JPH0998795A - Apparatus for producing mono and oligogalacturonic acid - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve production efficiency and provide a production apparatus suitable for mass production by automatically carry out pretreatment process, reaction process and post treatment process. SOLUTION: This apparatus for producing mono and oligogalacturonic acid comprises using pectin or pectic acid powder as a raw material. The apparatus is equipped with a raw material feeding means 10 for feeding a prescribed amount of the raw material, a raw material solution-preparing means 30 for preparing a prescribed amount of a raw material solution by adding a buffer solution to the raw material fed from the raw material-feeding means 10, a filtering means 50 for filtering the raw material solution produced in the raw material solution-preparing means 30, an enzymatic reacting means 80 for carrying out enzymatic reaction by a water-insoluble immobilized carrier obtained by binding a hydrolase to the raw material solution filtered by the filtering means 50 and a desalting treatment means 100 for carrying out desalting treatment of the reaction solution in which enzymatic reaction is carried out in the enzymatic reaction means.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus for automatically producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acids from powders of pectin and pectic acid.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, mono- and oligogalacturonic acids are noted as substances which have been suggested to be involved in the bacteriostatic action of Escherichia coli and the defense reaction against microorganisms of plants and to possibly increase the yield of agricultural products. ing. Conventionally, for example, mono- and oligogalacturonic acids have been produced by reacting pectin or pectic acid with enzymes derived from various microorganisms in a badge method. However, in general, the amount of enzyme secreted by microorganisms is small, and the badge type is disposable each time an enzymatic reaction is performed, and the more the production amount of mono- and oligogalacturonic acid increases, the more the consumption of enzyme amount increases and it is inefficient. . Further, the reaction condition tends to become nonuniform as the enzyme reaction is carried out in a large amount, and the produced mono- and oligogalacturonic acids also tend to become nonuniform. Therefore, there is a drawback that it is not suitable for mass production due to complicated operations.

Therefore, the present applicants have previously proposed a manufacturing method that eliminates these drawbacks (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-20568).
No. 7 publication). This method is a method for producing mono- and galacturonic acid by feeding a pectin or pectic acid solution to a water-insoluble immobilization carrier on which an enzyme is immobilized, and is an efficient method.

[0004]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the method of producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acid according to the above proposal, a pretreatment step of forming a pectin or pectic acid solution from pectin or pectic acid powder, a pectic acid solution Since the step of reacting with and the subsequent post-treatment step have to be carried out by hand one by one, the work is complicated and it takes a long time, so that there is a problem that the production efficiency is deteriorated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is possible to automatically perform a pretreatment step, a reaction step, and a posttreatment step to improve the manufacturing efficiency and to mass-produce. An object of the present invention is to provide a suitable mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus. Then, the point was to improve the function of each part as necessary.

[0006]

In order to achieve such an object, the apparatus for producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acid using pectin or pectic acid powder of the present invention as a raw material is a raw material supply means for supplying a predetermined amount of the above raw material. A raw material solution generating means for adding a buffer solution to the raw material supplied from the raw material supplying means to generate a predetermined amount of raw material solution; a filtering means for filtering the raw material solution generated by the raw material solution generating means; An enzyme reaction means for performing an enzyme reaction with a water-insoluble immobilization carrier having a decomposing enzyme bound to the raw material solution filtered by the filtration means, and desalting treatment of the reaction solution subjected to the enzyme reaction by the enzyme reaction means And a desalination treatment means for carrying out.

[0007] If necessary, the raw material supply means includes a hopper for storing the raw material, a guide tube for guiding the raw material supplied from the outlet opening of the hopper, and an axis of the guide tube as a rotation axis. A male screw-shaped transfer rod that is rotated in the guide tube and transfers the supplied raw material toward the discharge port of the guide tube by this rotation, and a motor that rotates the transfer rod by a predetermined number of revolutions are configured. There is.

Further, if necessary, the raw material solution generating means includes a raw material tank for containing the raw material supplied from the raw material supply means, a pure water supply section for supplying pure water into the raw material tank, It comprises a buffer solution supply unit for supplying a buffer solution into the raw material tank, and a stirring unit for stirring the raw material, pure water and buffer solution supplied into the raw material tank.
In this case, it is effective to have a heater for heating the solution in the raw material tank.

Further, if necessary, the above-mentioned raw material solution passes through the above-mentioned filtration means, and a filtration tank having an inlet portion into which the raw material solution produced by the above-mentioned raw material solution producing means is put and an outlet portion which is opened and closed at appropriate times. A tray provided with a plurality of through holes for supporting the filter paper and arranged to be moved to the inlet of the filtration tank, a stacker for stocking the plurality of trays, and a tray arranged at the inlet of the filtration tank. A tray moving mechanism that moves the tray that has been removed from the inlet portion, takes out a new tray from the stacker and moves the tray to the inlet portion, and an aspirator that sucks the inside of the filtration tank.

Further, if necessary, the enzyme reaction means may be
It comprises a reaction column filled with a water-insoluble immobilization carrier to which the above-mentioned raw material solution has passed and to which a degrading enzyme has been bound, and a raw material solution feed pump for feeding the raw material solution to the reaction column. In this case, the raw material solution fed from the raw material solution feed pump passes through the front of the reaction column, and the raw material solution is filled with a carrier having a smaller particle size than the water-insoluble immobilization carrier of the reaction column. It is effective to provide a filter column for filtering. Furthermore, in this case, it is effective to provide a temperature holding unit for holding the reaction column at a constant temperature.

If necessary, the desalting treatment means may be
A pair of ion exchange resin towers for desalting treatment, and the reaction solution from the enzyme reaction means can be fed to either one of the ion exchange resin towers, and the other ion exchange resin tower is washed with the ion exchange resin tower. The cleaning valve is configured so as to include a switching valve section that alternately switches so that the cleaning water to be regenerated can be supplied, and a cleaning water supply section that supplies the cleaning water of the ion exchange resin.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This manufacturing apparatus is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 1, a device for producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acid using pectin or pectic acid powder as a raw material, wherein a base 1 formed by using a frame 3 whose outer side is covered with a panel 2 and pure water is generated. Pure water generating means 4 for The pure water generating means 4 is configured as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In the figure, 5 is a well-known deionizer for generating tap water into pure water, 6 is a deionized water tank for storing deionized water produced by the deionizer 5, and 7 and 8 are provided in front of and behind the deionizer 5. It is a filtered filter.

