Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
184 words
A method for producing phosphopeptides from a casein-based raw material containing phosphocaseinates of bivalent cations comprising subjecting the raw material to an enzymatic hydrolysis at a pH in the range of 7 to 9 and a temperature in the range of 37° to 45° C. by means of at least one proteolytic enzyme capable of substantially reproducing the proteic digestion which occurs in vivo in the human body to produce a hydrolysate containing phosphopeptides and non-phosphorylated peptides, recovering the resulting hydrolyzate, subjecting said hydrolyzate to at least one ultrafiltration step on membranes capable of retaining the phosphopeptides while letting the non-phosphorylated peptides pass therethrough to produce an ultrafiltration retentate containing phosphopeptides and the proteolytic enzyme, recovering the retentate, disaggregating the phosphopeptides contained in said retentate by acidifying said retentate, or by subjecting said retentate to the action of complexing agents, subjecting the resultant retentate containing disaggregated phosphopeptides and proteolytic enzyme to at least a second ultrafiltration step on membranes which do not retain the phosphopeptides but which retain the enzyme and recovering the phosphopeptides that pass through the membranes in said second ultrafiltration step.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
184 words
A method for producing phosphopeptides from a casein-based raw material containing phosphocaseinates of bivalent cations comprising subjecting the raw material to an enzymatic hydrolysis at a pH in the range of 7 to 9 and a temperature in the range of 37° to 45° C. by means of at least one proteolytic enzyme capable of substantially reproducing the proteic digestion which occurs in vivo in the human body to produce a hydrolysate containing phosphopeptides and non-phosphorylated peptides, recovering the resulting hydrolyzate, subjecting said hydrolyzate to at least one ultrafiltration step on membranes capable of retaining the phosphopeptides while letting the non-phosphorylated peptides pass therethrough to produce an ultrafiltration retentate containing phosphopeptides and the proteolytic enzyme, recovering the retentate, disaggregating the phosphopeptides contained in said retentate by acidifying said retentate, or by subjecting said retentate to the action of complexing agents, subjecting the resultant retentate containing disaggregated phosphopeptides and proteolytic enzyme to at least a second ultrafiltration step on membranes which do not retain the phosphopeptides but which retain the enzyme and recovering the phosphopeptides that pass through the membranes in said second ultrafiltration step.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the casein-based raw material is selected from the group consisting of milk, a milk ultrafiltration retentate and isolated bivalent cation phosphocaseinates.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 2, wherein the raw material is a retentate obtained by ultrafiltration of milk to a concentration ratio ranging from 1.5 to 3 followed by subjecting said ultrafiltered concentrated milk to diafiltration.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
24 words
A method according to any of claims 2 or 3, wherein said enzymatic hydrolysis is carried out in an enzymatic reactor having ultrafiltration membranes.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
A method according to claim 4, wherein said enzymatic hydrolysis is carried out continuously by feeding the casein-based raw material to a reaction zone to bring it into intimate contact with the enzyme, withdrawing the reaction product continuously from the reaction zone, transferring the reaction product to an ultrafiltration zone, and from the ultrafiltration zone withdrawing continuously a permeate which forms the hydrolyzate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the pH is adjusted in the range of 7 to 8.5, during said enzymatic hydrolysis.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the proteolytic enzyme is pancreatin in the form of a natural pancreatic extract or synthetic mixtures of trypsine and alphachymotrypsine.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the hydrolysis temperature is selected in the range of 37° to 40° C.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 4, wherein the enzymatic reactor has ultrafiltration membranes capable of retaining the enzyme.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method according to claim 4, wherein, after said hydrolysis, the solution retained by membranes of said enzymatic reactor is subjected to ultrafiltration on membranes capable of retaining the phosphopeptides, while letting the non phosphorylated peptides pass therethrough, said membranes having a cut-off threshold in the range of about 2000 to 50,000.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
A method according to claim 10, wherein said ultrafiltration is followed by a diafiltration of the resultant retentate containing phosphopeptides to deplete the non phosphorylated peptides by adding to the retentate being brought into contact with a difiltration membrane either water or salt-containing water solution.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the treatment for disaggregating the phosphopeptides contained in the retentate is effected by acidification by means of an inorganic or organic acid.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the treatment for disaggregating the phosphopeptides in the retentate is effected by the action of complexing agents for calcium and/or magnesium.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
42 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein the phosphopeptides are converted into salts of macroelements selected from the group consisting of calcium, magnesium and mixtures thereof and/or oligoelements selected from the group consisting of iron, zinc, copper, chromium, nickel, cobalt, manganese and selenium.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
Process according to claim 14, wherein at least partially the macroelements are replaced by oligoelements to obtain organophosphorated salts with linked oligoelements.