MXPA98004941A - Procedure for the transformation of platanosen almibar de azu - Google Patents

Abstract

A process that allows the easy conversion of green bananas to sugar syrup using a sequence of steps, involving the milling of bananas, their heating, their treatment with alpha amylase to transform the starch granules into molecules of lower molecular weight (liquefaction ), changing the conditions and treating the molecules of low molecular weight starch and other substances in the liquefied fluid with the enzymes amyloglucoside, pectinase, cellulase, macerase, etc., filtering the resulting slurry to remove the solids and if necessary, evaporating the sugar solution at a suitable concentration. It was discovered that the use of a high pH in each of the enzymatic conversion steps considerably increases the production of glycogen

Description

PROCEDURE PARALATRANSFORMACIÓNDEPLÁTANOS ENALMÍBAR DE SUGAR TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to the transformation of starch and other carbohydrates of plantain derivatives into sugar syrup using an enzyme-based process. BACKGROUND OF I NVENT For centuries, sugars have been produced from agricultural products, mainly for use as nutritive sweeteners. However, sugars have other uses, for example, as fermentation substrates for the production of various products, among others, antibiotics and citric acid. The main sources of nutritive sweeteners are sugar beet and sugar cane. By nature, both beet and cane produce sucrose, and in sugar mills, sucrose is recovered from them. Sugar is obtained in the solid state (ie common sugar) or in liquid form (sugar syrup). During the last twenty years, the production of sugar syrup has become an important industry. The abundance of corn at low prices was an incentive for its use as raw material for the production of sugar syrup. The main technical advance that allowed this advance was the production of enzymes at low cost for its transformation into alpha amylase, amyloglucosidase and glucose isomesara. The corn syrup with high fructose content obtained from this technology currently represents around a third of the North American sugar market. Corn syrups with higher fructose content are produced using dry milling although wet milling is sometimes used. In the latter process, the corn is immersed in water with sulfur dioxide. During the immersion, the corn is slightly ground in the water, separating the germ (with which oil and gluten are made). The remnant, which contains mainly starch and fiber, is ground into water into fine particles. The fiber is then extracted by filtering from the resulting paste. As demand for corn syrups with high fructose content developed, extensive research was carried out to reduce the cost of enzymes, which led to a better understanding of their properties and optimized the conversion process starch to glucose. Thus, information is currently available on the correct use of these enzymes, especially in terms of optimum temperature, pH, concentration of solids and other characteristics. The key stages in the conversion of corn starch to sugar syrup are the treatment with the enzymes alpha amylase and amylogoglycided. The conversion of the starch granules into liquid pulp containing shorter starch molecules is known as liquefaction / starch liquefaction. In this process, the enzyme alpha amylase is used which randomly attacks the starch molecule in different places, producing new starch molecules even shorter and reducing the length of the starch molecules. The heat is important in this process, accelerating the dissolution of the starch and reducing the viscosity of the pasta. In general, temperatures higher than 100 ° C are considered necessary, sometimes using temperatures above 150 ° C. It is also known that a lower pH (acidic) contributes to the liquefaction of the starch. In fact, an old sugar syrup production process involved the use of low pH conditions to transform the starch into sugar syrup. In said enzymatic process, the temperature and pH are determined by the appropriate conditions for the use of the stable commercial bacterial alpha amylase enzyme is 90 ° C and 95 ° C and the optimum pH range