Further, this manufacturing apparatus, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises a raw material supply means 10 for supplying a predetermined amount of raw material,
A raw material solution generation means 30 for generating a predetermined amount of raw material solution by adding a buffer solution to the raw material supplied from the raw material supply means 10,
An enzyme reaction in which an enzyme reaction is carried out by a filtering means 50 for filtering the raw material solution produced by the raw material solution producing means 30 and a water-insoluble immobilization carrier having a decomposing enzyme bound to the raw material solution filtered by the filtering means 50. A means 80, a desalting means 100 for desalting the reaction solution in which the enzyme reaction has been carried out by the enzyme reaction means 80, and a controller 120 for controlling each means are provided. Each means will be described in detail below.

The raw material supply means 10 is constructed as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 5 and 6. In the figure, 11
Is a hopper that stores the raw material, and is formed of a metal or resin having a space of a substantially truncated cone shape, and the large diameter portion is the upper supply opening 12 and the small diameter portion is the lower outlet opening 13. There is. Reference numeral 14 denotes a lid that is detachably attached to the supply opening 12. Reference numeral 15 is a guide tube that is supported by the base 1, supports the hopper 11, and guides the raw material supplied from the outlet opening 13 of the hopper 11, and has a communication port 15 a that communicates with the outlet opening 13. Reference numeral 16 is a discharge port at the tip.
Reference numeral 17 denotes a valve body that opens and closes the discharge port 16, and is moved forward and backward by the air cylinder 18, closes the discharge port 16 when advancing, and opens the discharge port 16 when retracting. The air cylinder 18 is attached to the tip of the guide tube 15 via the attachment member 18a. The air cylinder 18 is the solenoid valve 1
When there is a stop signal from the control unit 120 via 9, the vehicle advances, and when there is a start signal, the vehicle advances.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a transfer rod, which is formed in the shape of a multi-threaded male thread such as a 3-threaded screw, is rotated in the guide tube 15 with the axis of the guide tube 15 as a rotation axis, and is supplied by the rotation. Discharge port 1 of guide tube 15
It is transferred to 6. The space formed by the male screw of the transfer rod 20 and the guide tube 15 is appropriately determined, and has a relationship in which the rotation speed and the discharge amount are proportional. The base end portion 20a of the transfer rod 20 is rotatably inserted in and supported by the bearing portion 21 of the guide tube 15. 22
Is a stepping motor for rotating the transfer rod 20 by a predetermined number of rotations via a motor shaft 22a.
It is fixed to the base 1 at the rear of 1. The stepping motor 22 is driven when there is a start signal from the control unit 120, and stopped when there is a stop signal.
The driving time per time is preset and the number of rotations thereof is set, that is, the discharge amount of the raw material per driving time is determined.

Reference numeral 23 denotes a stirring section, which is a vertical rotating shaft 24 extending vertically in the hopper 11, a pair of stirring blades 25 provided at the tip of the vertical rotating shaft 24, and a tip mounted in the middle of the vertical rotating shaft 24. Is a stirring rod 2 along the wall surface of the hopper 11.
6 is provided. The vertical rotation shaft 24 is the lid 1 of the hopper 11.
4 is provided rotatably. The tip portion 25a of one stirring blade 25 is bent upward along the inner surface of the hopper 11, and the tip portion 25b of the other stirring blade 25 is formed in the hopper 1.
1 is bent downward to extend along the inner surface. Reference numeral 26a is a dropping blade that is provided at the tip of the vertical rotation shaft 24 and faces the communication port 15a to drop the raw material of the communication port 15 onto the transfer rod 20.

27 is a drive mechanism for the vertical rotary shaft 24,
The rotation of the transfer rod 20 is transmitted to the vertical rotation shaft 24 by the gear mechanism 28 and the belt transmission mechanism 29. The gear mechanism 28 includes a horizontal rotating shaft 28b rotatably provided on the lid 14 via a bearing 28a and parallel to the transfer rod 20, and a driving bevel gear 28c provided at one end of the horizontal rotating shaft 28b.
And a driven bevel gear 28d provided on the vertical rotation shaft 24 and meshing with a driving bevel gear 28c. The belt transmission mechanism 29 includes a driving pulley 29a provided at the base end portion 20a of the transfer rod 20, a driven pulley 29b provided at the other end of the horizontal rotation shaft 28b, and a belt 29c suspended between the pulleys 29a and 29b. Become. Both pulleys 29
a and 29b have the same diameter, and bevel gears 28c and 2b
The gear ratio of 8d is 1: 1 and the rotation speeds of the transfer rod 20 and the vertical rotation shaft 24 are set to be the same.

The raw material solution producing means 30 is constructed as shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. In the figure, reference numeral 31 is a raw material tank for containing the raw material supplied from the raw material supply means 10. The raw material tank 31 is supported by the base 1, and is provided with an inlet portion 32 which is located below the discharge port 16 of the guide tube 15 and into which the raw material is supplied. 33 is the entrance 32
The cap is connected to the valve body 17 via a connecting rod 33a so as to be opened and closed by the same action as the valve body 17.
An O-ring 33b seals the cap 33 and the peripheral edge of the inlet 32. Reference numeral 34 denotes a pure water supply pump that supplies water from the pure water tank 6 to the raw material tank 31. The raw material tank 31 is provided with a sensor 35 for detecting the liquid level, and the control unit 120 drives the pure water supply pump 34 based on the detection of the sensor 35 to adjust the amount of the raw material solution in the raw material tank 31. It

Reference numeral 36 is a buffer solution supply section for supplying a buffer solution into the raw material tank 31. The buffer solution supply unit 36 includes a sodium acetate solution tank 3 for storing a sodium acetate solution.
7 and the sodium acetate solution tank 37 to the raw material tank 3
1, a sodium acetate solution supply pump 38 for supplying a sodium acetate solution, an acetic acid solution tank 39 for storing an acetic acid solution, and an acetic acid solution supply pump 40 for supplying an acetic acid solution from the acetic acid solution tank 39 to the raw material tank 31. It is configured. The sodium acetate solution supply pump 38 is driven by the controller 120 so as to supply a predetermined amount of sodium acetate solution. In addition, the raw material tank 31
Is provided with a pH sensor 41. Based on the detection by the pH sensor 41 in the control unit 120, a predetermined p
The acetic acid solution supply pump 40 is driven so as to reach H. Liquid level sensors 42 and 43 are provided in the sodium acetate solution tank 37 and the acetic acid solution tank 39, respectively, and a warning is issued by the control unit 120 when each solution runs short.

