 1% by weight or less based on the dry weight of the starch granules. Since the amount of the enzyme in the reaction solution may be a sufficient amount for the enzymatic reaction to proceed, it is not necessary to examine the enzyme activity (number of units) in detail.

(2.2 Enzyme reaction)
In the preparation method of the present invention, starch granules and 4-α-glucanotransferase are brought into contact with each other in an aqueous suspension of starch granules (that is, a reaction solution), and the enzymatic reaction is allowed to proceed at a gelatinization start temperature or lower. It is a feature. In the method of the present invention, it is important to proceed the enzyme reaction while maintaining the starch granules without gelatinizing the starch granules, and to collect the obtained enzyme-treated starch granules. When the starch granules and 4-α-glucanotransferase are present and contacted in the same reaction solution, 4-α-glucanotransferase acts on the starch granules and the enzymatic reaction proceeds. At this time, the reaction solution may be heated or not heated.

  The temperature of the reaction liquid during the preparation of the reaction liquid and during the reaction is 0 ° C. or higher and lower than the gelatinization start temperature of starch. The starch gelatinization start temperature may vary depending on the plant from which the starch granules to be used are obtained, the harvest time of the plant, the planting location of the plant, and the like. Generally, the gelatinization start temperature of normal corn starch is about 70.7 ° C., the gelatinization start temperature of waxy corn starch (mochi corn) is about 67.5 ° C., and the gelatinization start temperature of rice starch is about 73 The gelatinization start temperature of potato starch is about 62.6 ° C, the gelatinization start temperature of tapioca starch is about 68.4 ° C, and the gelatinization start temperature of mung bean starch is about 71. 0 ° C.

  The starch gelatinization onset temperature can be measured by amylograph. The method for measuring the gelatinization start temperature is described on pages 194 to 197 of “Encyclopedia of Starch Science”.

  The temperature of the reaction solution can be changed so as to be appropriate for the starch granules to be used. For example, it is about 0 ° C. or higher, preferably about 10 ° C. or higher, more preferably about 15 ° C. or higher, Particularly preferred is about 20 ° C. or higher, and most preferred is about 25 ° C. or higher. The temperature of the reaction solution can be changed so as to be suitable for the starch granules to be used. For example, it is about 67.5 ° C. or less, preferably about 60 ° C. or less, more preferably about 50 ° C. or less. Particularly preferably about 40 ° C. or less, and most preferably about 35 ° C. or less.

  In the method of the present invention, it is necessary to prevent the starch granules from being completely gelatinized throughout the entire process of producing the enzyme-treated starch granules. Preferably, the production is carried out so that no gelatinization occurs.

  The reaction time can be arbitrarily set in consideration of the reaction temperature, the amount of enzyme for starch granules, and the like. The reaction time is preferably about 1 hour or longer, and can be, for example, about 2 hours or longer, about 3 hours or longer, about 6 hours or longer, about 12 hours or longer. The reaction time is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 72 hours or less, more preferably about 48 hours or less, even more preferably about 36 hours or less, particularly preferably about 24 hours or less, and most preferably about 20 hours or less. .

(2.3 Post-processing)
Enzyme-treated starch granules can be used as is, depending on the application, but the enzyme-treated starch granules are washed and dehydrated to remove the enzyme used and the sugars eluted by enzymatic degradation. It is preferred that The enzyme-treated starch granules can be washed and dehydrated by any method known in the art. Washing and dehydration of starch granules is a common method for preparing starch and is generally performed. Furthermore, it is preferable to dry the starch after dehydration to obtain the target enzyme-treated starch granules. Drying of the starch granules after dehydration can be performed by any method known in the art.

(2.4 Chemical modification)
The starch granules subjected to the enzyme treatment can be chemically modified as desired. Not only when the starch granules used in the enzyme treatment are untreated starch grains or starch grains that have been physically treated, but also when any modified starch starch grains are used, the chemical modification of the kind applied to the modified starch Can be subjected to different types of chemical modifications. Examples of chemical modifications include acetylation, adipic acid crosslinking, oxidation, bleaching, phosphoric acid crosslinking, octenyl succinic acid treatment, hydroxypropylation, phosphorylation and phosphoric acid monoesterification. These chemical modification methods are well known in the art. These chemical modifications can be carried out to any degree as long as they are within the range allowed by the Japanese Food Sanitation Law. In Japan, in order for chemically modified processed starch to be recognized as a food additive, various chemical substances in the sample starch are analyzed according to the purity test method described in Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Notification No. 485, and the following standards are met. It is essential to meet:
(A) Acetylated adipic acid cross-linked starch: adipic acid group is 0.135% or less and acetyl group is 2.5% or less;
(B) Acetylated oxidized starch: acetyl group is 2.5% or less and carboxy group is 1.3% or less;
(C) Acetylated phosphate cross-linked starch: acetyl group is 2.5% or less and phosphorus is 0.14% or less as P;
(D) Sodium starch octenyl succinate: octenyl succinic acid group is 3.0% or less;
(E) starch acetate: acetyl group is 2.5% or less;
(F) oxidized starch: carboxy group is 1.1% or less;
(G) Hydroxypropylated phosphoric acid crosslinked starch: hydroxypropyl group is 7.0% or less and phosphorus is 0.14% or less as P;
(H) hydroxypropyl starch: having a hydroxypropyl group of 7.0% or less;
(I) phosphoric acid cross-linked starch: phosphorus is 0.5% or less as P;
(J) phosphorylated starch: phosphorus is 0.5% or less as P;
(K) Phosphoric acid monoesterified phosphoric acid cross-linked starch: phosphorus is 0.5% or less as P;
(L) Bleached starch; carboxy group is 0.1% or less, the test result by “Confirmation Test (3)” of oxidized starch described in Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Notification No. 485 is negative, and the starch properties such as viscosity are Be able to reasonably explain that the changes that have occurred are not due to oxidation. For countries other than Japan, any degree of chemical treatment can be performed as long as it is within the allowable range in that country. Several types of chemical modification can be used in combination.

(2.5 Physical processing)
The starch granules subjected to the enzyme treatment can be physically treated as desired. Not only when the starch granules used for enzyme treatment are untreated starch granules or modified starch granules, but also when starch granules that have undergone some physical treatment are used, physical treatment of a different type from the physical treatment may be applied. it can. Examples of physical treatment include wet heat treatment and heat suppression treatment.

  “Humid heat treatment” refers to heating to about 95 to about 125 ° C. in a closed container in a low moisture state that does not gelatinize starch and under a relative humidity of about 100%. The “low moisture state that does not gelatinize starch” indicates, for example, a moisture content of about 50% or less. The low moisture state that does not gelatinize starch may be, for example, about 35% or less, about 30% or less, about 25% or less, or about 20% or less. The heating time of the wet heat treatment can vary depending on the method of the wet heat treatment. For example, when the wet heat treatment is performed according to the method described in JP-A-6-145203, first, the pressure is reduced to about 0 to 500 Torr (about 0 to 66.661 kPa), and then pressurized steam is introduced to about 100 ° C. to It heat-processes by hold | maintaining at about 150 degreeC for about 2 minutes-about 120 minutes. The wet heat treatment is described in various documents and can be performed according to any wet heat treatment method known in the art. The wet heat treatment is described in, for example, JP-A-6-145203, JP-A-4-130102, and monthly food chemical 2010-2 (P.37-42). The temperature and time of the wet heat treatment can be appropriately set depending on the target starch and its physical properties.

