Process for converting granular starch to dextrose

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR DIRECTLY CONVERTING GRANULAR STARCH TO A SOLUBLE STARCH HYDROLYSSATE CONTAINING DEXTROSE COMPRISING: AGITATING A MIXTURE OF GRANULAR STARCH, WATER, AN ALPHA-AMYLASE ENZYME PREPARATION AND A GLUCOAMYLASE ENZYME PREPARATION AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM THE NORMAL INITIAL GELATINIZATION TEMPERATURE OF THE STARCH TO THE ACTUAL GELATINIZATION TEMPERATURE OF THE STARCH AT A PH OF FROM ABOUT 4.0 TO ABOUT 7.0, MAINTAINING SAID CONDITIONS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME TO PRODUCE A SOLUBLE STARCH HYDROLYSTATE CONTAINING DEXTROSE, AND RECOVERING FROM SAID MIXTURE THE SOLUBLE STARCH HYDROLYSATE CONTAINING DEXTROSE, WHEREBY ANY RESIDUAL, NON-SOLUBLE STARCH HAS SUBSTANTIALLY RETAINED ITS GRANULAR, UNGELATINIZED FORM.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1, wherein the starch is corn starch.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1, wherein the concentration of starch is from about 5% to about 40%, by weight.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1, wherein the concentration of the alpha-amylase is from about 0.1 unit to about 25 units of activity per gram of starch.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1, wherein the amount of glucoamylase used is such as to provide from about 0.05 to about 5.0 units of activity per gram of starch.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1, wherein the alpha-amylase is derived from a Bacillus organism.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1, wherein the glucoamylase is derived from a fungal source.

Claim 9

The process of claim 1, wherein the glucoamylase is derived from an Aspergillus niger organism.

Claim 10

The process of claim 1, wherein the glucoamylase is derived from an organism of Rhizopus genus.

Claim 11

The process of claim 1, wherein the alpha-amylase is derived from a Bacillus subtillus organism.

Claim 12

The process of claim 1, wherein the alpha-amylase is derived from a Bacillus licheniformis organism.

Claim 13

The process of claim 1, wherein the mixture of granular starch, water, alpha-amylase and glucoamylase contains from about 0.01% to about 1.0% of an anionic surfactant.

Claim 14

The process of claim 1, wherein the starch is corn starch and the conversion is conducted at a temperature in the range of from about 60*C. to about 80*C.

Claim 15

The process of claim 1, wherein the starch is corn starch and the conversion is conducted at a temperature of from about 60*C. to about 75*C.

Claim 16

The process of claim 1, wherein the residual, nonsoluble starch is recycled.

Claim 17

A PROCESS FOR DIRECTLY CONVERTING GRANULAR STARCH TO A SOLUBLE STARCH HYDROLYSATE CONTAINING DEXTROSE, COMPARISING: AGITATING A MIXTURE OF GRANULAR STARCH, WATER, AN ALPHA-AMYLASE ENZYME PREPARATION DERIVED FROM BACILLUS LICHENIFORMIS AND A GLUCOAMYLASE ENZYME PREPARATION WHEREIN THE STARCH IS PRESENT AT A CONCENTRATION IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 5% TO ABOUT 4% BY WEIGHT OF THE MIXTURE, THE ALPHA-AMYLASE IS PRESENT IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 25 UNITS OF ACTIVITY PER GRAM OF STARCH, AND THE GLUCOAMYLASE IS PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT SUCH AS TO PROVIDE FROM ABOUT 0.05 TO ABOUT 5.0 UNITS OF ACTIVITY PER GRAM OF STARCH, CONVERTING AND SOLUBILIZING THE GRANULAR STARCH IN SAID AGITATED MIXTURE AT A TEMPERATURE OF THE STARCH TO NORMAL INITIAL GELATINIZATION TEMPERATURE OF THE STARCH TO THE ACTUAL GELATINIZATION TEMPERATURE OF THE STARCH TO TAINING SAID CONDITIONS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME TO PRODUCE A SOLUBLE STARCH HYDROLYSATE CONTAINING DEXTROSE, AND RECOVERING FROM SAID MIXTURE THE SOLUBLE STARCH HYDROLYSATE CONTAINING DEXTROSE WHEREBY ANY RESIDUAL NON-SOLUBLE STARCH HAS SUBSTANTIALLY RETAINED ITS GRANULAR,, UNGELATINIZED FORM.

