Nutritional supplement containing iron

Abstract

A nutritional supplement containing fungal biomass having at least 100 mg/kg iron and processes for producing the nutritional supplement using filamentous fungi are described.

1 . A nutritional supplement suitable for human consumption containing iron comprising:
 fungal biomass from filamentous fungi selected from  Aspergillus oryzae  or  Aspergillus niger  cultured on an agricultural by-product or a food processing by-product and inorganic iron salts or iron compounds to accumulate iron in the filamentous fungi, wherein the nutritional supplement having at least 2000 mg/kg iron.   
     
     
         2 . The nutritional supplement according to  claim 1  wherein the inorganic iron salts or iron compounds are selected from the group consisting of ferric sulfate, ferrous sulfate, ferric ammonium citrate, and ferrous citrate. 
     
     
         3 . The nutritional supplement according to  claim 1  having from 2000 to 40000 mg/kg iron. 
     
     
         4 . The nutritional supplement according to  claim 3  having 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300, 2400, 2500, 2600, 2700, 2800, 2900, 3000, 3500, 4000, 4500, 5000, 5500, 6000, 6500, 7000, 7500, 8000, 8500, 9000, 9500, 10000, 11000, 12000, 13000, 14000, 15000, 16000, 17000, 18000, 19000, 20000, 21000, 22000, 23000, 24000, 25000, 26000, 27000, 28000, 29000, 30000, 31000, 32000, 33000, 34000, 35000, 36000, 37000, 38000, 39000, or 40000 mg/kg iron. 
     
     
         5 . The nutritional supplement according to  claim 1  containing ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous citrate, ferrous gluconate, ferric ammoniums citrate, ferrous citrate, and EDTA iron. 
     
     
         6 . The nutritional supplement according to  claim 1  further containing diluents or co-ingredients. 
     
     
         7 . The nutritional supplement according to  claim 6  wherein the co-ingredients are selected from selenium and zinc. 
     
     
         8 . The nutritional supplement according to  claim 7  containing selenium from 10 to 400 mg/kg and zinc from 20 to 20000 mg/kg. 
     
     
         9 . The nutritional supplement according to  claim 8  containing 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 300, 310, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 390 or 400 mg/kg selenium. 
     
     
         10 . The nutritional supplement according to  claim 8  containing 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300, 2400, 2500, 2600, 2700, 2800, 2900, 3000, 3500, 4000, 4500, 5000, 5500, 6000, 6500, 7000, 7500, 8000, 8500, 9000, 9500, 10000, 11000, 12000, 13000, 14000, 15000, 16000, 17000, 18000, 19000 or 20000 mg/kg zinc. 
     
     
         11 . The nutritional supplement according to  claim 1  formulated for human consumption as a powder, solution, drink, capsule, tablet, or caplet. 
     
     
         12 . A process for forming a nutritional supplement suitable for human consumption containing iron, the process comprising:
 culturing filamentous fungi selected from  Aspergillus oryzae  or  Aspergillus niger  on an agricultural by-product or a food processing by-product and inorganic iron salts or iron compounds to accumulate iron in the filamentous fungi; and   harvesting the filamentous fungi containing iron to form a nutritional supplement containing fungal biomass having at least 2000 mg/kg iron.   
     
     
         13 . The process according to  claim 12  wherein the agricultural by-product is selected from the group consisting of condensed corn soluble (Syrup), corn process by-products, wheat process by-products, and soybean process by-products. 
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 13  wherein the agricultural by-product is Syrup. 
     
     
         15 . The process according to  claim 12  wherein the food processing by-product is selected from corn steeping liquor, corn stillage, soybean whey, sugar cane and beet molasses, soybean hull, and wheat bran or wheat hull. 
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 12  wherein the inorganic iron salts or iron compounds are selected from the group consisting of ferric sulfate, ferrous sulfate, ferric ammonium citrate, and ferrous citrate. 
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 12  wherein the nutritional supplement contains from 2000 to 40000 mg/kg iron. 
     
     
         18 . The process according to  claim 12  wherein the filamentous fungi is harvested by filtration, centrifugation, or drying. 
     
     
         19 . The process according to  claim 18  wherein the filamentous fungi is harvested by drying at a temperature lower than 90° C. 
     
     
         20 . The process according to  claim 12  wherein the nutritional supplement further contains diluents or co-ingredients. 
     
     
         21 . The process according to  claim 20  wherein the co-ingredients are selected from selenium and zinc. 
     
     
         22 . The process according to  claim 21  wherein the nutritional supplement contains selenium from 10 to 400 mg/kg and zinc from 20 to 20000 mg/kg. 
     
     
         23 . A nutritional supplement suitable for human consumption containing at least 2000 mg/kg iron produced by the process according to  claim 12 . 
     
     
         24 . The nutritional supplement according to  claim 23  formulated for human consumption as a powder, solution, concentrate, drink, capsule, tablet, or caplet.