  “Heat suppression treatment” refers to strengthening the crystal structure of starch granules by subjecting the starch granules dried to extremely low moisture to dry heat treatment. “Starch granules dried to very low moisture” refers to starch granules having a moisture content of less than about 1%. The water content of the starch granules to be heat-suppressed is preferably about 0%. A method for drying starch granules to extremely low moisture is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-223032. For example, after adjusting the pH of starch granules to a pH of 7.0 or higher, the water content is about 1%. It may be a method of dehydrating until less than. The pH when drying to low moisture is preferably pH 7 or more, more preferably greater than pH 8, preferably pH 7.5 to 10.5, and more preferably pH 8 to 9.5. The dehydration may be thermal dehydration or non-thermal dehydration. In the dry heat treatment, heat treatment is performed at a sufficient temperature for a sufficient time to suppress starch. Preferably, the starch is heat treated at a sufficient temperature for a sufficient time to render the starch non-agglomerated. A preferred heating temperature for the heat suppression treatment is higher than about 100 ° C. The heat treatment temperature is preferably about 200 ° C. or less. The heating temperature for the heat suppression treatment is more preferably about 120 ° C to about 180 ° C, particularly preferably about 140 ° C to about 160 ° C, and most preferably about 160 ° C. The level of inhibition depends on pH, heating temperature and heating time. The higher the pH, the more highly controlled starch is obtained. The higher the heat treatment temperature, the more highly controlled starch is obtained. The longer the heat treatment time, the more highly controlled starch is obtained. The heat treatment time for the heat suppression treatment can be, for example, about 3 hours or more, and preferably about 20 hours or less. The heat suppression treatment is described in various documents, and can be performed according to any heat suppression treatment method known in the art. The heat suppression process is described in, for example, US Pat. No. 6,221,420, International Publication No. 95/04082, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-2223032. The temperature, time, etc. of the heat suppression treatment can be appropriately set depending on the target starch and its physical properties. Physical processing can be performed according to methods well known in the art.

  Examples of the wet heat-treated starch include “Delica Star Series”, “Natura Star Series”, “Amylogel” manufactured by Sanwa Starch Co., Ltd., and “Road Star” manufactured by Nippon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd. Examples of heat-suppressed starch include “Novation Series” manufactured by National Starch.

(3. Characteristics of the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention)
The enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention have the characteristic that they are difficult to age. In a specific embodiment, the enzyme-treated starch granule according to the present invention is obtained by subjecting starch granule in an aqueous suspension of starch granule to 4-α-glucano at a temperature not lower than 0 ° C. and not higher than the gelatinization start temperature of the starch granule. An enzyme-treated starch obtained by a method comprising a step of obtaining enzyme-treated starch granules by treatment with a transferase.

(3.1 Aging)
In the present specification, the term “starch aging” usually means that, when the starch paste is left at low temperature, the starch molecules are recrystallized and aggregated to form a hard gel, and then Furthermore, it refers to a phenomenon in which recrystallization and aggregation of starch molecules proceed.

  Aging for about the first day after leaving the paste at low temperature, that is, aging for a short period of time is a phenomenon that occurs inevitably with gel formation. The desired physical properties required for the above are achieved. Here, even after the desired gel is formed, the phenomenon of starch aging further proceeds. Therefore, when a long period of time elapses, the gel has physical properties far from the original desired physical properties, and is hard and inferior in texture. The starch granules of the present invention can maintain their desired desired physical properties even after a long period of time after having exhibited the desired physical properties due to gelation and aging in the initial short period. For example, if a starch is produced using the starch granules of the present invention and a food is produced using the gel, an appropriate level of aging occurs when the gel is produced, and the food is produced using the gel for a long time. The desired level of physical properties is maintained during storage for a period of time.

  In normal untreated starch, this aging further proceeds with increasing standing time at low temperatures, leading to an increase in gel strength. However, an increase in gel strength due to aging over time increases the brittleness of the gel, and the starch gel progresses to “hard and brittle” physical properties.

  As the details of the analysis and evaluation method of the degree of aging, the methods described in the examples can be generally used.

  The enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention are less prone to aging than conventional untreated starch, chemically modified starch, and physically treated starch. When the starch gel is prepared using the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention and the aging degree of the starch in the gel is measured, the aging degree of the starch in the gel after being stored at 4 ° C. for 14 days is 4 ° C. The degree of aging of starch in the gel after storage for 16 hours (the degree of aging of starch in the gel after storage for 14 days at 4 ° C. and the degree of starch in the gel after storage for 16 hours at 4 ° C.) The ratio with the degree of aging is also referred to as “the rate of change in aging degree”, for example, preferably about 300% or less, more preferably about 250% or less, and particularly preferably about 200% or less, Most preferably, it is about 150% or less. The lower limit of the rate of change in aging degree is not particularly limited, but is about 100% or more in one embodiment and about 120% or more in another embodiment. Although the rate of change in aging is generally not less than about 100%, it can be slightly below 100% for some reason. Considering that such a case may occur, the initial aging degree after storage for 14 days is about 70% or more, about 80% or more, or about 90% or more of the aging degree after storage for 16 hours. This is preferable from the viewpoint of maintaining physical properties.

  When the rate of change in aging progresses over about 200% compared to the case of storage at 4 ° C. for 16 hours, the physical properties of the food change, and it becomes hard and brittle. From the viewpoint of food distribution, it is important that the degree of aging is as long as one day and does not change for at least 14 days. This is because the expiration date of current chilled products (for example, noodles) is generally about two weeks, and it is desired that they can be stored for longer periods.

  The progress of aging of starch in the gel can also be measured by a change in Young's modulus of the starch gel. Change rate of Young's modulus of gel after 14 days storage at 5 ° C. (ie change rate of Young's modulus (%) = {(after 14 days) with respect to Young's modulus of gel after storage for 16 hours at 5 ° C. Young's modulus) / (Young's modulus after 16 hours)} × 100) is preferably about 140% or less, more preferably about 130% or less, still more preferably about 120% or less, and most preferably About 110% or less; usually about 90% or more, preferably about 100% or more.

  When the gel produced using the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention is stored at 4 ° C. for 2 weeks or more, it is slightly aged compared to the next day of production, but the degree is extremely small, texture, hardness, The suppleness is almost unchanged. On the other hand, when the gel prepared using natural untreated starch granules, chemically modified starch grains or physically treated starch grains is stored at 4 ° C., aging progresses in proportion to the storage time compared to the next day, The texture and hardness change greatly, and the brittleness increases.

(3.2 Viscosity)
It is well known that starch granules usually swell when heated with a predetermined amount or more of water, causing a gelatinization phenomenon of increased transparency and increased viscosity. And the starch granule disintegrates by further heating. There are several methods for measuring the change in viscosity associated with these series of events, but the Brabender amylograph is practical and widely used. The amylograph heats an object at a predetermined speed and records the relationship between the temperature and the viscosity of the object. That is, the starch granules swell with heating, and accordingly, the expression of viscosity and the increase in viscosity are observed in the amylograph. Eventually, the viscosity also reaches a peak when the swelling of the starch granules is maximized. This viscosity is called the maximum viscosity. When the heating is further continued, the starch granules are disintegrated, and the viscosity is reduced as the starch granules are disintegrated. This degree of viscosity reduction is called breakdown. This amylograph viscosity curve varies depending on the origin of the starch and the production method, and is a measurement method that shows the characteristics of the starch.

  The amylograph measurement is performed, for example, as follows. 450 ml of water so that a predetermined amount of enzyme-treated starch granules (for example, in terms of dry matter, wheat starch is 8.5% by weight, corn starch is 7.0% by weight, tapioca starch is 6.0% by weight). After preparing starch granule suspensions in the sample container, heat them up to 50 ° C. while rotating them. Thereafter, the temperature is raised to 95 ° C. at 1.5 ° C./min and held at 95 ° C. for 15 minutes. Subsequently, it is cooled at 1.5 ° C./min. As the amylograph, VISCOGRAPH-E manufactured by Brabender is used, the rotation speed of the sample container is 75 rpm, and the measurement cartridge is 700 cmg. At this time, the viscosity when the viscosity reaches the peak is defined as the maximum viscosity, and the difference between the maximum viscosity and the viscosity when held at 95 ° C. for 15 minutes is defined as breakdown. This difference is also called breakdown viscosity. If the difference between the maximum viscosity and the viscosity when held at 95 ° C. for 15 minutes is less than 100 BU, the starch is said to have “no breakdown”.

