Protective hydrocolloid for active ingredients

Abstract

Partially deamidated rice endosperm protein or rice endosperm protein which is partially conjugated with mono-, di-, oligo- or polysaccharides is used as novel protective hydrocolloid for fat-soluble active ingredients and/or fat-soluble colorants. The present invention further includes compositions comprising that rice endosperm protein and at least one fat-soluble active ingredient/colorant, as well as their manufacture, that rice endosperm protein itself and its manufacture. These compositions are used for the enrichment, fortification and/or coloration of food, beverages, animal feed, personal care or pharmaceutical compositions. The present invention is directed to theses uses and to food, beverages, animal feed, personal care and pharmaceutical compositions containing such a rice endosperm protein and such a composition, respectively.

1 . A process for the manufacture of a rice endosperm protein which is partially conjugated with mono-, di-, oligo- or polysaccharides or which is partially deamidated starting from milled rice, whereby before milling the rice bran was removed, comprising the following steps a) to e):
 a) preparing an aqueous solution or suspension of milled rice, whereby the rice bran was removed before milling, whereby the solution or suspension preferably has a dry mass content of from 0.1 to 30 weight-%, based on the total amount of the aqueous solution or suspension;   b) optionally removing the non-protein part or the protein part of the milled rice, whereby the rice bran was removed before milling, to obtain the rice endosperm protein;   c) modifying the protein part of the milled rice, whereby the rice bran was removed before milling, by reacting the protein part of the milled rice partially with mono-, di-, oligo- or polysaccharides in a Maillard-type reaction or by partially deamidating the protein part of the milled rice to obtain rice endosperm protein which is partially conjugated with mono-, di-, oligo- or polysaccharides or partially deamidated;   d) optionally isolating the rice endosperm protein which is partially conjugated with mono-, di-, oligo- or disaccharides or which is partially deamidated;   e) optionally converting the rice endosperm protein which is partially conjugated with mono-, di-, oligo- or disaccharides or partially deamidated into a solid form.   
     
     
         2 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the removal of the non-protein part (step b) is achieved by treating the milled rice with non-protein degrading enzymes, deactivating the enzymes, separating and removing the non-protein part from the protein part of the milled rice. 
     
     
         3 . The process according to  claim 2 , wherein the non-protein degrading enzymes are starch-degrading enzymes, cellulose-degrading enzymes or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The process according to  claim 2 , wherein the separation of the non-protein part is achieved by centrifugation followed by its washing off. 
     
     
         5 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein step c) is achieved by treating the protein part of the milled rice with alkaline, neutral and/or acid proteases. 
     
     
         6 . The process according to  claim 5 , wherein the protein part of the milled rice is treated subsequently by two different alkaline proteases. 
     
     
         7 . The process according to  claim 6 , wherein one of these proteases is a serine specific protease and the other is a cysteine specific protease. 
     
     
         8 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the removal of the protein part (step b) is achieved by adjusting the pH of the “milled rice” solution or suspension to a value of from 7 to 12. 
     
     
         9 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein step e) is achieved by drying, preferably by freeze drying or spray drying. 
     
     
         10 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the conjugation with mono- or polysaccharides in step c) is achieved by reaction with glucose or Xanthan gum. 
     
     
         11 . The process according to  claim 1 , wherein the deamidation is achieved by adjusting the pH value of an aqueous colloidal solution of the protein part of the rice endosperm protein obtained in step b) to a value in the range of from 9.0 to 13.0 and at a temperature in the range of from 25 to 90° C. 
     
     
         12 . A rice endosperm protein which is partially conjugated with mono-, di-, oligo- or disaccharides or partially deamidated obtainable by any process according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A rice endosperm protein having an emulsion activity of ≧0.6, preferably of ≧0.62, more preferably of ≧0.7. 
     
     
         14 . A rice endosperm protein having an emulsion stability of ≧20 minutes, preferably of ≧23 minutes, more preferably of ≧25 minutes. 
     
     
         15 . A composition comprising a rice endosperm protein which is partially conjugated with mono-, di-, oligo- or disaccharides or partially deamidated and a fat-soluble active ingredient and/or a fat-soluble colorant. 
     
     
         16 . The composition according to  claim 15 , wherein the fat-soluble active ingredient and/or the fat-soluble colorant is a carotene or a structurally related polyene compound, a fat soluble vitamin, a triglyceride rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, an oil soluble UV-A filter, an UV-B filter or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The composition according to  claim 16 , wherein the carotene or structurally related polyene compound is a carotenoid such as α-carotene, β-carotene, 8′-apo-β-carotenal, 8′-apo-β-carotenoic acid esters, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, crocetin, α-zeacarotene, β-zeacarotene or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The composition according to  claim 17 , wherein the carotenoid is β-carotene. 
     