of 5.5 to 7.0. Consequently, the accepted practice for liquefying starch is to apply relatively high temperatures and a lower pH. The second enzymatic process is the conversion of liquefied starch into sugar syrup (saccharification). The primary enzyme used in this transformation is a fungal amyloglucosidase (also called glucoamylase). This enzyme attacks the starch molecules at one end, dividing one molecule of glucose at a time. In this way, said enzyme can produce glucose syrup from the shorter starch molecules. The optimal pH range corresponding to the glucomylase existing on the market is 4.0 to .4.4 and the optimum temperature range of 58 ° C to 65 ° C. Therefore, temperatures and pHs vary depending on whether alpha amylase or glucoamylase is used. Other enzymes have also been used in unit operations to reduce viscosity and to convert some of the existing carbohydrates into sugar. For example, in the processing of corn, beta glucosidase is sometimes used. However, no significant studies have been published on the use of other enzymes in saccharification. In commercial practice, the other enzymes are not considered useful in saccharification and therefore, are not commonly used. Many other agricultural products contain significant amounts of starch p. Eg corn, wheat, rice, potatoes, cassava, sweet potatoes and other cereals and tubers. The banana has a high content of carbohydrates such as starch and sugar. In the dry state, the content of these carbohydrates can vary between about 75% to 90%, depending on the variety and growing conditions of the bananas. In green bananas, carbohydrate is present almost exclusively in the form of starch. As the banana matures, the natural enzymes contained therein convert the starch into sugar, which gives the banana its ripe sweet flavor. The ripening process requires bananas to be kept under controlled conditions for a week or more. For commercial sale in supermarkets, bananas are still collected green (only those of appropriate size and appearance are used), being classified according to their appearance, matured in containers and sent to the market. As the market for fresh bananas demands that the fruit be of good appearance and size, many bananas are not considered suitable for the market, remaining in the plantations and discarding of the shipments. It is estimated that only half (or even less) of bananas produced in plantations reach the market. As a result, a significant amount of bananas remains in the plantations or packing plants. Currently, these bananas are wasted or used as food for animals.Bananas that are discarded are usually green and therefore contain significant amounts of starch. Consequently, they can be used as a source of starch for the production of sugar syrups in an enzymatic process similar to that used for starches of other origins. The sugar syrups resulting from this process can be used in the production of different fermented products such as antibiotics, amino acids and organic acids, such as citric acid. A study has been carried out on the conversion of bananas to sugar syrup, "Preparation of Glucose and Syrup of Banana Fructose (Musa Cavendishii)", by P.J. Van Wyk, E.A. Heinen and L.G.J Ackermann, published in the Lebensmittel Wissenschaft und Technologie, vol. 11, p.29-30 (1978). This work includes bananas in various stages of maturation. A study on green bananas carried out by Van Wyk et al. It resulted in a starch conversion of around 49%, too low to meet commercial demands. The objective of the present invention is to provide an emzymatic process capable of efficiently processing a terminal sugar product of high quality. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANE The plan provides a scheme of the device for carrying out the process of the invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE DETAIL This process uses the green bananas discarded in the plantations and packing plants a few days after being picked. The ideal process of the invention uses a sequence of unit operations involving the milling of bananas, heating thereof, treatment with an alpha aminase to transform the starch granules into lower molecular weight starch molecules and other substances into liquefied fluid with the enzymes amyloglucosidase, pectinase, cellulase, macerase and optionally, others selected for carbohydrates naturally present in bananas in significant quantities, optionally filtering the resulting fluid to extract the solids and if necessary, evaporate the sugar solution at a suitable concentration . For the purposes of the invention, the sugar thus produced is essentially glucose, but also other types of sugar could be present in the syrup. By means of the invention, it has been discovered that the use of certain conditions in carrying out these steps, particularly the control of pH during enzymatic transformations, can have a dramatic effect on the overall efficiency of the process, as shown in the examples presented. then. The drawing shows a device 10 for carrying out the individual operations included in the transformation of green bananas into sugar syrup for this invention. The operations included in the figure include milling bananas in a mill 11, liquefaction of the starch in a reactor 13, cooling the liquefied pulp in a heat exchanger 17, saccharification of the starch and conversion of other carbohydrates into paste and subsequently in sugars in a second reactor 19, filtering the solids from the resulting paste in a filtering device 22, and evaporating the sugar solution to bring it to a higher concentration, if necessary in an evaporator 24. In addition, it is possible to treat this sugar solution by other individual operations, such as ion exchange or carbon treatment to obtain a sugar syrup with less impurities. The first unit operation is the milling of the bananas, preferably to a pasty consistency. This can be achieved in several ways, including direct grinding of the hard green plantains in the mill 11. It is possible to add water to the plantains to facilitate grinding. In addition, the previous cooking of them can also facilitate the grinding process. Said cooking step, if carried out, involves the heating of the bananas at temperatures of 50 ° to 100 ° for at least 10 minutes, preferably 10 to 60 minutes, to soften them without degrading them excessively. Before cooking, bananas can be cut. A cooking tank can be installed before the mill 11 to carry out the cooking step. The product of the mill 11 must be a finely ground solid material, a solid material of paste-like consistency or a paste of finely ground solids. These solids are transferred through line 12 to the liquefaction reactor 13, which preferably must be a pressure vessel with steam chamber or heating coils 14. Sufficient water is added to reactor 13 to make a slurry or paste of solids based on solid matter of bananas. In some cases, it is not necessary to add water. The salts that are necessary for the action of the enzymes are also added in the reactor 13, p. Ex: calcium salt to provide the calcium ions required by the thermo stable alpha amylase. The alpha amylase used in the process of the invention is derived from fungal, bacterial or other known sources. The natural amylitic enzymes of bananas do not transform enough starch into sugar for the purposes of this invention and it is therefore necessary to add alpha amylase. The paste is heated in the steam chamber or by means of the coils 14 to contribute to the separation of the granules and starch molecules. The maximum temperature achieved during this heating will preferably be in the range of 65 to 150 ° C, more generally between 80 and 150 ° C. However, insofar as temperatures of 65 to 100 ° C or 80 to 100 ° C can be used, energy is saved and the reactor 13 can be used as a mixing tank instead of a pressure chamber. The pH is adjusted to an appropriate level for the enzyme that is used in said reactor. While it is possible to employ a wide pH range, including a minimum acidic pH of 5.0, with some success as demonstrated in the following examples, it is generally preferable to use a basic pH in the range of 7.0 to 9.0, especially 7.5. to 8.5 for treatment with the enzyme alpha amylase. Enzymes and salts can be added before or after heating. Different alpha amylases can be used, but it is preferable to use a stable bacterial alpha amylase.