(3.3 Gel forming ability)
In general, it is well known that starch paste prepared from natural starch forms a starch gel by cooling when it reaches a predetermined concentration or more. The physical properties of this starch gel, as well as the viscosity, vary depending on the origin of the starch and the manufacturing method. Therefore, various starches are used in various foods in consideration of the characteristics of the gel physical properties.

  The enzyme treatment of the present invention does not substantially or at all impair the gel forming ability of untreated starch. Therefore, the enzyme-treated starch granule of the present invention exhibits a good gel-forming ability like the untreated starch granule. On the other hand, esterified starch and etherified starch have the disadvantage that they cannot form a gel even when stored refrigerated or the gel becomes extremely soft.

Several methods for confirming the gel-forming ability of starch have been put to practical use, and one of them is a method for measuring the viscosity of a gel using a rheometer. Measurement of the viscosity of the gel with a rheometer is, for example, filling a casing with a starch granule suspension, refrigerated for example for 16 hours (eg, at about 5 ° C.), and returning to room temperature (eg, about 25 ° C.). And then measuring the viscosity of the gel with a rheometer. Specific measurement methods and measurement conditions are described in the examples.
The influence of the treatment on the starch gel forming ability can be evaluated by using the change rate (%) of Young's modulus depending on the presence or absence of the treatment as one index. This rate of change is calculated by the rate of change in Young's modulus with and without treatment (%) = {(Young's modulus of treated starch) / (Young's modulus of untreated starch)} × 100).

  In the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention, the change rate of Young's modulus depending on the presence or absence of treatment is preferably about 90% or more, more preferably about 92% or more, and further preferably about 95% or more. In the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention, the change rate of Young's modulus depending on the presence or absence of treatment is preferably about 300% or less, more preferably about 200% or less, and further preferably about 160% or less.

  Here, the untreated starch used when investigating the influence of the treatment on the starch gel-forming ability should be an untreated starch derived from the same plant as the enzyme-treated starch. In the present specification, “untreated starch granules before enzyme treatment corresponding to enzyme-treated starch granules” means exactly the same untreated starch granules except that the enzyme treatment is not performed. As described elsewhere in this specification, untreated starch granules are not subjected to enzyme treatment, chemical treatment or physical treatment other than treatment for purifying starch granules. For example, the untreated starch granules before enzyme treatment corresponding to the enzyme-treated wheat starch grains are the same untreated wheat starch grains as the enzyme-treated wheat starch grains except that the enzyme treatment is not performed; The untreated starch granules before enzyme treatment corresponding to the treated tapioca starch granules are the same untreated tapioca starch granules as the enzyme-treated tapioca starch granules except that the enzyme treatment is not performed; the enzyme-treated potato starch The untreated starch granules before enzyme treatment corresponding to the grains are the same untreated potato starch grains as the enzyme-treated potato starch grains except that the enzyme treatment is not performed; corresponding to the enzyme-treated rice starch grains The untreated starch granules before the enzyme treatment are the same untreated rice starch granules as the enzyme-treated rice starch granules except that the enzyme treatment is not performed; and the enzyme treatment corresponding to the enzyme-treated corn starch granules Previous Untreated starch granules, except that not subjected to enzyme treatment is the same untreated corn starch granules with the enzyme-treated corn starch granules.

(4. Food of the present invention)
In a specific embodiment, the food of the present invention comprises a step of mixing a food material, the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention, and water to obtain a mixture; and heating the mixture to produce the enzyme-treated starch granules in the mixture. A food produced by a method comprising a step of gelatinizing; and a step of cooling and gelling the mixture containing the gelatinized enzyme-treated starch granules to obtain a starch gel-containing food.

  In another specific embodiment, the food product of the present invention is a cooked starch gel-containing food product made from the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention. In another specific embodiment, the starch gel-containing food of the present invention is a food produced by a method comprising mixing the food material and the enzyme-treated starch granules and then heating.

  In this specification, a starch gel-containing food refers to a food containing a starch gel. If it contains a starch gel, the food product as a whole need not be in the form of a gel. For example, gel foods such as custard pudding and gel-like Japanese confectionery such as crumbs and eels form a gel as a whole. Oils and fats-containing foods such as whipped cream and ice cream, and sauces such as meat sauce are not gel-like as a whole food, but are contained in the starch gel-containing food of the present invention because they contain fine starch gels. In addition, bakery products, pastry products, etc. are also included in the starch gel-containing food of the present invention because they contain a starch gel that once formed a gel during the production process and reduced in moisture by baking or the like.

  In certain embodiments, the food products of the present invention can be prepared using enzyme-treated starch granules. The enzyme-treated starch granules produced by the method of the present invention can be used for the same applications as conventional starches. By using the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention for food, the physical properties and texture of the food are modified. The enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention can be used for almost all food and beverage compositions or food additive compositions that have been conventionally prepared using starch. In the food of the present invention, any material usually used in the intended composition and food can be used as long as it does not interfere with the excellent effect obtained by the enzyme-treated starch granules (that is, the effect of inhibiting aging). In a preferred embodiment, the starch granules of the present invention form a gel in the food of the present invention.

  The enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention, when used in high moisture foods, maintain the body even after being cooled at low temperature for several days, maintain natural elasticity, and maintain a moderate mouth melting feeling. A high moisture type food means a food having a water content of more than 40 g per 100 g of the edible portion in a fed state. Examples of high moisture foods include Japanese confectionery, oil and fat-containing foods, gel foods, fish and livestock meat processed foods, sauces and sauces, and noodles.

  When the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention are used for low moisture foods, it is possible to maintain a palatable and smooth texture. A low moisture food means a food having a water content of 40 g or less per 100 g of the edible portion in the state of eating. Examples of low moisture foods include bakery products, pastry products, fried food products, jelly candy products, and the like.

  Thus, the high moisture food and the low moisture food are classified according to whether the water content per 100 g of the edible portion is higher than 40 g or 40 g or less. However, regarding foods having a moisture content of about 40 g (35 to 50 g) per 100 g of edible portion, even if the moisture content is the same, there may be contradictory physical properties depending on the form. In the case of fried foods, etc., the determination is based on the amount of moisture in the clothing part, excluding ingredients.

The amount of water per 100 g of edible portion of various foods is illustrated below (from the 5th edition supplemented Japanese food standard ingredient table; the amount of water in parentheses):
(1) Bakery: white bread (38.0 g), hard biscuits (2.6 g), pie dough (32.0 g), sanitary bolo (4.5 g);
(2) Japanese confectionery: Uiro (54.5 g), Kuzumanju (45.0 g), Daifuku-an (41.5 g);
(3) Western confectionery: sponge cake (32.0 g), castella (25.6 g), hot cake (40.0 g);
(4) Oil and fat-containing foods: whipped cream (milk fat type, 42.1 g), whipped cream (vegetable fat type, 41.2 g), ice cream (ice milk: 65.6 g, lacto ice: 60.4 g);
(5) Gel food: Custard pudding (74.1 g);
(6) Fish meat, processed meat products: Sumaki kamaboko (75.8 g), grilled kamaboko (72.8 g), winner (53.0 g);
(7) Sauce, sauces: Worcester sauce (61.7 g), meat sauce (78.8 g), Southern island dressing (44.1 g); and (8) Jelly candy: jelly candy (16 g), jelly beans (9. 5g).

By using the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention for such foods, starch aging is improved compared to the case of using conventional starch, and as a result, for example, the following physical properties are improved:
(1) In bakery products, a soft texture is maintained for a longer time than before. Examples of bakery products include bread, cookies, biscuits, pizza dough, puff pastry, ice cream cone cup, monaca skin, cream puff skin, and the like.

  (2) In Japanese confectionery, moderate hardness, brittleness, moderate viscoelasticity, and a tight texture are maintained over a longer period of time than before. Examples of Japanese confectionery include crumbs, owls, and buns.

  (3) In confectionery, the texture after baking is maintained over a longer period than before. Examples of confectionery include sponge cake, chiffon cake, castella, madeleine, financier, pound cake, roll cake and the like.