Reference numeral 44 denotes a stirring section for stirring the raw material, pure water and buffer solution supplied into the raw material tank 31, and the motor 4
A stirring fan 44b that can be rotated by 4a is provided.
A heater 45 heats the solution in the raw material tank 31. The raw material tank 31 has a temperature sensor 46 for detecting the temperature.
The temperature sensor 4 is provided by the control unit 120.
Based on the detection of 6, the heater 45 is turned on and off so that the solution has a preset temperature. Reference numeral 47 in FIG. 2 denotes a photoelectric sensor attached to the discharge pipe of the raw material tank 31, which detects the emptyness of the raw material tank 31. Reference numeral 48 denotes a solenoid valve that is opened and closed at appropriate times by the control unit 120 in order to send the raw material solution in the raw material tank 31 to the rear position by natural fall.

The filtering means 50 is constructed as shown in FIGS. 2, 7 to 10. In the figure, reference numeral 51 is a filtration tank provided with an inlet portion 52 into which the raw material solution produced by the raw material solution producing means 30 is put and an outlet portion 53 which is opened and closed at appropriate times. The filtration tank 51 is fixed to the base 1 via a base member 54. Reference numeral 55 is a disc-shaped tray which has a plurality of through holes 55a through which the raw material solution passes and which has a supporting surface for supporting the filter paper 56 and which is moved to the inlet portion 52 of the filtration tank 51 and arranged. Reference numeral 57 is a stacker for stacking and stocking a plurality of trays 55. The stacker 57 is provided on an upper surface plate 58 that is provided at the same position as the inlet portion 52 of the filtration tank 51. The stacker 57 presses the side portions of the trays 55 stacked on the upper surface plate 58, and the lowest tray 55 is placed on top. A take-out opening 59 is formed in a lower portion of the face plate 58 so that the take-out opening 59 is opened at a predetermined interval so that the face plate 58 can be taken out by sliding.

Reference numeral 60 denotes a tray moving mechanism for moving the tray 55 arranged at the inlet 52 of the filtration tank 51 out of the inlet 52 and taking out a new tray 55 from the stacker 57 and moving it to the inlet 52. The tray moving mechanism 60 is provided so as to be in slidable contact with the upper surface plate 58 and rotatable and to pass through the lower take-out opening 59 of the stacker 57.
A hook-shaped engaging member 61 that engages with the tray 55 by rotation and moves the tray 55, and a drive motor 62 that is provided on the base member 54 and rotates the engaging member 61 are provided.

Reference numeral 63 denotes a pressing body that presses the tray 55 located at the inlet portion 52 of the filtration tank 51 against the opening of the inlet portion 52, and 64 denotes a pressing body 63 provided on the pressing body 63.
1, an inlet passage of the raw material solution connected to 1, and 65 a pressing body 63
It is an air cylinder that moves up and down, and is supported by a stand 66 provided on the base member 54, which pushes the pressing body 63 when it advances and releases the pressing of the pressing body 63 when retracting. Reference numeral 65a is a solenoid valve for driving the air cylinder 65. 67 is a discharge port which is opened in the upper plate 58 and into which the tray 55 that has been withdrawn from the inlet 52 can fall. A removable storage container (not shown) for storing the discharged tray 55 is provided below the discharge port 67.

The stopping position of the engaging member 61 is the tray 55.
Is located at the inlet 52 of the filtration tank 51, and the drive motor 62 of the engagement member 61 rotates the engagement member 61 once from this stop position in response to a start / stop signal from the control unit 120. In this process, the tray 55 has the inlet 5
The tray 55 is ejected from the stack 2 and dropped into the discharge port 67, and a new tray 55 is taken out from the stacker 57 and moved and positioned in the inlet 52. The pressing body 63 is released immediately before the drive motor 62 is started, and the drive motor 62 is released.
The operation timing of the air cylinder 65 is set so that the air cylinder 65 is pressed after stopping. The drive timing of the drive motor 62 is set before or during the solution generation in the raw material solution generation means 30. 68 in FIGS. 2 and 7
Is a sensor for detecting the amount of the tray 55,
A warning is issued by the control unit 120 when the number of 5 becomes small.

Reference numeral 70 denotes an aspirator for sucking the inside of the filtration tank 51, which is operated by the control unit 120 when the pressing body 63 is pressed and the raw material solution is supplied into the filtration tank 51. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 71 denotes a raw material solution reservoir tank provided behind the filtration tank 51 for storing the processing solution in the filtration tank 51, and 72 sends the raw material solution subjected to the filtration processing from the filtration tank 51 to the raw material solution reservoir tank 71. It is a pump. Reference numeral 73 is a solenoid valve provided behind the outlet portion 53 of the filtration tank 51 to open and close the outlet portion 53 in a timely manner to enable feeding to the raw material solution reservoir tank 71, and 74 is a solenoid valve for draining water. is there. Reference numeral 75 is a solenoid valve attached to a pressing body 63 for introducing outside air to make the inside of the filtration tank 51 a positive pressure after the completion of filtration. The completion of filtration is detected by a photoelectric sensor attached to the pipe between the raw material tank 31 and the filtration means 50. Reference numeral 76 is a remaining amount monitoring sensor attached to the raw material solution reservoir tank 71, and the control unit 120 determines that the raw material solution in the raw material solution reservoir tank 71 has become a predetermined amount or less by the signal from this sensor. The raw material solution generating means 30 and the filtering means 50 are operated.

The raw material tank 31 and the filtration tank 51 are cleaned under the control of the control unit 120. That is, for example, after the filtered raw material solution is fed to the raw material solution reservoir tank 71, the electromagnetic valve 73 is closed and the electromagnetic valve 74 is opened, and the pure water supply pump 34 is driven to feed the pure water. Draining and stopping are performed by opening and closing the solenoid valve 74, and this is repeated several times. The last cleaning water is stored in the filtration tank 51 until just before the tray moving mechanism 60 replaces the tray 55.

The enzyme reaction means 80 is constructed as shown in FIGS. In the figure, reference numeral 81 is a reaction column filled with a water-insoluble immobilization carrier to which a raw material solution has passed and to which a degrading enzyme is bound, and which is fixed to the base 1. As the degrading enzyme, for example, pectin lyase, pectate lyase, polygalacturonase, or esterase that hydrolyzes ester of pectin is used. It is advisable to selectively use these enzymes depending on pectin or pectic acid as a raw material and desired mono- and oligogalacturonic acids. However, it is preferable that no exo-type enzyme is present in order to produce oligogalaturoic acid. Further, as the water-insoluble immobilization carrier, cellulose, agarose, polyacrylamide, etc. are used.