It is not necessary that the temperature of the pasta remains constant. For example, the banana paste could be heated to 120 ° C and then cooled to 90 ° C and then add the salts and enzymes. This reduction in temperature has been conventionally used for corn and other crops, also being used in the process of this invention. The paste is maintained at the final temperature - after the enzyme has been added for a period of more than 5 minutes. The reaction is terminated at the time when the starch paste yields a negative result when an iodine test is carried out. Before liquefaction, the mixture must be treated with a macerating enzyme that will contribute to a greater liquefaction of the starch. The reactor conditions are adjusted to the optimal conditions for the enzyme, at a temperature of 20 ° to 60 ° C and a pH in the range of 3.5 to 6.5. For the purposes of this invention, macerating enzyme refers to an individual enzyme or mixture thereof that breaks down the carbohydrates contained in bananas (not starch) by transforming them into substances such as pectin, cellulose and the like. The macerating enzyme can also decompose the starch to a certain extent. The improvement in the next step of liquefaction seems to be a consequence of greater softness of the solid matter of the bananas, due to the partial separation of the existing solids, not affected by alpha amylase. When the starch paste is negative, the liquefaction is complete. The pulp is removed from the reactor 13, being conducted by the line 16 to the heat exchanger 17, where the material derived from the bananas is cooled to a temperature of between 30 and 70 ° C, more generally from 40 ° to 70 ° C. The cooled material is then conducted via line 18 to a second saccharification reactor 19, which may be a steel agitation tank. In the second reactor 19, the pH is adjusted to a range of 3.5 to 7 for the saccharification reaction. Even though more acidic pH levels could be used, an unexpected increase in glucose is observed when the pH is kept between 5.5 and 7. The pH is generally reduced by incorporation of mineral acids, such as hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, but it is possible to use organic acids such as ascetic or citric acid. Sometimes it is necessary to add water to dilute the mixture and bring it to an optimum concentration of solids. To convert the starch molecules into glucose, fungal glucoamylase is added to the enzyme mixture in reactor 19. To transform some of the other substances naturally found in bananas into sugars and to reduce the viscosity of the paste, it is preferable to add a mixture of enzymes, including pectinase, cellulase, hemicellulase, arabanase, polygalacturonase and others. Pectinases are important because they contain substantial amounts of pectin, but it is preferable to use a mixture of two or preferably three or more of the enzymes to achieve the enzymatic reactions mentioned. The material of the reactor 19 must remain in reaction for at least 4 hours, but preferably between 8 and 48 hours, at the desired temperature. At the conclusion of the saccharification reaction, the paste is transported by line 21 to a filtering device 22, which could be a vacuum rotary filter. If necessary, an auxiliary filtering device can be used. The filter cake can be washed with water to minimize the loss of sugar syrups from the cake. Other types of solids separators can also be used, including pressure sheet filters, plate and frame filters and sheath and centrifugal type filters. Once the filtering is complete, the saccharified product can be conducted through line 23 to an evaporator 24, to remove the water from the solution coming from