  (4) In fat and oil-containing foods, while having an appropriate body feeling and shape retention, a smooth mouthfeel that is well melted in the mouth is maintained for a longer period than before. Examples of the fat and oil-containing food include custard cream, flower paste, filling, whipped cream, ice cream (for example, ice milk, lacto ice) and the like.

  (5) In a gel-like food, it has a good elasticity that is smooth and has a good mouth melt and a smooth texture that is maintained for a longer period than before. Examples of gel foods include jelly, pudding, mousse, yogurt, sesame tofu and the like.

  (6) In processed fish and livestock meat processed foods, the elasticity with a good crunch is maintained for a longer period than before and the effect of less change over time is imparted. Examples of fish meat and processed meat foods include salmon and sausages.

  (7) Sauces and sauces have a good body feeling and shape retention, good glue to foods, less dripping, less stickiness and stringiness, and a smoother texture than before Maintained over. Examples of sauces and sauces include salmon grilled sauce, mitarashi dumpling sauce, fruit sauce, white sauce, dressing and the like.

  (8) In fried foods, a light and light texture is maintained over a longer period than before. Examples of fried foods include tempura and fried shrimp.

  (9) In noodles, the chewy texture with rich texture is maintained for a longer time than before. Examples of noodles include udon, somen, cold wheat, Chinese noodles, buckwheat, macaroni, spaghetti and the like.

  (10) In jelly candy, while having moderate elasticity, the mouth melt | dissolving is favorable and smooth food texture is maintained over a long term than before. Examples of jelly candy include jelly candy and jelly beans.

  In the food of the present invention, the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention can be used in the same amount as the amount of starch conventionally used in the food. A part of the conventional starch may be used and the rest may be replaced with the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention. The enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention are preferably about 50% by weight or more, more preferably about 60% by weight or more, still more preferably about 70% by weight or more of the usual starch usage. Is about 80% by weight or more, particularly preferably about 90% by weight or more, and most preferably 100% by weight. That is, it is most preferable to replace the entire amount of conventional starch with the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention.

(5. Method for producing starch gel-containing food)
In a specific embodiment, the method for producing a starch gel-containing food according to the present invention comprises treating starch granules with an enzyme in an aqueous suspension of starch granules at a temperature of 0 ° C. or higher and lower than the gelatinization start temperature of the starch granules. A step of obtaining an enzyme-treated starch granule; a step of mixing a food material, the enzyme-treated starch granule and water; and a step of heating the mixture to gelatinize the enzyme-treated starch granule in the mixture And a step of cooling and gelatinizing the mixture containing the gelatinized enzyme-treated starch granules to obtain a starch gel-containing food. In conventional food production, starch granules are not used after being subjected to enzyme treatment in the food production process.

  The step of obtaining an enzyme-treated starch granule by treating the starch granule with an enzyme at a temperature not lower than 0 ° C. and not higher than the gelatinization start temperature of the starch granule in an aqueous suspension of the starch granule is described in “2.2 Enzymatic reaction”. Can be performed as detailed above. As mentioned above, the starch granules can be starch granules of untreated starch, physically treated starch or chemically modified starch. When it is preferable to obtain enzyme-treated starch granules treated as food, the starch granules used as a raw material are starch granules of untreated starch, physical-treated starch or bleached starch, and starch gel is used by using the starch granules. At any stage until the contained food is obtained, the starch granules are not chemically modified. In a specific embodiment, the starch granule used as a raw material is a starch granule of untreated starch or physical-treated starch, and further includes a step of chemically modifying the enzyme-treated starch granule obtained by the enzyme treatment. The enzyme-treated starch granules are mixed with food material and water. In another specific embodiment, the starch granule used as a raw material is a starch granule of untreated starch or chemically modified starch, further comprising a step of physically treating the enzyme-treated starch granule obtained by the enzyme treatment, Physically treated enzyme-treated starch granules are mixed with food ingredients and water.

  Next, the food material, the enzyme-treated starch granules and water are mixed to obtain a mixture. The mixing method and the mixing ratio of the food material, enzyme-treated starch granules, and water can be performed according to the mixing method and mixing ratio in the normal production method of the target food.

  The mixture is then heated to gelatinize the enzyme-treated starch granules in the mixture. This heating can be cooking. Heating can be performed under the same conditions as cooking in the usual production method of the target food.

  Next, the mixture containing the gelatinized enzyme-treated starch granules is cooled and gelled to obtain a starch gel-containing food. Cooling may be performed by leaving the heated mixture at room temperature, or may be performed by cooling in a refrigerator or the like.

  In the embodiment using the enzyme-treated starch granule of the present invention, the food of the present invention can be produced in the same manner as in the case of using ordinary starch except that the enzyme-treated starch granule is used. The method for producing a starch-containing food of the present invention includes a step of adding and mixing enzyme-treated starch granules to a food material; and a step of cooking the mixture.

  The enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention form a gel in which starch is less likely to age than conventional untreated starch. Therefore, the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention are added to and mixed with the food material, and the mixture is cooked to gelatinize the enzyme-treated starch granules, and then cooled to form a gel. Therefore, the resulting cooked food has better physical properties than the cooked food using conventional unprocessed starch (for example, excellent body feeling, natural elasticity, good melting in the mouth, smooth texture, crisp texture) Maintain a soft texture). In the present specification, the food may be a beverage.

  In the present specification, “cooking” refers to heating a mixture of food material and starch granules. Preferably, the cooking may be heating at a temperature higher than the collapse temperature of the starch granules. For example, the mixture of food material and starch granules can be heated at about 70 ° C or higher, about 80 ° C or higher, about 90 ° C or higher, or about 95 ° C or higher. Preferably, the cooking is performed at a temperature that does not cause excessive denaturation of the food material and the starch granules. For example, the mixture of food material and starch granules can be heated at about 200 ° C. or less, about 150 ° C. or less, about 130 ° C. or less, or about 110 ° C. or less. The cooking time can be the normal cooking time of the target food.

  Cooking is preferably performed in the presence of some moisture. The starch granules normally swell when heated in the presence of a predetermined amount or more of water, increasing the transparency and increasing the viscosity. If the food material contains more water than necessary, it is not necessary to add water to the mixture of the food material and starch granules, but if the food material is low in water, add water to the mixture of the food material and starch granules. It is preferable. In addition, in the case of foods that do not contain food materials other than water and starch granules, such as sugar-free suzuyu, water is regarded as a food material.

  Heat cooking can be part of the method for producing the intended food. For example, in the case of a gel food such as jelly, it can be cooled at a temperature of, for example, about 5 to 10 ° C. after cooking.

(6. Description of sequence)
SEQ ID NO: 1: Base sequence encoding Taq MalQ from Thermus aquaticus;
SEQ ID NO: 2: amino acid sequence of Taq MalQ from Thermus aquaticus;
SEQ ID NO: 3: A base sequence encoding a natural branching enzyme of Aquifex aeolicus VF5;
SEQ ID NO: 4: Amino acid sequence of the natural branching enzyme of Aquifex aeolicus VF5.

  EXAMPLES Next, although an Example demonstrates this invention in detail, this invention is not limited by these Examples. In the examples, the viscosity was measured with a Brabender amylograph, and the gel properties were measured with a Rheotech rheometer. In the examples and comparative examples, the physical properties of each starch and the physical properties of the gel prepared from each starch were measured according to the following analysis and evaluation methods.

1. Analysis and evaluation methods:
1.1 Analysis and evaluation of aging degree:
The degree of aging of starch in the starch gel was investigated using the β-amylase / pullulanase method (BAP method). Specifically, a 5% starch granule suspension was heated in a boiling bath for 20 minutes, allowed to cool at room temperature for 1 hour, and stored at 4 ° C. The degree of aging of starch in the gel after 16 hours of storage at 4 ° C. and 14 days later was measured by the BAP method. The BAP method was carried out in accordance with the “Published Biochemistry Experimental Method 19 Starch / Related Sugar Experimental Method” (P. 190-191) published by the Academic Publishing Center, and the aging value after 16 hours of storage at 4 ° C. was set to 100. The rate of change after 14 days was calculated.

  A larger rate of change indicates a faster rate of aging.