Reference numeral 82 denotes the reaction column 8 for the raw material solution stored in the raw material solution reservoir tank 71 via an opening / closing solenoid valve 83.
1 is a raw material solution feeding pump. The raw material solution supply pump 82 is composed of a plunger pump whose flow rate can be controlled. Reference numeral 84 denotes a filter column provided in front of the reaction column 81, which is a carrier having a smaller particle size than the water-insoluble immobilized carrier in the reaction column 81, through which the raw material solution fed from the raw material solution feed pump 82 passes. Is filled. Reference numeral 85 is a buffer solution storage tank for washing, and the buffer solution is sucked by the raw material solution feed pump 82 via the opening / closing solenoid valve 86 as necessary, and the reaction column 81
Is supplied to.

Reference numeral 90 denotes a temperature holding unit which holds the reaction column 81 at a constant temperature and also keeps the raw material solution reservoir tank 71 at a constant temperature. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 12, the temperature holding unit 90 includes a constant temperature bath 91 for keeping tap water at a constant temperature,
A pipe 92 for circulating water in the constant temperature bath 91 around the reaction column 81 and the periphery of the raw material solution reservoir tank 71, and a circulation pump 93 interposed in the pipe 92 for circulating water in the constant temperature bath 91. Reference numeral 94 is a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the constant temperature bath 91, and 95 is a heater and cooler device that perform heating and cooling based on the temperature detection of the temperature sensor. Reference numeral 96 denotes a water level sensor of the constant temperature bath 91, which constantly supplies tap water to the constant temperature bath 91 based on the detection of the water level sensor 96 by the control unit 120 so that the water has a predetermined amount.

The desalting means 100 is constructed as shown in FIGS. 2 and 13. In the figure, 101,10
Reference numeral 2 denotes a pair of ion exchange resin towers for desalting treatment, which are fixed to the base 1. 103 is an ion exchange resin tower 10
1, 102 can be fed with the reaction solution from the enzyme reaction means 80, and the other ion exchange resin tower 101, 102 can be fed with washing water for washing and regenerating the ion exchange resin. It is a switching valve unit that is switched alternately to The switching valve unit 103 is composed of a pair of 4-port rotary valves 105 that are rotationally driven by a motor 104. Reference numeral 106 is a solenoid valve for feeding and stopping the feeding of the reaction solution from the enzyme reaction means 80, and 107 and 108 are opening / closing solenoid valves for taking out the reaction solution from the enzyme reaction means 80 to another. Reference numeral 109 is a detector for detecting the production of mono- and oligogalacturonic acid.

Reference numeral 110 is a cleaning water supply unit for supplying cleaning water for the ion exchange resin. The cleaning water supply unit 110 sucks the corresponding solution from the pure water tank 6, the caustic soda tank 111, and the hydrochloric acid tank 112 by suctioning the ion exchange resin. A washing pump 113 that feeds the towers 101 and 102, and a motor-driven 6-port rotary that switches the pipe lines so that the washing pump 113 selectively sucks the solution in the pure water tank 6, the caustic soda tank 111, and the hydrochloric acid tank 112. And a valve 114. That is, the enzymatic reaction does not proceed unless some monovalent base is contained in the raw material solution serving as a substrate. Therefore, the acetate buffer is added when the raw material solution is prepared. Since this acetic acid buffer solution is present even if pectin is converted into mono- and oligogalacturonic acid by an enzymatic reaction, an ion exchange resin is used to remove it. This ion-exchange resin loses its processing ability when a certain amount of base is bound, but it can be regenerated by washing with a high-concentration acid and alkaline solution. Therefore, a structure is adopted in which two columns packed with this ion exchange resin are prepared, and the other column is washed while the base is being removed by one column.

Reference numeral 115 denotes an ion exchange resin tower 10 for desalting treatment.
1, a reaction solution reservoir tank for storing the reaction solution desalted, a solenoid valve 116 for supplying and stopping the supply of the reaction solution to the reaction solution reservoir tank 115, 117 for draining and draining the reaction solution An electromagnetic valve 118 for stopping is a water level sensor of the reaction solution reservoir tank 115, and when the predetermined amount is reached, it is notified by the control unit 120. The control unit 120 controls each of the above means, drives each motor at a required timing, opens and closes each solenoid valve, or performs a required control based on the detection of each sensor. It works so that the process is carried out step by step.

Next, the operation of the mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flow charts shown in FIGS. 14 to 16. In advance, pectin or pectic acid powder is used as a raw material supply means 1
It is stored in the hopper 11 of 0. The pectin used as a raw material may be of any type if it is of plant origin, and the pectic acid may be of any type as long as it is natural or obtained by pretreating pectin. When the device is started (1-
1) First, the pure water supply pump 34 from the pure water tank 6 of the pure water generating means 4 to the raw material tank 31 of the raw material solution generating means 30.
By this, a predetermined amount of pure water is supplied (1-2). Next, the valve element 17 of the guide tube 15 of the raw material supply means 10 is opened, the cap 33 of the raw material tank 31 is also opened, and the stepping motor 22 is driven to rotate the transfer rod 20 to convey the raw material. A predetermined amount of raw material is supplied to the raw material tank 31 (1-3).

Here, the operation of the raw material supply means 10 will be described in detail. In the hopper 11, the stirring unit 23 is driven,
The stirring rod 26 breaks down the raw material, and the stirring blade 25 stirs the raw material above the outlet opening 13 so that the outlet opening 13 of the hopper 11 communicates with the communication port 15a of the guide tube 15.
Sent to. In this case, even if the raw materials are strongly bonded to each other and are stagnant in the hopper 11 and do not easily fall into the guide pipe 15 from the outlet opening 13, they are loosened finely by the stirring rod 26 or the stirring blade 25. It surely falls from the outlet opening 13 into the guide tube 15. Moreover, since the stirring rod 26 and the tip portions 25a and 25b of the stirring blades 25 rotate along the inner wall of the hopper 11, it is possible to prevent the raw material from adhering to the inner wall of the hopper 11 and becoming stagnant. Therefore, the raw material is easily dropped from the hopper 11 to the guide pipe 15, and the raw material is sufficiently supplied to the guide pipe 15, so that the amount is not unstable and the constant amount is supplied. Further, since the feed rod 20 feeds the raw material by means of a screw, the feed amount of the raw material is determined in proportion to the number of rotations, so that the fixed amount is reliably discharged. Further, since the valve body 17 is provided, excess raw material is prevented from falling into the raw material tank 31 when the motor 22 is stopped, and the raw material amount can be made accurate with respect to the target amount.