the filter 22. The resulting solution could have various uses. However, if a sugar syrup of higher purity is required, it can be treated with an ion exchange resin (it is necessary that it contains both cation and anion) and with the absorption of carbon. The process described can convert green bananas into a sugar syrup suitable for use in food or as a fermentation substrate to make an antibiotic, amino acids and organic acids such as citric acid. Ideally, after filtering and concentrating, the sugar syrup contains 55 to 85wt. % of glucose dissolved and the rest is essentially water without a higher content of solid particles. The above range provides a sufficiently high glucose concentration without the syrup being too thick. The exact composition of this syrup derived from bananas is uniquely and chemically different from glucose syrups of similar concentrations derived from other sources of starch. The by-product of the process, that is, the solids extracted by the filtration unit 22, have a high protein content (of at least 10 wt.% Of the solids, in general of 10-20 wt.%) And can be used effectively as animal feed. The analysis of a sample of this material indicated 25.5 wt.% Of total solids. The solids contained 16.1 wt.% Protein and 5.9 wt. % of fat; the rest was fiber, carbohydrates, ash and other solids. The description of the invention will be expanded in relation to the following comparative examples. COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1 They bought the greenest bananas possible in a supermarket. A batch of approximately 500 grams of whole bananas (husk and pulp) were ground in a Waring blender, adding enough water to mix them. The mixture was treated with fungal alpha amylase (Clarasa de Solvay Enzimes) at 60 ° C with a pH of 5.0, based on the recommendations of the enzyme manufacturer. When subjected to the iodine test, the resulting mixture tested positive for starch, indicating an incomplete starch conversion, not serving for other tests. COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 2. Another batch of approximately 500 grams of bananas was processed in a Waring blender and water was added in an amount necessary to reduce the viscosity, the mixture being heated at 121 ° C for 15 minutes. The mixture was subsequently treated with thermo-stable bacterial amylase lamellar (Takatherm L-340 from Solvay Enzymes, hereinafter referred to as Takatherm) at 95 ° C and at a pH of 6.5 as recommended by the manufacturer. When tested, the resulting mixture tested positive for starch, not being subjected to any other treatment. Comparative Examples 1 and 2 demonstrate that the known methods for converting starch into sugar syrup from other common sources of starch were not successful when used with bananas. EXAMPLE 1 About 500 grams of bananas purchased in a supermarket were milled in a Waring blender, adding enough water to produce a smooth paste of bananas. This paste was treated with macerating enzyme (Macerex, macerating enzyme produced by Sovay Enzime, which consists of a combination of several enzymes, including pectinase, arabanase, cellulase, hemicellulase, etc.) at 50oC and at a pH of 5.0 for 1 hour. The mixture was then treated with thermo stable alpha amylase (Takatherm) at 95oC and at a pH of 6.5. After 1 hour of treatment, the mixture gave negative starch when tested. The paste was then treated at 50 ° C and pH 4.5 with a fungal glucoamylase (Diazyme L-200 from Solvay Enzymes). The resulting mixture indicated 67% conversion of total solids to sugar. Previous treatment with maceae enzyme increased glucose yield, allowing it to reach a starch-free term in the first step of enzymatic conversion.