1.2 Analysis of gel-forming ability:
(1) Confirmation of influence of treatment on gel forming ability:
An untreated starch granule or starch granule obtained by enzymatic treatment or chemical modification of the untreated starch is added to water to a concentration of 20% by weight in terms of dry matter and mixed to prepare a starch granule suspension. Then, it is filled into a Kurehalon casing having a folding width of 45 mm. This is heated up to 90 ° C. at 1 ° C./min and held at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes. Thereafter, the mixture was allowed to cool for 30 minutes in a constant temperature water bath at 20 ° C., and then cooled to 5 ° C. in a refrigerator. After cooling, the sample was stored refrigerated at 5 ° C. for 16 hours, then left at room temperature (about 25 ° C.) for 4 hours to return to room temperature, and then measured with a rheometer manufactured by Rheotech (RT-2010J-CW). The measurement condition of the rheometer is to select a break test as a test item, set the height of the sample to 25 mm, use an adapter of a sphere for viscosity 28 (diameter 5 mm, area 19.635 mm ² ), and move the sample (breaking speed). ) Was 6 cm / min. At this time, the hardness of the starch gel was evaluated by Young's modulus (dyn / cm ² ).

  Uses the Young's modulus of the gel produced using untreated starch granules and starch granules obtained by performing specific treatments such as chemical modification and enzyme treatment on the same untreated starch granules as the untreated starch granules The effect of this treatment on the gel strength can be confirmed by comparing the Young's modulus of the prepared gel.

  If the rate of change of Young's modulus due to the presence or absence of treatment is 110% or more, the hardness of the gel using the starch granules after treatment is significantly increased compared to the gel using untreated starch, that is, It shows that the gel forming ability was significantly improved by the treatment. If the change rate of Young's modulus depending on the presence or absence of the treatment is 90 to 110%, the hardness of the gel using the treated starch granules is almost the same as the gel using the untreated starch, and the treatment is gel forming ability. It shows that it does not affect so much. When the rate of change of Young's modulus due to the presence or absence of treatment is 90% or less, it indicates that the gel using the treated starch granules is significantly softer than the gel using untreated starch, that is, the treatment Shows that the gel-forming ability was significantly reduced. If the starch granules after treatment do not form a gel, this indicates that the gel forming ability of the starch granules is lost by the treatment.

(2) Confirmation of progress of aging by Young's modulus:
The starch granules are added to water so as to have a concentration of 20% by weight in terms of dry matter, and mixed to prepare a starch granule suspension, which is filled into a Klehalon casing having a folding width of 45 mm. This is heated up to 90 ° C. at 1 ° C./min and held at 90 ° C. for 30 minutes. Thereafter, the mixture was allowed to cool for 30 minutes in a constant temperature water bath at 20 ° C., and then cooled to 5 ° C. in a refrigerator. After cooling, the sample was stored refrigerated at 5 ° C. for 16 hours or 14 days, then left at room temperature (about 25 ° C.) for 4 hours to return to room temperature, and then measured with a rheometer (RT-2010J-CW) manufactured by Rheotech. The measurement condition of the rheometer is to select a break test as a test item, set the height of the sample to 25 mm, use an adapter of a sphere for viscosity 28 (diameter 5 mm, area 19.635 mm ² ), and move the sample (breaking speed). ) Was 6 cm / min. At this time, the hardness of the starch gel was evaluated by Young's modulus (dyn / cm ² ), and the change rate of Young's modulus was determined by the following equation.

  If the rate of change of Young's modulus over time is 100% or more, it indicates that the gel has increased hardness and brittleness, and that the greater the rate of change, the more aging has progressed. For example, in the preservation of noodles, it is known and confirmed in the art that when the aging progresses over time, the Young's modulus increases and the texture becomes lumpy.

1.3 Measurement of viscosity:
The viscosity was measured by the following method using an amylograph. 450 ml of water so that a predetermined amount of enzyme-treated starch granules (for example, in terms of dry matter, wheat starch is 8.5% by weight, corn starch is 7.0% by weight, tapioca starch is 6.0% by weight). The starch granule suspension was prepared by, and after putting it into the sample container, it was heated to 50 ° C. while rotating them. Thereafter, the temperature was raised to 95 ° C. at 1.5 ° C./min and held at 95 ° C. for 15 minutes. Subsequently, it was cooled at 1.5 ° C./min. The amylograph was VISCOGRAPH-E manufactured by Brabender, the sample container was rotated at 75 rpm, and the measurement cartridge was measured at 700 cmg. Here, the viscosity when the viscosity reached the peak was defined as the maximum viscosity, and the difference between the maximum viscosity and the viscosity when held at 95 ° C. for 15 minutes was defined as breakdown. This difference is also called breakdown viscosity.

1.4 Texture of the gel The texture of each starch granule was also examined 1 day after the gel was prepared for gel property measurement. The texture was sensory evaluated by a skilled person. When it was very hard and brittle, or when it was too soft and too soft, or when a gel could not be formed, it was judged as “poor”, and when it had a resilient texture, it was judged as “good”.

(Production Example 1: Recombinant production of Thermus aquaticus-derived amylomaltase (TaqMalQ))
TaqMalQ having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 was obtained from E. coli strain MC1061 carrying the plasmid pFGQ8 shown in Terada et al. (Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 65, 910-915 (1999)) by the method shown in the same document. An enzyme solution containing was obtained.

(Production Example 2: Production of Aquifex aeolicus VF5-derived branching enzyme (AqBE))
An enzyme solution containing AqBE having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 was obtained from E. coli TG-1 strain holding the recombinant plasmid pAQBE1 described in Production Example 1 of JP-A-2008-95117 by the method shown in the patent document. Obtained.

(Comparative Example 1)
Untreated wheat starch (protein content 0.2 wt%) was used as the sample of Comparative Example 1. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the aging degree of the starch in the gel prepared from the untreated wheat starch is analyzed by the BAP method, the Young's modulus is analyzed by the rheometer, and the texture Sensory evaluation.

(Example 1: Production of starch granules treated with amylomaltase)
900 g of ion-exchanged water was added to 400 g of untreated wheat starch of the same lot used in Comparative Example 1 to prepare a starch granule suspension. After adjusting the pH of the starch granule suspension to pH 7.0, 5 ml (800 units) of the amylomaltase enzyme solution (derived from Thermus aquaticus; optimum pH 7.5) produced in Production Example 1 was added, and the mixture was added at 55 ° C. for 18 hours. The mixture was stirred and an enzyme reaction was performed. After completion of the reaction, the reaction solution was subjected to centrifugal filtration, and the precipitate was blown and dried to collect enzyme-treated starch granules. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the aging degree of starch in the gel prepared from the obtained enzyme-treated starch granules is analyzed by the BAP method, the Young's modulus is analyzed by a rheometer, and The texture was sensory evaluated.

(Example 2: Production of starch granules treated with amylomaltase and branching enzyme)
900 g of ion-exchanged water was added to 400 g of untreated wheat starch of the same lot used in Comparative Example 1 to prepare a starch granule suspension. After adjusting the pH of the starch granule suspension to pH 7.0, 5 ml (800 units) of amylomaltase enzyme solution (derived from Thermus aquaticus; optimum pH 7.5) produced in Production Example 1 was produced in Production Example 2. 1 ml (60,000 units) of a branching enzyme enzyme solution (derived from Aquifex aeolicus; optimum pH 7.5) was added and stirred at 55 ° C. for 18 hours to carry out an enzyme reaction. After completion of the reaction, the reaction solution was subjected to centrifugal filtration, and the precipitate was blown and dried to collect enzyme-treated starch granules. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the aging degree of starch in the gel prepared from the obtained enzyme-treated starch granules is analyzed by the BAP method, the Young's modulus is analyzed by a rheometer, and The texture was sensory evaluated.