When the raw material is put into the raw material tank 31, the stirring section 44 stirs it for a predetermined time (1-
4). Further, the heater 45 operates and is maintained at a predetermined temperature (1-7, 1-8). Therefore, the raw materials are surely melted. Next, from the sodium acetate solution tank 37 of the buffer solution supply unit 36, the sodium acetate solution supply pump 38
Depending on the amount of sodium acetate solution, the raw material tank 31
Is supplied in (1-5). Then, the stirring section 44 performs stirring (1-6). During this time, the pH sensor 41
Is performed (1-9), and the acetic acid solution is supplied from the acetic acid solution tank 39 to the raw material tank 31 by the required amount by the acetic acid solution supply pump 40 so as to have a predetermined pH (1-10). . Further, the total amount of the raw material solution has been detected (1-11), and pure water is also supplied (1-12) so that a predetermined amount is obtained based on this detection. in this way,
Since the raw material solution is generated in a predetermined amount, it is possible to prevent a problem such as decomposition of the pectin solution as the raw material solution.

Further, by the above start, in the constant temperature bath 91 of the temperature holding unit 90, heating and cooling are performed by the heater / cooler device 95 so that the water reaches a predetermined temperature based on the temperature detection of the temperature sensor 94. (1-13,
1-14). The water in the constant temperature bath 91 is circulated by the circulation pump 93 (1-15), and the temperatures of the reaction column 81 and the raw material solution reservoir tank 71 are kept constant.

When the raw material solution is produced, the electromagnetic valve 48 opens (2-1, 2-2) and the filtration tank 51 of the filtration means 50.
The raw material solution flows down to be filtered (2-3). In this case, before the solenoid valve 48 opens, the solenoid valve 74 opens and the pure water for cleaning stored in the filtration tank 51 is drained (1-16). Further, in the filtering means 50,
The tray moving mechanism 60 positions the tray 55 on which the filter paper 56 is placed on the inlet portion 52 of the filtration tank 51, and is pressed by the pressing body 63 to the opening of the inlet portion 52 by the operation of the air cylinder 65. Then, by driving the aspirator 70, the raw material liquid is filtered by the filter paper 56.

When the filtration is completed, the solenoid valve 75 is opened and the inside of the filtration tank 51 is made to have a positive pressure, and the solenoid valve is opened and the filtration tank 5 is opened.
The processing solution in 1 is sent to the raw material solution reservoir tank 71 by the pump 72 (2-4, 2-5). When the feeding to the raw material solution reservoir tank 71 is finished, the raw material tank 31
And the filtration tank 51 is washed. This is because the solenoid valve 73 is closed and the solenoid valve 74 is opened, and the pure water supply pump 34
To feed pure water (2-6, 2-7). Draining and stopping are performed several times by opening and closing the solenoid valve 74, and the final washing water is stored in the filtration tank 51 (2-8, 2-9,
2-10).

Then, the production and filtration of the above raw material solution are repeated. In this case, the replacement of the tray 55 is set before or during the formation of the solution in the raw material solution producing means 30. In this replacement, the air cylinder 65 retracts and the pressing body 63 retracts to release the pressing of the tray 55 in the opening of the inlet portion 52 of the filtration tank 51, and then the drive motor 62 of the tray moving mechanism 60 is driven. , The engaging member 61
It is performed by rotating once. As a result, the engaging member 61 moves the tray 55 at the inlet 52, retracts it from the inlet 52 and drops it into the discharge port 67, and then engages a new tray 55 of the stacker 57 to remove it. Then, the new tray 55 is moved and positioned again at the inlet 52. After that, as the air cylinder 65 advances, the pressing body 63 presses it. In this way, since the filter paper 56 is replaced every time the raw material tank 31 is used, it is not necessary to use the dirty filter paper 56.
The accuracy of filtration is improved, and since the tray 55 on which the filter paper 56 is placed can be automatically replaced by simply installing the tray 55 in the stacker 57, work efficiency can be significantly improved.

On the other hand, the raw material solution stored in the raw material solution reservoir tank 71 is fed to the reaction column 81 through the filter column 84 by the raw material solution feed pump 82 (2-11, 2). -12). In this case, since further filtration is performed by the filter column 84,
The impurities are reliably removed, which in turn improves the quality of the mono- and oligogalacturonic acids. Then, in the reaction column 81, the pectin or pectic acid as a raw material is decomposed into mono- and oligogalacturonic acids by the decomposing enzyme immobilized on the water-insoluble immobilizing carrier. In this case, since the raw material solution supply pump 82 can change the flow rate, the enzyme reaction rate can be adjusted by adjusting the flow rate, and the desired conditions can be set. Further, since the reaction column 81 and the raw material solution reservoir tank 71 are kept at a predetermined temperature, the enzyme reaction rate can be adjusted by setting the temperature, and desired conditions can be set.
Therefore, the decomposition into mono- and oligogalacturonic acids can be reliably performed. That is, since the flow rate of the pectin or pectic acid solution sent to the reaction column 81 and the temperature of the reaction column 81 are controlled, the degree of polymerization of the mono- and oligogalacturonic acid obtained by this enzymatic reaction is controlled by the desired degree of polymerization. It can be set to have a distribution.

Next, the reaction solution from the reaction column 81 is
It is sent to the desalination processing means 100 via the electromagnetic valve 106 (2-13). In this case, the production of mono- and oligogalacturonic acid is detected by the detector 109 (1-14),
When the generation is not performed, the solenoid valve 107 is opened to drain the water (2-15). When the generation is performed, the solenoid valve 107 is closed (2-16), and the solenoid valve 106 is opened to perform the desalination treatment means 100. To (2-16). It is also possible to open the solenoid valve 108 by manual switching and take it out for other processing (2-17, 2-18).

Then, in the desalting means 100,
The reaction solution is passed through the 4-port rotary valve 105 (3-1) to either one of the ion exchange resin towers 101 (in the case shown) (3-2) to be desalted.
It is stored in the reaction solution reservoir tank 115 through the 4-port rotary valve 105 (3-4) and the electromagnetic valve 116 (3-5, 3-7). In the other ion-exchange resin tower 102 (in the illustrated case) (3-3), washing water is passed through to be washed and drained (3-7, 3-8).
The reaction solution can be drained by opening the solenoid valve 117. As a result, the ion exchange resin is regenerated. The wash water is supplied as follows. At a predetermined timing (3-9), first, a predetermined amount of hydrochloric acid is supplied by the cleaning pump 113, and the previously supplied pure water is drained from any of the ion exchange resin towers 102 (3-10, 3-11). ), Hydrochloric acid is retained for a predetermined time (3-12). Next, 6-port rotary valve 11
4 is switched (3-13), pure water is supplied by the cleaning pump 113 to clean the ion exchange resin tower 102 (3-14, 3-15), and it is allowed to stay for a predetermined time (3-16). . Next, the 6-port rotary valve 114 is switched again (3-17), and a predetermined amount of caustic soda is supplied by the cleaning pump 113 and retained for a predetermined time (3-18, 3-19).

