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 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A process for the manufacture of a rice endosperm protein 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 partially deamidating the protein part of the milled rice to obtain rice endosperm protein which is partially deamidated;   d) optionally isolating the rice endosperm protein which is partially deamidated; and   e) optionally converting the rice endosperm protein which is partially deamidated into a solid form,   wherein the rice endosperm protein has an emulsion activity of ≧0.62 as determined turbidimetrically by emulsifying a solution of a sample rice endosperm protein in corn oil, homogenized by sonication and measuring absorbance, the absorbance at a time 0 after homogenization indicating the emulsion activity of the rice endosperm.   
     
     
         38 . The process according to  claim 37 , 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. 
     
     
         39 . The process according to  claim 38 , wherein the non-protein degrading enzymes are starch-degrading enzymes, cellulose-degrading enzymes or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         40 . The process according to  claim 38 , wherein the separation of the non-protein part is achieved by centrifugation followed by washing off the non-protein part with water. 
     
     
         41 . The process according to  claim 37 , 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. 
     
     
         42 . The process according to  claim 37 , wherein step e) is achieved by drying. 
     
     
         43 . The process according to  claim 37 , 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. 
     
     
         44 . A rice endosperm protein which is partially deamidated obtainable by any process according to  claim 37 . 
     
     
         45 . A composition comprising a rice endosperm protein obtained by the process of  claim 37  and a fat-soluble active ingredient and/or a fat-soluble colorant. 
     
     
         46 . The composition according to  claim 45 , 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. 
     
     
         47 . The composition according to  claim 46 , 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. 
     
     
         48 . The composition according to  claim 47 , wherein the carotenoid is β-carotene. 
     
     
         49 . The composition as in  claim 46 , wherein the fat-soluble vitamin is Vitamin A or E. 
     
     
         50 . The composition as in  claim 45 , 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. 
     
     
         51 . The composition as in  claim 50 , wherein the mono- or disaccharide is sucrose, invert sugar, xylose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, saccharose and sugar alcohols. 
     
     
         52 . The composition as in  claim 50 , wherein the oligo- or polysaccharide is a starch, a starch hydrolysate or a modified starch. 
     
     
         53 . The composition as in  claim 52 , wherein the starch hydrolysate is a dextrin, a maltodextrin or a glucose syrup. 
     
     
         54 . The composition as in  claim 46 , wherein the triglyceride is a vegetable oil or fat. 
     
     
         55 . The composition as in  claim 45 , 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. 
     
     
         56 . The composition as in  claim 45 , wherein the rice endosperm protein has an emulsion activity of ≧0.6. 
     
     
         57 . The composition as in  claim 45 , wherein the rice endosperm protein has an emulsion stability of ≧20 minutes. 
     
     
         58 . The composition as in  claim 45 , wherein the amount of the rice endosperm protein which is 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. 
     
     
         59 . The composition as in  claim 45  in the form of a powder. 
     
     
         60 . A process for the manufacture of a composition as claimed in  claim 45  which comprises the following steps:
 I) preparing an aqueous solution or colloidal solution of a rice endosperm protein which is 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 III) 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 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 powder resulting from step VII or the dry powder resulting from step VIII to heat treatment or to enzymatic treatment to cross-link the rice endosperm protein which is partially deamidated, 
 with the proviso that only step VIa) or step IX) is carried out, but not both, when step VI) is carried out. 
 
     
     
         61 . The process according to  claim 60 , wherein the enzymatic treatment according to step VIa) or step IX) is a treatment with a cross-linking enzyme. 
     
     
         62 . The process according to  claim 60  wherein the rice endosperm protein which is partially deamidated is one having an emulsion activity of ≧0.6. 
     
     
         63 . Food, beverages, animal feed, personal care and pharmaceutical compositions containing a composition as claimed in  claim 45 . 
     
     
         64 . Food, beverages, animal feed, personal care and pharmaceutical compositions containing a rice endosperm protein as claimed in  claim 44 . 
     
     
         65 . Process for the protection of fat-soluble active ingredients and/or fat-soluble colorants by whereby the rice endosperm protein as claimed in  claim 44  is added to said fat-soluble active ingredients and/or said fat-soluble colorants as a protecting agent. 
     
     
         66 . The process according to  claim 42 , wherein the drying is by freeze drying or spray drying. 
     
     
         67 . The composition as in  claim 42 , wherein the rice endosperm protein has an emulsion activity of ≧0.62. 
     
     
         68 . The composition as in  claim 45 , wherein the rice endosperm protein has an emulsion activity of ≧0.7. 
     
     
         69 . The composition as in  claim 45 , wherein the rice endosperm protein has an emulsion activity of ≧23 minutes. 
     
     
         70 . The composition as in  claim 45 , wherein the rice endosperm protein has an emulsion activity of ≧25 minutes. 
     
     
         71 . The process according to  claim 61 , wherein the cross-linking enzyme is a transglutaminase. 
     
     
         72 . Process for the enrichment, fortification and/or coloration of food, beverages, animal feed, personal care or pharmaceutical compositions, whereby a composition as claimed in  claim 45  is added to the food, beverages, animal feed, personal care and pharmaceutical compositions, respectively. 
     
     
         73 . A process for the manufacture of a rice endosperm protein 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 partially deamidating the protein part of the milled rice to obtain rice endosperm protein which is partially deamidated;   d) optionally isolating the rice endosperm protein which is partially deamidated; and   e) optionally converting the rice endosperm protein which is partially deamidated into a solid form wherein the rice endosperm protein has an emulsion stability of ≧23 minutes where emulsion stability is calculated by the formula: To×Δ/Δ,   where ΔT is the decrease in turbidity (absorbance) of an initial absorbance (To) over/after a time interval of Δt 10 minutes.