EXAMPLE 2 Again, approximately 500 grams of green bananas bought in the supermarket were milled in a Waring blender, adding enough water to reduce the viscosity. The paste was subjected to the same treatment with the maceae enzyme as in the previous example, then it was treated with fungal alpha amylase (Clarase) at 60oC and pH of 5.0. The resulting mixture was subsequently treated with a fungal glucoamylase (Diazyme L-200) at a pH of 4.5 and a temperature of 50oC. The product indicated a conversion of 69% of the solids to sugars.

EXAMPLE 3 To check the process of Example 2 with true green plantains from plantations, green bananas were sent from Ecuador by air in 2 days. These bananas were tested by conversion procedures in which only thermo stable bacterial alpha amylase was used. It was found that the bananas were too hard to grind in the Waring blender. Therefore, they were cut into pieces about half an inch in length and boiled in approximately the same amount of water for 1 hour. After this, the bananas could be processed in the Waring blender.

Whole green bananas of the Bonita type were cut and boiled for 1 hour. Then they were homogenized in a Waring blender with only enough water to allow good processing. The paste that was formed in this way was treated with 0.09 ml of Macerex at 50oC for 1 hour. Then the paste was adjusted to a pH of 6.5, adding calcium ions as calcium chlorine at 100 ppm. 0.25 ml per kg dry solids of thermo stable bacterial alpha amylase (Takatherm) was added. The paste was then heated for 15 minutes at 121 ° C and then cooled to 95 ° C. Subsequently, an additional 0.5 ml of Takatherm per kilo of dry solids was added to this mixture. It was maintained at 95 ° C until the iodine starch test was negative. The paste was cooled to 60oC, adjusting the pH to 4.5 with sulfuric acid. Glucoamylase füngal (Diazyme L-200) was added in a ratio of 200 units of dextrose (DU) per gram of dry solids. The material was kept at a temperature for 72 hours, taking samples every 24 hours. The final paste was easily filtered using a Buchner funnel. The final filtered product contained almost exclusively sugar glucose. The dry solids content of this paste was 8.1% and the glucose content of 67.2% in the dry solids. EXAMPLE 4 Another sample of Bonita bananas that had been stored cold for a longer period (about 14 days) was subjected to the same procedure as in Example 3. The final product contained 9.9% dry solids and a 68% glucose in the dry solids. EXAMPLE 5 A sample of Hb-type bananas was subjected to the same procedure as that described in Example 3. At the end of the process, the filtered product had a dry solids content of 10.8% while the glucose content was around 69. % of dry solids. EXAMPLE 6 A second sample of HB-type bananas, which had been stored for a longer period of time than those of Example 5, was subjected to the same procedure as that described in Example 4. Upon completion of the process, the dry solids content of the The filtered product was 11.5% while the glucose content was 70. *% of the dry solids. EXAMPLE 7 The procedure was performed as detailed in Example 3, except that no water was added to dilute the processed banana paste in the Waring blender. The treatment with Takatherm did not produce a paste with starch negative to the iodine test. However, the experiment was continued using Diazyme. After filtering, the resulting product contains 18% solids and 71% glucose. Additional work was done in the liquefaction step to determine if temperatures higher than 121 ° C would be beneficial for the conversion of the material to negative starch at the iodine test. The temperature increase did not seem to facilitate the conversion process as expected. However, in one of the experiments the pH was raised above that normally used for the enzyme Takatherm. Surprisingly, the liquefaction process quickly produced a negative starch result without temperatures rising to the levels tested above. The following examples illustrate these results, first presenting an experiment at lower pH, which normally helps to hydrolyze the starch, followed by another experiment at a higher pH. COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 3 488 grams of Bonita plátnaos were cut and boiled. Much of the water evaporated before the bananas were processed in the Waring blender. To the mixture was added 500 ml of water, 1 ml of Takatherm and 0.1 g of CaC12. This mixture was boiled at 100 ° C for two hours at a pH of 5.3. When the iodine test was carried out, the starch was positive. Another 1 ml of Takatherm was added, the mixture being sterilized in an autoclave for another hour at 100 ° C. The mixture still gave positive starch. It was then brought to 121 ° C for 30 minutes, cooled to 95 ° C by adding another 1 ml of Takatherm and mixed for 1.5 hours. The resulting mixture still gave positive starch. Another experiment was carried out at a pH of 5.3 using a mixture of different enzymes with pretreatment elements (Clarase, Clarex, Macerex, Diazyme) with the hope of converting the starch. No previous treatment was successful since all the treatments at this pH produced positive starch mixtures. EXAMPLE 8 470 grams of Bonita bananas were cut and liquefied with 470 ml of water. The mixture was sterilized in an autoclave for 30 minutes at 121 ° C and transferred to a container at 95 ° C. 1 g CaC12 negative was added to this mixture almost immediately. The iodine test detected starch at a pH of 9.5. The result of this case was surprising, because it was not expected that such a high and basic pH would give good results. EXAMPLE 9 One kilogram of bananas cut in one liter of water was placed, boiling for 30 minutes and processed in the Waring blender. The pH was adjusted to 7.8 with 3.5 ml of 10 N KOH by dividing the material into two parts. To the first half was added 1.0 Takatherm and 1.0 g CaC12; the material was sterilized in an autoclave for 30 minutes at 121 ° C. The material was then transferred to a container at 95 ° C adding another 1.0 ml of Takatherm. After 30 minutes, the mixture gave negative starch. To the second half was added 0.5 ml of Takatherm and 0.5 g of CaC12. The temperature was raised to 95 ° C for 30 minutes, the iodine test showing that the material was starch negative.