(Comparative Example 2: Production of phosphoric acid crosslinked starch granules)
To 500 g of untreated natural tapioca starch (protein content 0.1 wt%), 750 g of a 6.7% (w / w) aqueous sodium sulfate solution was added to prepare a starch granule suspension. After adjusting the pH of the starch granule suspension to pH 11.0, 10 μl of phosphorus oxychloride was added, and the mixture was stirred at 30 ° C. for 1 hour to carry out the reaction. After 1 hour, the pH of the reaction solution was adjusted to 6.0 to stop the reaction. After completion of the reaction, the reaction solution was subjected to centrifugal filtration, and the precipitate was blown and dried to recover phosphate cross-linked starch granules. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the aging degree of the starch in the gel prepared from the obtained phosphate-crosslinked starch granules was analyzed by the BAP method.

(Example 3: Production of phosphate cross-linked starch granules treated with amylomaltase)
900 g of ion-exchanged water was added to 400 g of phosphoric acid crosslinked starch granules prepared in Comparative Example 2 to prepare a starch granule suspension. After adjusting the pH of the starch granule suspension to pH 7.0, 5 ml (800 units) of the amylomaltase enzyme solution (derived from Thermus aquaticus; optimum pH 7.5) produced in Production Example 1 was added, and the mixture was stirred at 50 ° C. for 18 hours. The mixture was stirred and an enzyme reaction was performed. After completion of the reaction, the reaction solution was subjected to centrifugal filtration, and the precipitate was blown and dried to collect enzyme-treated starch granules. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the aging degree of starch in the gel prepared from the obtained enzyme-treated starch granules was analyzed by the BAP method.

(Example 4: Production of starch granules treated with amylomaltase)
900 g of ion-exchanged water was added to 400 g of untreated potato starch (protein content 0.1% by weight) to prepare a starch granule suspension. After adjusting the pH of the starch granule suspension to pH 7.0, 5 ml (800 units) of the amylomaltase enzyme solution (derived from Thermus aquaticus; optimum pH 7.5) produced in Production Example 1 was added, and the mixture was stirred at 50 ° C. for 18 hours. The mixture was stirred and an enzyme reaction was performed. After completion of the reaction, the reaction solution was subjected to centrifugal filtration, and the precipitate was blown and dried to collect enzyme-treated starch granules. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the viscosity characteristics of the obtained enzyme-treated starch granules were analyzed by amylograph, and the aging degree of starch in the gel was analyzed by BAP method.

(Comparative Example 3: Production of starch treated with amylomaltase after gelatinization)
2700 g of ion-exchanged water was added to 300 g of untreated potato starch of the same lot used in Example 4 to prepare a starch granule suspension. The starch granule suspension was heated at 130 ° C. for 15 minutes to gelatinize. In the obtained paste solution, starch was dissolved, and starch granules were not present. The obtained paste was cooled to 70 ° C., and the pH of the paste was adjusted to pH 7.0, and then 5 ml of the amylomaltase enzyme solution (derived from Thermus aquaticus; optimum pH 7.5) produced in Production Example 1 ( 800 units) and the mixture was stirred at 70 ° C. for 18 hours to carry out an enzyme reaction. After completion of the reaction, the mixture was cooled at 4 ° C. until a white gel was formed (40 hours). The gel is washed with water and filtered, then the residue is washed with 25% ethanol and filtered, then the residue is washed with 50% ethanol and filtered, then the residue is washed with 75% ethanol and filtered. The residue was then washed with 99.5% ethanol and filtered, then the residue was blown dry to recover the enzyme-treated starch. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the viscosity characteristics of the obtained enzyme-treated starch were analyzed by amylograph.

(Comparative Example 4: Production of starch treated with amylomaltase at a temperature higher than the gelatinization start temperature)
Ion-exchanged water (5700 g) was added to 300 g of untreated potato starch of the same lot used in Example 4 to prepare a starch granule suspension. After adjusting the pH of the starch granule suspension to pH 7.0, 5 ml (800 units) of the amylomaltase enzyme solution (derived from Thermus aquaticus; optimum pH 7.5) produced in Production Example 1 was added, and the mixture was stirred at 70 ° C. for 18 hours. The mixture was stirred and an enzyme reaction was performed. After completion of the reaction, it was confirmed by a microscope that no starch granules were observed, and then cooled at 4 ° C. until a white gel was formed (40 hours). The gel is washed with water and filtered, then the residue is washed with 25% ethanol and filtered, then the residue is washed with 50% ethanol and filtered, then the residue is washed with 75% ethanol and filtered. The residue was then washed with 99.5% ethanol and filtered, then the residue was blown dry to recover the enzyme-treated starch. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the viscosity characteristics of the obtained enzyme-treated starch were analyzed by amylograph.

(Comparative Example 5: Production of starch acetate granules)
A starch granule suspension was prepared by adding 750 g of a 6.7% (w / w) aqueous sodium sulfate solution to 500 g of untreated natural wheat starch of the same lot used in Comparative Example 1. After adjusting the pH of the starch granule suspension to pH 8.5, 7.36 g of vinyl acetate monomer was added and stirred at 30 ° C. for 40 minutes to carry out the reaction. After 40 minutes, the pH of the reaction solution was adjusted to pH 6.0 to stop the reaction. After completion of the reaction, the reaction solution was subjected to centrifugal filtration, and the precipitate was blown and dried to collect starch acetate granules. The Young's modulus of the gel produced from the obtained starch acetate granules was analyzed with a rheometer according to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above.

(Comparative Example 6)
The same lot of untreated tapioca starch as used in Comparative Example 2 was used as the sample in Comparative Example 6. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the aging degree of starch in a gel prepared from untreated tapioca starch was analyzed by the BAP method.

(Comparative Example 7)
The same lot of untreated potato starch as used in Example 4 was used as the sample in Comparative Example 7. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the aging degree of the starch in the gel prepared from the untreated potato starch was analyzed by the BAP method.

(Example 5: Production of starch granules treated with amylomaltase)
Using Japanese polished white rice (Japonica rice, 20% whitening ratio) as the raw material rice, after washing thoroughly with water and soaking in water overnight, removing water, and the apparent volume of rice after soaking The same volume of hydration was performed and grinding and sieving were performed according to the prior art. Thereafter, it was dehydrated and dried according to the conventional technique to obtain untreated rice flour having a protein content of 5.5% by weight. 900 g of ion-exchanged water was added to 400 g of the obtained untreated rice flour to prepare a starch granule suspension. After adjusting the pH of the starch granule suspension to pH 7.0, 5 ml (800 units) of the amylomaltase enzyme solution (derived from Thermus aquaticus; optimum pH 7.5) produced in Production Example 1 was added, and the mixture was added at 55 ° C. for 18 hours. The mixture was stirred and an enzyme reaction was performed. After completion of the reaction, the reaction solution was subjected to centrifugal filtration, and the precipitate was blown and dried to collect enzyme-treated starch granules. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the aging degree of starch in the gel prepared from the obtained enzyme-treated starch granules was analyzed by the BAP method.

(Comparative Example 8)
The same lot of untreated rice flour used in Example 5 was used as the sample in Comparative Example 8. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the aging degree of starch in a gel prepared from untreated rice flour was analyzed by the BAP method.

(Example 6: Production of starch granules treated with amylomaltase)
900 g of ion-exchanged water was added to 400 g of untreated corn starch (protein content 0.1% by weight) to prepare a starch granule suspension. After adjusting the pH of the starch granule suspension to pH 7.0, 5 ml (800 units) of the amylomaltase enzyme solution (derived from Thermus aquaticus; optimum pH 7.5) produced in Production Example 1 was added, and the mixture was added at 55 ° C. for 18 hours. The mixture was stirred and an enzyme reaction was performed. After completion of the reaction, the reaction solution was subjected to centrifugal filtration, and the precipitate was blown and dried to collect enzyme-treated starch granules. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the aging degree of starch in the gel prepared from the obtained enzyme-treated starch granules was analyzed by the BAP method.

(Comparative Example 9)
The same lot of untreated corn starch as used in Example 6 was used as the sample for Comparative Example 9. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the aging degree of starch in the gel prepared from untreated corn starch was analyzed by the BAP method.