Claim 18

A PROCESS FOR DIRECTLY CONVERTING GRANULAR STARCH TO A SOLUBLE STARCH HYDROLYSATE CONTAINING DEXTROSE, COMPARISING: AGITATING A MIXTURE OF GRANULAR STARCH, WATER, AN ALPHA-AMYLASE ENZYME PREPARATION DERIVED FROM BACILLUS LICHENIFORMIS AND A GLUCOAMYLASE ENZYME PREPARATION WHEREIN THE STARCH IS PRESENT AT A CONCENTRATION IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 5% TO ABOUT 4% BY WEIGHT OF THE MIXTURE, THE ALPHA-AMYLASE IS PRESENT IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 0.1 TO ABOUT 25 UNITS OF ACTIVITY PER GRAM OF STARCH, AND THE GLUCOAMYLASE IS PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT SUCH AS TO PROVIDE FROM ABOUT 0.05 TO ABOUT 5.0 UNITS OF ACTIVITY PER GRAM OF STARCH, CONVERTING AND SOLUBILIZING THE GRANULAR STARCH IN SAID AGITATED MIXTURE AT A TEMPERATURE OF THE STARCH TO NORMAL INITIAL GELATINIZATION TEMPERATURE OF THE STARCH TO THE ACTUAL GELATINIZATION TEMPERATURE OF THE STARCH TO TAINING SAID CONDITIONS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME TO PRODUCE A SOLUBLE STARCH HYDROLYSATE CONTAINING DEXTROSE, AND RECOVERING FROM SAID MIXTURE THE SOLUBLE STARCH HYDROLYSATE CONTAINING DEXTROSE WHEREBY ANY RESIDUAL NON-SOLUBLE STARCH HAS SUBSTANTIALLY RETAINED ITS GRANULAR,, UNGELATINIZED FORM.

Claim 19

The process of claim 16, wherein said starch is corn starch and the conversion and solubilization is conducted at a temperature in the range of from about 60*C. to about 75*C.

Claim 20

The process of claim 16, wherein said alpha-amylase is derived from a Bacillus licheniformis strain of the group consisting of NCIB 8061, NCIB 8059, ATCC 6598, ATCC 6634, ATCC 8480, ATCC 9545A and ATCC 11945.

Claim 21

A process for directly converting granular corn starch to a soluble corn starch hydrolysate containing dextrose comprising: agitating a mixture of granular corn starch, water an alpha-amylase enzyme preparation derived from Bacillus licheniformis and a glucoamylase enzyme preparation, wherein the starch is present at a concentration in the range from about 10% to about 30% by weight of the mixture, the alpha-amylase is present in the range from about 1.0 to about 10 units of activity per gram of corn starch, and the glucoamylase is present in an amount such as to provide from about 0.05 to about 5.0 units of activity per gram of starch, converting and solubilizing the corn starch in said agitaTed mixture at a temperature in the range from the normal initial gelatinization temperature to the actual gelatinization temperature of the corn starch, at a pH of from about 4.0 to about 7.0, maintaining said conditions for a period of time until at least about 90% of the corn starch is hydrolyzed to a soluble starch hydrolysate containing dextrose, and recovering from said mixture the soluble corn starch hydrolysate containing dextrose whereby any residual, non-soluble starch has substantially retained its granular, ungelatinized form.

Claim 22

A process for directly converting granular corn starch to a soluble corn starch hydrolysate containing dextrose comprising: agitating a mixture of granular corn starch, water an alpha-amylase enzyme preparation derived from Bacillus licheniformis and a glucoamylase enzyme preparation, wherein the starch is present at a concentration in the range from about 10% to about 30% by weight of the mixture, the alpha-amylase is present in the range from about 1.0 to about 10 units of activity per gram of corn starch, and the glucoamylase is present in an amount such as to provide from about 0.05 to about 5.0 units of activity per gram of starch, converting and solubilizing the corn starch in said agitaTed mixture at a temperature in the range from the normal initial gelatinization temperature to the actual gelatinization temperature of the corn starch, at a pH of from about 4.0 to about 7.0, maintaining said conditions for a period of time until at least about 90% of the corn starch is hydrolyzed to a soluble starch hydrolysate containing dextrose, and recovering from said mixture the soluble corn starch hydrolysate containing dextrose whereby any residual, non-soluble starch has substantially retained its granular, ungelatinized form.

Claim 23

The process of claim 19, wherein the conversion and solubilization is conducted at a temperature in the range of from about 60*C. to about 75*C.

Claim 24

The process of claim 19, wherein an anionic surfactant is added to said agitated mixture in an amount ranging from about 0.01% to about 1.0%, by weight of the agitated mixture.

Claim 25

The process of claim 19, wherein the agitated mixture, in a first step is heated to a temperature of about 60*C., and in a subsequent step heated to a temperature of about 75*C. until at least about 90% of the granular corn starch is hydrolyzed.

Claim 26

The process of claim 19, wherein the conversion and solubilization is conducted in an ultrafiltration cell wherein the enzyme preparation and non-soluble starch are retained in the cell and the soluble corn starch hydrolysate is passed through a semi-permeable membrane of said ultrafiltration cell.