     
         19 . The composition as in  claim 16 , wherein the fat-soluble vitamin is Vitamin A or E. 
     
     
         20 . The composition as in  claim 15 , wherein at least one compound selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, glycerol, triglycerides, water-soluble antioxidants and fat-soluble antioxidants is additionally present. 
     
     
         21 . The composition as in  claim 20 , wherein the mono- or disaccharide is sucrose, invert sugar, xylose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, saccharose and sugar alcohols. 
     
     
         22 . The composition as in  claim 20 , wherein the oligo- or polysaccharide is a starch, a starch hydrolysate or a modified starch. 
     
     
         23 . The composition as in  claim 22 , wherein the starch hydrolysate is a dextrin, a maltodextrin or a glucose syrup. 
     
     
         24 . The composition as in  claim 16 , wherein the triglyceride is a vegetable oil or fat. 
     
     
         25 . The composition as in  claim 15 , wherein a co-emulgator selected from the group consisting of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids, lecithins, and sorbitan monostearate is additionally present. 
     
     
         26 . The composition as in  claim 15 , wherein the rice endosperm protein has an emulsion activity of ≧0.6, preferably of ≧0.62, more preferably of ≧0.7. 
     
     
         27 . The composition as in  claim 15 , wherein the rice endosperm protein has an emulsion stability of ≧20 minutes, preferably of ≧23 minutes, more preferably of ≧25 minutes. 
     
     
         28 . The composition as in  claim 15 , wherein the amount of the rice endosperm protein which is partially conjugated with mono-, di-, oligo- or disaccharides or partially deamidated is from about 1 to about 70 weight-% and/or the amount of the fat-soluble active ingredient and/or the fat-soluble colorant is from about 0.1 to about 90 weight-%, based on the total amount of the composition. 
     
     
         29 . The composition as in  claim 15  in the form of a powder. 
     
     
         30 . A process for the manufacture of a composition as claimed in  claim 15  which comprises the following steps:
 I) preparing an aqueous solution or colloidal solution of a rice endosperm protein which is partially conjugated with mono-, di-, oligo- or disaccharides or partially deamidated,   II) optionally adding at least a water-soluble excipient and/or adjuvant to the solution prepared in step I),   III) preparing a solution or dispersion of at least a fat-soluble active ingredient and/or a fat-soluble colorant, and optionally at least a fat-soluble adjuvant and/or excipient,   IV) mixing the solutions prepared in step I) to II) with each other,   V) homogenising the thus resulting mixture,   VI) optionally adding a cross-linking agent for (further) cross-linking the rice endosperm protein which is partially conjugated with mono-, di-, oligo- or disaccharides or partially deamidated,   VIa) optionally submitting the mixture resulting after having performed step VI) to enzymatic treatment or heat treatment to cross-link the (modified) rice endosperm protein   VII) optionally converting the dispersion obtained in step V) and/or VI) into a powder, VIII) optionally drying the powder obtained in step VII),   IX) optionally submitting the (dry) powder to heat treatment or to enzymatic treatment to cross-link the rice endosperm protein which is partially conjugated with mono-, di-, oligo- or disaccharides or partially deamidated,   with the proviso that only step VIa) or step IX) is carried out, but not both, when step VI) is carried out.   
     
     
         31 . The process according to  claim 30 , wherein the enzymatic treatment according to step VIa) or step IX) is a treatment with a cross-linking enzyme, particularly with a transglutaminase. 
     
     
         32 . The process according to  claim 30  wherein the rice endosperm protein which is partially conjugated with mono-, di-, oligo- or polysaccharides or partially deamidated is one having an emulsion activity of ≧0.6, preferably of ≧0.62, more preferably of ≧0.7. 
     
     
         33 . Use of a composition as claimed in  claim 15  for the enrichment, fortification and/or coloration of food, beverages, animal feed, personal care or pharmaceutical compositions. 
     
     
         34 . Food, beverages, animal feed, personal care and pharmaceutical compositions containing a composition as claimed in  claim 15 . 
     
     
         35 . Food, beverages, animal feed, personal care and pharmaceutical compositions containing a rice endosperm protein as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         36 . Use of rice endosperm protein as claimed in  claim 12 , as protective hydrocolloid for fat-soluble active ingredients and/or fat-soluble colorants.