After that, the 6-port rotary valve 114
Is switched (3-20), and pure water is supplied by the cleaning pump 113 to clean the ion exchange resin tower 102 (3-21, 3-22). After that, the 6-port rotary valve 114 is switched again (3-23), a predetermined amount of hydrochloric acid is supplied by the cleaning pump 113, and is retained for a predetermined time (3-24, 3-25). Then, finally, the 6-port rotary valve 114 is switched (3-26), and pure water is supplied by the cleaning pump 113 to clean the ion exchange resin tower 102 (3-2).
7, 3-28), and is retained until the next timing. In this way, the ion exchange resin is regenerated. The desalting treatment and the washing treatment are performed in the ion exchange resin tower 1
01 and 102 are alternately performed.

[0044]

EXAMPLES Next, more detailed examples will be described.
In the pure water generation, a direct water connection method is used to remove impurities contained in tap water with a filter and an ion exchange resin.
About 2 μS of pure water could be treated with a capacity of 100 (l / h). Ion exchange resin is a cartridge type,
A simple electric conductivity meter was used to constantly measure the electric conductivity of pure water and replace it when the processing capacity deteriorated. The throughput of the cartridge is about 3000 liters. In order to suppress the deterioration of the processing capacity of the ion exchange resin as much as possible, a 5 μm filter was provided in the preceding stage of the ion exchange resin cartridge. Further, in order to avoid mixing of impurities when the processing capacity of the cartridge is lowered, a 0.5 μm filter is attached at the subsequent stage of the ion exchange resin cartridge. Here, the pure water created is a pectin solution that is a raw material solution,
It is used to regenerate ion exchange resins for desalination. Especially, since it is used in large quantities for the regeneration of ion-exchange resins, it is necessary to keep 2
It was made possible to store 0 liters, and the contact type residual amount sensor provided in the storage raw material tank 31 turned on and off the electromagnetic valve between the faucet of the water supply and the front filter so that the tank was always filled with water.

In the raw material supply means 10, the following experiment was conducted in order to confirm the stable supply ability of the powder. 500 g of pectin powder was put into the hopper 11, and the transfer rod 20 (the inner diameter of the guide tube 15 was 22 mm and the rod diameter was 20 m).
540 with a stepping motor 22 that rotates the screw part (lead 7 mm, triple thread) 0.72 degrees per pulse.
An electronic balance (Shimadzu EB-300H) was used to measure the repetitive supply amount when it was set to supply 0 g by rotating 0 pulse. In addition, the stepping motor 22 is
160, 3240, 4320, 5400 pulses were rotated, the supply amount at that time was measured, and the following results were obtained.

The supply amount when the stepping motor 22 was rotated by 5400 pulses was measured 30 times, and the average value was 5.0.
Good results of 67 g and standard deviation of 0.0328 were obtained. Further, the stepping motor 22 is set to 1080, 216
As a result of regression analysis of the relationship between the rotation speed of the stepping motor 22 and the supply quantity, the supply quantity at the time of 0, 3240, 4320, 5400 pulse rotation was measured 10 times, and the average value was used as the supply quantity at that rotation speed. , Correlation function 1.
It was found that the target supply amount can be stably obtained by changing the rotation speed. Therefore, it was possible to generate the raw material solution with high accuracy.
FIG. 17 shows the result of regression analysis of the relationship between the rotation speed of the stepping motor 22 and the supply amount.

In the production of the raw material solution, the amount produced at one time was 1 liter, and the pectin powder was automatically produced by the following procedure. 800 ml of pure water is supplied to the raw material tank 31 by the quantitative pure water supply pump 34, 5 g of pectin powder is supplied thereto, and the heater 45 is heated to 60 ° C. and stirred for 30 minutes. 30 ml of 1M acetic acid solution
Then, acetic acid is injected so that the pH of the solution becomes 4.3 while being measured by the pH sensor 41. Finally, pure water was injected so that the volume became 1 liter, so that the pectin solution had a concentration of 0.5%.

In the filtering means 50, the pectin solution is filtered in No. 1 in consideration of maintainability. A paper filter (filter paper 56) of 5A (Toyo Roshi Kaisha, Ltd.) is used, and suction filtration is performed by an aspirator 70. Generally, when the pectin solution is filtered, the paper filter is clogged.
The tray was automatically changed after every treatment of 1 liter of pectin solution. The stock number of replacement trays was set to 10, and when the remaining amount of the tray was 3 or less, the remaining amount sensor was activated to give an alarm.

In the enzyme reaction means 80, the enzyme used in the reaction column 81 is a Stem pu
rpureum) is a pectin-degrading enzyme obtained by culturing for 3 weeks in a potato broth medium containing 1% glucose by a conventional method, and 250 μg of this enzyme in 0.1 M HEPES buffer (pH 7.5). Was bound to 5 ml of the water-insoluble immobilized carrier Affigel 10 (trade name, manufactured by Nippon Bio-Rad Laboratories Co., Ltd.) and packed in the reaction column 81. Further, the thermostat 91 has a structure in which water kept at a constant temperature is circulated, and the enzyme reaction rate is controlled by the temperature of the circulating water. The enzyme reaction rate was also controlled by making the flow rate of the pectin solution flowing through the reaction column 81 variable. The flow rate of the pectin solution is 0 to 9.99 (ml / mi by a plunger type pump.
n) can be changed with an accuracy of 0.01 (ml / min), and the control unit 120 can control the RS232C. Further, a pressure sensor is provided in the plunger pump in order to detect an abnormality such as clogging of the reaction column 81 or the filter column 84, and the control unit 120 monitors the indicated value of this sensor. I tried to stop it.