The second half of the mixture was reduced in temperature to 50 ° C and the pH to 5.0. It was then divided into two 400 ml pieces of pasta. To one of them, 0.5 Diazyme was added. 0.25 ml of Clarex, cellulase and Macerex. The mixture produced a clarified solution of 14.5% solids and 79.7 glucose based on dry solids. The second sample of 400 ml was treated with 0.25 ml of Diazyme and Clarex and 0.5 ml of cellulase and Macerex. The resulting syrup sugar contained 14.7% dry solids and 78.6% glucose based on dry solids. This improvement in glucose production can be directly attributed to the use of a higher pH in the amylase conversion step. EXAMPLE 10 900 grams of green bananas were boiled in 900 ml of water for 30 minutes. The mixture was processed in the Waring blender and adjusted to a pH of 7.7 with 3 ml of 10 N KOH. The mixture was brought to 95 ° C adding 2.0 ml of Takatherm and 2.0 grams of CaC12 and at 15 minutes, it became negative starch. The mixture was then cooled to 60 ° C, adjusted to a pH of 5.0 and divided into four batches of 400 ml each. To the first batch was added 0.5 ml of each of the following enzymes: Diazyme, Clarex, Celullase and Macerex (all of them Solvay enzymes). The resulting sugar syrup contained 18.0% dry solids and 75.9% glucose based on dry solids. To the second batch of mixture was incorporated 0.5 ml of Diazyme and Clarex and 1.0 ml of Cellulase and Macerex. The resulting sugar syrup contained 18.3% dry solids and 78.8% glucose based on dry solids. To the third batch of mixture was added 0.5 ml of Diazyme, 1.0 ml of Pectinex Ultra Sp (Novo Nordisk Enzyme). The resulting sugar syrup contained 18.3% dry solids and 79.5% glucose based on dry solids. To the fourth batch, 9.5 ml of Diazyme and 1.0 ml of PMLX (Valley Research) were added. The resulting sugar syrup contained 18.0% dry solids and 78.3% glucose based on dry solids. This example demonstrates that the variety of combinations of macerating enzymes and starch converters used in the second conversion step produced similar results without improving the high yield using basic pH in the first conversion step. EXAMPLE 11 442 grams of cut bananas were added to 450 ml of water, boiling the mixture for 30 minutes. The preparation was then processed and transferred to a 95 ° C bath, adjusting the pH to 7.8 with 2.5 ml of 10 N KOH. 2.0 ml of Takatherm and 2.0 grams of CaC12 were added. After 10 minutes, the mixture gave negative starch. The material was cooled to 50 ° C and the pH adjusted to 6.5 The mixture was then divided into two batches of 400 ml. 0.5 ml of the following enzymes were incorporated into the first batch: Diazyme, Clarex, Macerex and Cellulase. The resulting syrup contained 13.3% solids and 84.2% glucose based on dry solids. The second portion was treated with 0.5 ml of Diazyme and Pectinex Ultra. The resulting sugar syrup contained 13.3% solids and 84.4 glucose based on dry solids. In this example, the combined effect of the use of high pH both in the first and in the second stage of conversion produced an additional unforeseen increase in the total glucose production. The results of the examples and comparative examples are summarized in the following Table. In it, the percentage of solids refers to the total dissolved solids; The higher percentages represent a higher concentration of solids and a better result. The solid particles (undissolved) are almost completely removed by filtration. (Table 1 continues) The examples summarized in Table 1 above illustrate three unforeseen results. First, treatment with maceae prior to normal liquefaction definitely improved the process, contrary to the result obtained in corn starch liquefactions and other commercial sources of starch. Second, a higher pH is beneficial for liquefaction, reducing the temperatures and accelerating the moment of total conversion (negative starch). This was unexpected because it is known that a lower pH makes the liquefaction. Third, the higher pH also improved the saccharification process. This was totally unexpected because it is known that Diazyme activity decreases rapidly with a higher pH. The macerating enzymes used in combination with amylglucosidase also have the important effect of reducing the viscosity of the resulting syrup, making it more fluid and easier to handle. In particular, the Pectinex Ultra, Pectinex 100L and Viscozyme were effective, reducing the viscosity of the syrup at 2000-3000 cps, compared to about 6500 cps in the case of a comparative sample treated with amylglucosidase alone. It should be understood that the foregoing description refers to exemplary means for the invention and that the latter is not limited to the specific forms mentioned. For example, although the process was described in relation to green bananas, it can also be applied to ripe or semi-ripe bananas. Other enzymatic treatments, such as the use of a beta amylase to produce maltose, can be used to make other types of sugar other than glucose. This and other modifications to the design and arrangement of the elements may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described in the appended claims:

Claims (7)

CLAIMS.

1. Process for the production of sugar from bananas, which includes the following steps: a) Grounding of bananas under suitable conditions to achieve fine banana solids. b) Liquefaction of banana solids at a basic or neutral pH, by treating the solids with a suitable alpha amylase enzyme to reduce the length of the starch molecules present in the solids; and c) Subsequent conversion of the starch contained in liquified solids to sugar, using an enzyme amyloglucosidase.

2. The process of enunciation 1, in which the bananas are green and which comprises another step, the addition of water to the banana solids in step a) or b), so that the solids are in the form of a paste or grout in step b).