(Example 7: Production of starch granules treated with amylomaltase)
900 g of ion-exchanged water was added to 400 g of untreated natural tapioca starch of the same lot used in Comparative Example 2 to prepare a starch granule suspension. After adjusting the pH of the starch granule suspension to pH 7.0, 5 ml (800 units) of the amylomaltase enzyme solution (derived from Thermus aquaticus; optimum pH 7.5) produced in Production Example 1 was added, and the mixture was added at 55 ° C. for 18 hours. The mixture was stirred and an enzyme reaction was performed. After completion of the reaction, the reaction solution was subjected to centrifugal filtration, and the precipitate was blown and dried to collect enzyme-treated starch granules. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the aging degree of the starch in the gel prepared from the obtained enzyme-treated starch granules was analyzed by the BAP method, and the Young's modulus was analyzed by a rheometer.

(Comparative Example 10: Production of starch acetate granules)
To 500 g of untreated natural tapioca starch of the same lot used in Comparative Example 2, 750 g of a 6.7% (w / w) aqueous sodium sulfate solution was added to prepare a starch granule suspension. After adjusting the pH of the starch granule suspension to pH 8.5, 7.36 g of vinyl acetate monomer was added and stirred at 30 ° C. for 40 minutes to carry out the reaction. After 40 minutes, the pH of the reaction solution was adjusted to pH 6.0 to stop the reaction. After completion of the reaction, the reaction solution was subjected to centrifugal filtration, and the precipitate was blown and dried to collect starch acetate granules. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the Young's modulus of the gel prepared from the obtained starch acetate starch particles was analyzed with a rheometer.

(Comparative Example 11: Production of hydroxypropyl starch granules)
A starch suspension was prepared by adding 785 g of an 11% (w / w) aqueous sodium sulfate solution to 500 g of untreated natural tapioca starch in the same lot used in Comparative Example 2. After adjusting the pH of the suspension to pH 11.0, 24 g of propylene oxide was added, and the reaction was performed by stirring at 42 ° C. for 16 hours. After 16 hours, the pH of the suspension was adjusted to 6.0 to stop the reaction. After completion of the reaction, centrifugal filtration and ventilation drying were performed to recover hydroxypropyl starch. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the Young's modulus of the gel prepared from the obtained hydroxypropyl starch granules was analyzed with a rheometer.

  Tables 2 to 7 and Tables 9 to 10 show the physical property measurement results for gels made from the obtained starch granules (or starch powders), and show the effect of gelatinization on the viscosity characteristics of various potato starches. It is shown in FIG.

  It was confirmed that the change in the degree of aging over time when the enzyme-treated starch granules were stored as a gel was much smaller than that of the starch grains not subjected to the enzyme treatment of Comparative Example 1.

  The gel prepared using the starch granules of Comparative Example 5 was very soft and unpractical compared to the gel prepared using the untreated starch, but the starch granules of Example 1 or 2 The gel produced using the No. 1 showed the same hardness as the gel produced using untreated starch. As described above, it was confirmed that the gel forming ability of starch was greatly impaired by acetylation, and the degree was not practically useful.

  About the gel produced using the starch granule of Example 1 or 2, the food texture after a storage day had moderate hardness and elasticity, but using the starch granule of Comparative Example 1 The texture of the prepared gel was very hard, crispy and brittle. Moreover, the texture of the gel produced using the starch granule of the comparative example 5 was soft, and elasticity was not felt.

  In the gel prepared using the starch granules of Comparative Example 1 or Comparative Example 5, the Young's modulus increased by storing at 4 ° C. for 14 days, so that it was confirmed that aging of the starch in the gel was progressing. It was. On the other hand, in the gel produced using the starch granules of Examples 1 and 2, the change in Young's modulus was small even after storage for 14 days at 4 ° C., so it was confirmed that starch aging was suppressed. .

  Gels could not be formed using the starch granules of Comparative Example 10 or 11, but gels made using the starch granules of Example 7 or Comparative Example 2 were made using untreated starch granules. It was very hard compared to the gel.

比較例６及び２の酵素処理していない澱粉粒に比べ、酵素処理した澱粉粒（実施例３および７）の方が、ゲルにして保存した場合の経時的な老化度の変化が格段に少ないことが確認された。

Compared with the starch granules not subjected to the enzyme treatment of Comparative Examples 6 and 2, the starch grains treated with the enzyme (Examples 3 and 7) have much less change over time when stored as a gel. It was confirmed.

  It was confirmed that the change in the degree of aging over time when the enzyme-treated starch granules were stored as a gel was much smaller than that of the starch grains not subjected to enzyme treatment in Comparative Example 7.

  The enzyme-treated starch granules of Example 4 of the present application show a high maximum viscosity similarly to the untreated potato starch of Comparative Example 7, whereas the enzyme-treated starch in which the starch granules of Comparative Examples 3 to 4 have disappeared, The viscosity was very low. Thus, it was confirmed that starch granules having high viscosity could not be obtained when the starch granules were gelatinized and disappeared before or during the enzyme treatment.

  It was confirmed that the change in the degree of aging over time when the enzyme-treated starch granules (Example 5) were stored as gels was significantly less than that of the non-enzyme-treated starch granules of Comparative Example 8. It was.

  It was confirmed that the change in the degree of aging over time when the enzyme-treated starch granules (Example 6) were stored as gels was significantly less than that of the non-enzyme-treated starch granules of Comparative Example 9. It was.

(Prototype example)
Next, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to prototype examples, but the present invention is not limited to these prototype examples. Further, unless otherwise specified, “part” means “part by mass”.

(Prototype example 1: Preparation of cookies)
Add unsalted butter and shortening from the formulas listed in Table 11 below to the mixer and mix well. To this mixture is further added white sucrose and salt and mixed well, and then ammonium hydrogen carbonate previously dissolved in water is added and mixed well. Finally, the pre-mixed flour and starch and sodium bicarbonate (sodium bicarbonate) powder mixture are added and mixed well until a dough mass is formed. The dough was thinly stretched with a rolling pin, cut out, and baked in an oven at 200 ° C. for 15 minutes to prepare cookies.

  About the obtained cookie, the food texture of the following day and 7 days after was evaluated. As a result, on the next day, the cookie of the prototype comparative examples 1 and 2 felt a crunchy texture, but the cookie of the prototype example 1 was pleasant and crisp. In the cookies after 7 days, the cookie of prototype comparative example 1 and the cookie of prototype comparative example 2 had increased hardness and had a harsh texture. The goodness was maintained.

(Prototype example 2: Preparation of sponge cake)
The dough specific gravity was adjusted to 0.45 by the all-in-mix method according to the formulation listed in Table 12 below. 350 g of dough was poured into a No. 6 mold, and baked in an oven at 160 ° C. (top) and 170 ° C. (bottom) for 55 minutes to prepare a sponge cake.

  About the obtained sponge cake, the food texture on the next day and 3 days after was evaluated. On the next day's results, all samples of the sponge cakes were soft and fluffy, and the texture was soft and soft. However, the sponge cake of Prototype Example 2 maintained a soft feeling.

(Prototype Example 3: Preparation of Roll Cake)
The dough specific gravity was adjusted to 0.45 by the all-in-mix method according to the formulation listed in Table 13 below. 350 g of dough was poured into a top plate and baked in an oven at 170 ° C. (top) and 180 ° C. (bottom) for 15 minutes to obtain a cake dough. This was placed on a net to dissipate heat to about room temperature, and rolled to prepare a roll cake.

  The obtained roll cake was refrigerated at 4 ° C., and the texture was evaluated the next day and 3 days later. As a result of the next day, a soft texture was felt in the roll cakes of all samples, and in particular, the roll cake of Prototype Example 3 had a large swelling. Three days later, the roll cakes of the prototype comparison example 5 and the prototype comparison example 6 felt a crispy texture, but the roll cake of the prototype example 3 maintained a soft soft feeling, The bulge was maintained.

(Prototype Example 4: Preparation of waste koji)
Of the prescriptions listed in Table 14 below, add a mixture of any starch and white sucrose to water and mix well with a wooden spatula to dissolve the white sucrose. While stirring with a wooden spatula, heat until viscosity is obtained, a paste is formed, and a transparent state is obtained. It was poured into a mold and rapidly cooled in an ice bath to prepare a scrap.