The constant temperature bath 91 of the temperature holding unit 90 has a capacity of 2
It was 0 liters and had a double structure in order to minimize the influence of the outside air temperature, and a glass fiber heat insulating material was used in the middle.
Thereby, the temperature set in the range of 5 to 60 ° C. can be kept constant. Circulation pump 93 is 10
A (l / min) pump was used. Desalination treatment means 10
The ion exchange resin used at 0 had an ability to treat the reaction solution for 20 liters at a time. The pectin solution fed to the reaction column 81 is decomposed into mono- and oligogalacturonic acids by an enzymatic reaction, and is sent to a column packed with a cation exchange resin Apanverlite (trade name, Nippon Organo Co., Ltd.) to remove the pectin solution. Be salted. Using polygalacturonic acid as a raw material, the reaction column 81
The average degree of polymerization of mono- and oligogalacturonic acid obtained when the temperature of the reaction column 81 was set to 25 ° C. was about 7 when the flow rate to be fed to the reaction column was 1.0 (ml / min). The average degree of polymerization is obtained by measuring the reducing end amounts of mono- and oligogalacturonic acids by a color reaction by the Milner-Abigado method, and measuring the total amount of galacturonic acid by a colorimetric reaction by the galbazole-sulfuric acid method to determine the total amount of galacturonic acid. It was determined by dividing by the amount of reducing ends. FIG. 18 shows the reaction column 8
The relationship between the flow rate of 1 and the average degree of polymerization is shown.

The controller 120 controls the operation of each means by the sequencer. The state of each means, etc.
Serial transmission by RS232C is used to sequentially transmit to the comprehensive monitoring means. In addition, the switches and lamps for confirming the operation of each means were abolished by using a liquid crystal display, and the surface of the housing was made clean. Also, by arranging the touch-type switch on the liquid crystal panel, the visibility and operability are improved. Furthermore, if there is a power outage during operation, it is necessary to manually perform the home return of the pectin solution and the pulse motor used to create the pectin solution. An uninterruptible power supply was installed.

[0052]

As described above, according to the apparatus for producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acid of the present invention, a solution is automatically produced from powder of pectin or pectic acid, and the solution is automatically filtered to decompose pectin or pectic acid. The mono- and oligogalacturonic acids having the desired degree of polymerization can be continuously and automatically produced by feeding to a reaction column filled with a water-insoluble resin on which an enzyme is immobilized. Therefore, the pretreatment step, the reaction step, and the posttreatment step can be automatically performed, the manufacturing efficiency can be improved, and stable mass production can be performed with almost no manpower. Further, since a predetermined amount of the raw material solution is generated from the predetermined amount of powder, it is possible to prevent a situation such as the deterioration of the pectin solution, which is the raw material solution, and to reliably produce mono- and oligogalacturonic acid. it can.

Further, the raw material supply means is provided with a male screw-shaped transfer rod which can be rotated in the guide tube with the axis of the guide tube as a rotation axis, and the raw material supplied from the hopper by this rotation is delivered to the discharge port of the guide tube. When configured to be transferred toward, the male screw-shaped transfer rod has a constant space into which the raw material enters, so by controlling the rotation speed of the motor, it is possible to accurately supply the raw material, for that reason,
An accurate raw material solution can be generated. Moreover, since it is not necessary to measure the weight, the apparatus can be simplified and the cost can be reduced accordingly.

Further, the raw material solution producing means includes a pure water supply section for supplying pure water into the raw material tank, a buffer solution supply section for supplying a buffer solution into the raw material tank, the raw material supplied into the raw material tank, In the case of comprising a stirring unit that stirs pure water and a buffer solution, since the pure water and the buffer solution are separately added, it becomes easy to adjust the pH and the like, and a predetermined amount of powder to a predetermined amount is adjusted. It is possible to reliably generate the raw material solution. If a heater for heating the solution in the raw material tank is provided,
The solubility of the raw material can be increased, and also in this respect, the raw material solution can be reliably generated.

Furthermore, when the filter means is constructed such that the tray on which the filter paper is placed can be replaced by the tray moving mechanism, it is not necessary to use the dirty filter paper, so that the accuracy of the filtration can be improved. Since the trays are installed in the stacker and the trays are automatically replaced, the work efficiency can be greatly improved and the automation performance can be improved.

When the enzyme reaction means is constituted by a reaction column filled with a water-insoluble immobilization carrier to which the raw material solution passes and the decomposing enzyme is bound, the operation is performed in comparison with the badge type. Easy and mass-produced. In this case, when a filter column is provided in front of the reaction column, further filtration is performed in addition to the filtration by the above-mentioned filtration means, so that impurities can be surely removed, whereby contamination of degrading enzymes can be prevented. Since it can be prevented, the quality of mono- and oligogalacturonic acid can be improved. Furthermore, when the reaction column is provided with a temperature holding unit for holding it at a constant temperature, the enzyme reaction rate can be adjusted by setting the temperature, and the desired conditions can be set. Therefore, the decomposition into mono- and oligogalacturonic acids can be reliably performed. That is, the degree of polymerization of the mono- and oligogalacturonic acids obtained by the enzymatic reaction can be set so as to have a desired degree of polymerization distribution.