3. The process of the statement 1, in which the bananas are green, also includes the cooking of the same under suitable conditions to soften them before grinding in step a).

4. The process of statement 1, wherein step c) further includes the addition of a mixture of macerating enzymes to the solids to convert negative starch carbohydrates into sugar.

5. The process of statement 1, in which step b) is carried out at a temperature in the range of about 65 ° C to 150 ° C and at a pH of 7 to 9.

6. The process of statement 1, in which step c) is carried out at a temperature in the range of about 0 ° C to 70 ° C and at a pH of between 3.5 to

7. 7. The process of statement 1, in which step c) is carried out at a temperature of between 30 ° C and 70 ° C and a pH of between 5.5 and 7, further comprising step c) incorporating a mixture of macerating enzymes into the solids in suitable amounts to convert the starch negative carbohydrates into sugar, thereby reducing the viscosity of the resulting syrup. The process of statement 1, which also includes - after step a) and before b) - the treatment of solids with macerating enzymes under appropriate conditions to separate the polysaccharides and soften the paste. The process of statement 1, which also includes - after step b) and before c) - the treatment of solids with enzymes macerantes to separate the polysaccharides and soften the paste. A process for the elaboration of sugar that includes the following steps: a) Ground the bananas to form fine banana solids; b) Treatment of solids with macerating enzymes under appropriate conditions to separate the polysaccharides and soften the solids. c) Liquefaction of the solids, treating them with a suitable amylase enzyme to reduce the length of the starch molecules present in the solids; and d) Conversion of the starch present in the liquefied solids into sugar by its treatment with an amylglucosidase enzyme. A process for making sugar from bananas, comprising the following steps. a) Ground the plantains under suitable conditions to produce fine banana solids. b) Liquefaction of banana solids by treatment with an appropriate alpha amylase enzyme to reduce the length of the starch molecules present in the solids. c) Conversion of the starch contained in the solids liquefied into sugar by treating the solids liquefied with an amyloglucosidase and a mixture of enzymes macerantes to convert the carbohydrates starch negative in sugar, in which the treatment with the amyloglucosidase is carried out a temperature of between 30 ° C and 70 ° C and a pH between 5.5 and 7. By the process of the statement 1, a sugar syrup is obtained. A sugar syrup is obtained by the process of the statement 10. A sugar syrup is obtained by the process of the statement 11. A sugar syrup is obtained by enzymatic conversion of banana starch, which essentially consists of 55 to 85 wt. % dissolved glucose and the rest is water without substantial content of solid particles. Process that produces solid protein from bananas, which comprises: a) Grounding bananas under appropriate conditions to form fine banana solids. b) Liquefaction of banana solids by treatment in a suitable alpha amylase enzyme to reduce the length of the starch molecules present in the solids. c) Conversion of the starch contained in the liquefied solids to sugar, by treating the liquified solids with enzyme amyloglucosidase to make a sugar syrup; and d) Filtering the sugar syrup to isolate the filtered solids that make up the solid protein product. Product containing protein solids prepared by a process described in the statement 16. Device for the production of sugar syrup, made from the enzymatic conversion of starch of bananas, comprising: - Mill to grind fine bananas solids; - A first reactor with agitation and heating system, designed to liquefy the banana solids, by treating them with a suitable enzyme to reduce the length of the starch molecules present in the solids; - A heat exchanger located to cool the product of the first reactor; - A second reactor with an agitator located to receive the product of the heat exchanger and designed to convert the starch of the liquefied solids into sugar by means of its treatment with an enzyme amyloglucosidase, producing a sugar syrup. - Filter device for removing solids from processed sugar syrup in the second reactor; and - Conduits to transport the product sequentially from the mill to the first reactor, heat exchanger, second reactor and filter device. Device of statement 18, wherein the first reactor includes a pressure vessel. Device of the statement 18, which further includes an evaporator connected to another conduit, to receive the sugar for the filter device.