  The obtained litter cake was refrigerated at 4 ° C., and the texture was evaluated the next day and after 3 days. Regarding the texture of the next day, the crumbs of the prototype comparison example 7 had a texture that felt sticky, and the crumbs of the prototype comparison example 8 had a soft texture. On the other hand, the litter of Prototype Example 4 had moderate hardness and viscoelasticity. Regarding the texture after 3 days, both of the crumbs of the prototype comparative examples 7 and 8 had a reduced feeling of elasticity and felt brittle, but the crumb of the prototype example 4 maintained a resilient texture and had a texture. I couldn't feel the change of feeling.

(Prototype Example 5: Preparation of Udon)
According to the prescription listed in Table 15 below, kneading water in which 1 part of salt is dissolved in 40 parts of water is added to a powder mixture obtained by mixing one of starch and medium-strength wheat flour in the following ratio, and kneaded with a vacuum mixer for 12 minutes. . The noodle band was then combined and rolled using a noodle making machine, and cut into noodles No. 8 to obtain raw udon. The obtained raw noodles were boiled in boiling water for 14 minutes, washed with water, cooled, immersed in acid and stored at 4 ° C.

  The obtained udon noodles were refrigerated at 4 ° C., and the texture was evaluated the next day and after 5 days. In addition, evaluation was made by boiling in boiling water for 3 minutes and then putting in hot soup to evaluate the texture.

  As for the texture of the next day, the boiled udon of the prototype comparative example 9 was slightly poor in elasticity, but was found to be slack. The boiled udon of the prototype comparative example 10 felt a firm hardness. On the other hand, the boiled udon of Prototype Example 5 felt a chewy texture with a rich texture. In the evaluation after 5 days, both the boiled udon noodles of prototype comparative examples 9 and 10 became brittle and felt aging.

(Prototype Example 6: Preparation of jelly candy)
In accordance with the prescription listed in Table 16 below, sugar, starch syrup, or any starch and water were heated and dissolved to Brix (Bx) 75 while stirring and mixing at the following ratio. The obtained solution was filled in a mold and left at room temperature for 24 hours. After confirming solidification, it was removed from the mold and a jelly candy was obtained.

  About the obtained jelly candy, the food texture of the following day and 14 days after room temperature preservation | save was evaluated. As for the texture of the next day, both the jelly candy of the prototype comparison examples 11 and 12 felt a strong feeling of elasticity, while the jelly candy of the prototype example 6 felt moderate viscoelasticity and a sense of puffiness. After 14 days, the jelly candies of the prototype comparative examples 11 and 12 both felt strong and aging, but the jelly candy of the prototype example 6 had a moderate elasticity. Was maintained.

(Prototype Example 7: Preparation of bread)
According to the prescription shown in Table 17 below, bread was prepared using a home bakery (Panasonic SD-BH103).

  The texture of the obtained bread was evaluated the next day and after 3 days of storage at room temperature. As a result of the next day, the bread of the prototype comparative example 13 had a crisp texture, while the bread of the prototype 7 had a light texture. After 3 days, the bread of the trial comparative example 13 had a hard and crunchy texture, while the bread of the trial example 7 maintained a light texture.

(Prototype Example 8: Preparation of flour paste)
In accordance with the prescription listed in Table 18 below, all ingredients are placed in a pan and Bx. Heat to 42.5 with stirring to prepare a flour paste.

  The obtained flour paste was filled into a cup and stored at 4 ° C., and the texture was evaluated the next day and after 7 days.

  The texture of the next day was felt to be firm for the flour paste of the prototype comparative example 14, and was felt to be sticky for the flour paste of the prototype comparative example 15. On the other hand, the flower paste of Prototype Example 8 felt a creamy feeling with a good melt. In the evaluation after 5 days, both of the flower pastes of the prototype comparative examples 14 and 15 were strong in brittleness. In particular, the flower paste of the prototype comparative example 15 was found to have a significant water separation and felt aging. The flower paste of No. 1 maintained a palatable cream feeling.

  The rice starch used in Comparative Example 12 and Example 8 below is rice starch produced by Sigma-Aldrich. Rice starch produced by Sigma-Aldrich is derived from rice.

(Comparative Example 12)
Untreated rice starch (manufactured by Sigma Aldrich) (protein content 0.4% by weight) was used as a sample for Comparative Example 12. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the aging degree of starch in a gel prepared from untreated rice starch was analyzed by the BAP method.

(Example 8)
900 g of ion-exchanged water was added to 400 g of rice starch (manufactured by Sigma-Aldrich) of the same lot used in Comparative Example 12 to prepare a starch granule suspension. After adjusting the starch granule suspension to pH 7.0, 5 ml (800 units) of the amylomaltase enzyme solution produced in Production Example 1 (derived from Thermus aquaticus; optimum pH 7.5) was added, and the mixture was stirred at 55 ° C. for 18 hours. The mixture was stirred and an enzyme reaction was performed. After completion of the reaction, the reaction solution was subjected to centrifugal filtration, and the precipitate was blown and dried to collect enzyme-treated starch granules. According to the method described in “1. Analysis and Evaluation Method” above, the aging degree of starch in the gel prepared from the obtained enzyme-treated starch granules was analyzed by the BAP method.

比較例１２の酵素処理をしていない澱粉粒に比べ、酵素処理した澱粉粒（実施例８）の方が、ゲルにして保存した場合の経時的な老化度の変化が格段に少ないことが確認された。

It is confirmed that the change in the degree of aging over time when the enzyme-treated starch granules (Example 8) are stored as a gel is remarkably smaller than the starch grains not subjected to the enzyme treatment of Comparative Example 12. It was done.

  As mentioned above, although this invention has been illustrated using preferable embodiment of this invention, this invention should not be limited and limited to this embodiment. It is understood that the scope of the present invention should be construed only by the claims. It is understood that those skilled in the art can implement an equivalent range based on the description of the present invention and the common general technical knowledge from the description of specific preferred embodiments of the present invention. Patents, patent applications, and documents cited herein should be incorporated by reference in their entirety, as if the contents themselves were specifically described herein. Understood.

  According to the present invention, an enzyme-treated starch granule having properties that are difficult to age is provided. By producing a starch gel-containing food using the enzyme-treated starch granules of the present invention, a food that lasts longer than before can be obtained. Such a starch gel-containing food retains a soft texture over a longer period than before. In addition, when such starch gel-containing food is a transparent food such as jelly or warabimochi, even when stored at a low temperature for a long period of time, a soft texture is maintained and a transparent feeling is also maintained.

Claims (5)

Including the step of treating starch granules in an aqueous suspension of starch granules with a amylomaltase derived from Thermus aquaticus at a temperature not lower than 0 ° C. and not higher than the gelatinization start temperature of the starch granules to obtain enzyme-treated starch granules ;
The origin of the starch granules is wheat, tapioca, potato, or rice,
A method for producing enzyme-treated starch granules that are difficult to age. Enzyme-treated starch granules that are difficult to age,
Manufactured by the method of claim 1,
The aging degree of the starch in the gel after storing the gel prepared from the starch granules at 4 ° C. for 14 days is 200% or less of the aging degree of the starch in the gel after storing at 4 ° C. for 16 hours. A starch granule characterized by being. The Young's modulus of the gel after storing the gel prepared from the starch granules at 4 ° C for 16 hours is 16 hours at 4 ° C for the gel prepared from the untreated starch granules before enzyme treatment corresponding to the starch granules. The starch granule according to claim 2 , wherein the starch granule is 90% or more based on Young's modulus of the gel after storage. A starch gel-containing food produced using the starch granules according to claim 2 . A method for producing a starch gel-containing food comprising:
A step of mixing the food material with the starch granules according to claim 2 or 3 and water to obtain a mixture;
And該糊of the mixture method comprising cooling by gel obtaining starch gel containing food process comprising starch granules; step to gelatinize the starch granules in the mixture by heating the mixture.