In the desalting means, the reaction solution from the enzyme reaction means is fed to one of the pair of ion exchange resin towers, and the washing water is fed to the other ion exchange resin tower. When configured, since the ion exchange resin tower can be used alternately, it is not necessary to replace the ion exchange resin tower for regeneration one by one, and therefore the automation performance can be further improved. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an apparatus for producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acid according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing pure water producing means of a mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a raw material supply means and a raw material solution generation means of the mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a raw material supply means of the mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a main part showing a raw material supply means of the apparatus for producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acid according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a filtration means of the mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a filtration means of the apparatus for producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acid according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a filtering means of the apparatus for producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acid according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of essential parts showing a filtering means of the mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an enzyme reaction means of the mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a view showing a temperature holding unit of the mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a desalination treatment means of the apparatus for producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acid according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the operation of the mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing the operation of the mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a graph showing the relationship between the motor rotation speed and the supply amount in the raw material supply means of the mono- and oligogalacturonic acid production apparatus according to the example of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a graph showing the relationship between the flow rate of the solution in the reaction column and the average degree of polymerization in the enzyme reaction means of the apparatus for producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acid according to the example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 base 2 panel 3 frame 4 pure water generating means 5 pure water device 6 pure water tank 7, 8 filter 10 raw material supply means 11 hopper 12 supply opening 13 outlet opening 14 lid 15 guide tube 15a communication port 16 discharge port 17 valve body 18 Air Cylinder 18a Mounting Member 19 Solenoid Valve 20 Transfer Rod 20a Base End 21 Bearing Part 22 Stepping Motor 22a Motor Shaft 23 Stirring Part 24 Vertical Rotating Shaft 25 Stirring Blade 25a Tip 25b Tip 26 Stir Bar 26a Falling Blade 27 Drive Mechanism 28 gear mechanism 28a bearing portion 28b horizontal rotary shaft 28c driving bevel gear 28d driven bevel gear 29 belt transmission mechanism 29a driving pulley 29b driven pulley 29c belt 30 is a raw material solution generating means 31 raw material tank 32 inlet portion 33 cap 33a connecting rod 33b O -Ring 34 Pure water supply pump 35 Sensor 36 Buffer solution supply section 37 Sodium acetate solution tank 38 Sodium acetate solution supply pump 39 Acetic acid solution tank 40 Acetic acid solution supply pump 41 pH sensor 42, 43 Liquid level sensor 44 Stirring section 44a Motor 44a 44b Stirring fan 45 Heater 46 Temperature sensor 47 Photoelectric sensor 48 Solenoid valve 50 Filtration means 51 Filtration tank 52 Inlet 53 Outlet 54 Base member 55 Tray 55a Through hole 56 Filter paper 57 Stacker 58 Top plate 59 Ejection opening 60 Tray moving mechanism 61 Engagement member 62 Drive motor 63 Pressing body 64 Inlet passage 65 Air cylinder 66 Stand 67 Discharge port 68 Sensor 70 Aspirator 71 Raw material solution reservoir tank 72 Pump 73 Electromagnetic valve 74 Electromagnetic valve 75 Electromagnetic valve 76 Remaining amount monitoring sensor 8 Enzyme reaction means 81 Reaction column 82 Raw material solution feed pump 83 Opening / closing solenoid valve 84 Filter column 85 Buffer solution storage tank 86 Opening / closing solenoid valve 90 Temperature holding part 91 Constant temperature bath 92 Piping 93 Circulation pump 94 Temperature sensor 95 Heater / cooler device 96 Water level Sensor 100 Desalination processing means 101, 102 Ion exchange resin tower 103 Switching valve section 104 Motor 105 4-port rotary valve 106 Solenoid valve 107, 108 Open / close solenoid valve 109 Detector 110 Cleaning water supply section 111 Caustic soda tank 112 Hydrochloric acid tank 113 Cleaning Pump 114 6-port rotary valve 115 Reaction solution reservoir tank 116 Electromagnetic valve 117 Electromagnetic valve 118 Water level sensor 120 Control unit

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Tsuyoshi Amama Aomori-shi, Aomori Prefecture 8th character, Ashiya 202-4, Aomori Industrial Technology Development Center (72) Inventor Kenmitsu Hanamatsu Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture 8 Tsuya character Ashiya 202-4, Aomori Prefecture Industrial Technology Development Center (72) Inventor Fujitoshi Shinoki Aomori-shi, Aomori Ao Yatsu character Ashiya 202-4, Aomori Industrial Technology Development Center (72) Inventor Shunichi Mikami Towa Denki Kogyo Co., Ltd. 1-5 Oita Metal Town, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture (72) Inventor Hideyuki Nara 5-5 Ota Metal Town, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture Towa Denki Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acid using pectin or pectic acid powder as a raw material, a raw material supply means for supplying a predetermined amount of the raw material, and a buffer solution added to the raw material supplied from the raw material supply means. A raw material solution generating means for generating a predetermined amount of raw material solution, and a filtering means for filtering the raw material solution generated by the raw material solution generating means,
An enzyme reaction means for carrying out an enzyme reaction with a water-insoluble immobilization carrier having a decomposing enzyme bound to the raw material solution filtered by the filtration means, and desalting of the reaction solution subjected to the enzyme reaction by the enzyme reaction means An apparatus for producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acids, comprising: a desalting means for performing the treatment. 2. A hopper that stores the raw material, a guide tube that guides the raw material that is supplied from an outlet opening of the hopper, the raw material supply means, and an axis of the guide pipe that serves as a rotation axis and that rotates in the guide pipe. It is characterized by comprising a male-rod-shaped transfer rod for transferring the supplied raw material toward the discharge port of the guide tube by this rotation, and a motor for rotating the transfer rod by a predetermined number of revolutions. Claim 1
An apparatus for producing the mono- and oligogalacturonic acid described. 3. The raw material solution generating means includes a raw material tank for containing the raw material supplied from the raw material supply means, a pure water supply unit for supplying pure water into the raw material tank, and a buffer in the raw material tank. 3. The product according to claim 1, comprising a buffer solution supply unit for supplying a liquid, and a stirring unit for stirring the raw material, pure water and the buffer solution supplied into the raw material tank. Equipment for the production of oligogalacturonic acid. 4. The manufacturing apparatus for mono- and oligogalacturonic acid according to claim 3, further comprising a heater for heating the solution in the raw material tank. 5. The filtration means comprises a filtration tank having an inlet portion into which the raw material solution produced by the raw material solution producing means is placed and an outlet portion which is opened and closed at appropriate times, and a plurality of passages through which the raw material solution passes. A tray provided with a support surface for supporting filter paper with holes formed therein and arranged to be moved to the inlet of the filtration tank, a stacker for stocking a plurality of trays, and a tray arranged at the inlet of the filtration tank. 2. A tray moving mechanism for moving the tray out of the stacker, taking out a new tray from the stacker and moving the tray to the inlet, and an aspirator for sucking the inside of the filtration tank. 2. The apparatus for producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acid according to 2, 3 or 4. 6. A reaction column filled with a water-insoluble immobilization carrier to which the raw material solution has passed and bound with a degrading enzyme, and a raw material solution feeding for feeding the raw material solution to the reaction column. The manufacturing apparatus for mono- and oligogalacturonic acid according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, comprising a pump. 7. The raw material solution fed from the raw material solution feed pump passes through the front side of the reaction column and is filled with a carrier having a particle size smaller than that of the water-insoluble immobilized carrier of the reaction column. 7. The apparatus for producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acid according to claim 6, further comprising a filter column for filtering the raw material solution. 8. The apparatus for producing mono- and oligogalacturonic acid according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising a temperature holding unit for holding the reaction column at a constant temperature. 9. The desalination treatment means is capable of feeding the reaction solution from the enzyme reaction means to one of a pair of ion exchange resin towers for desalting treatment and the other of the ion exchange resin towers. A switching valve section for alternately switching so that cleaning water for cleaning and regenerating the ion exchange resin can be supplied to the ion exchange resin tower, and a cleaning water supply section for supplying cleaning water for the ion exchange resin The manufacturing apparatus for mono- and oligogalacturonic acids according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, characterized in that