Microbial-Based Process for High Quality Protein Concentrate

Abstract

The present invention describes a bio-based process to produce high quality protein concentrate (HQPC) by converting plant derived celluloses into bioavailable protein via aerobic incubation, including the use of such HQPC so produced as a nutrient, including use as a fish meal replacement in aquaculture diets.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A composition comprising a non-animal based protein concentrate, wherein the composition contains at least 55% protein content by weight, exopolysaccharides and contains oligosaccharides in an amount of between about 0.00 g/100 g to about 0.24 g/100 g on a dry matter basis. 
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 21 , wherein the non-animal based protein concentrate is isolated from plant material from the group consisting of soybeans, peanuts, Rapeseeds, canola, sesame seeds, cottonseeds, palm kernels, barley, grape seeds, olives, safflowers, sunflowers, copra, corn, coconuts, linseed, hazelnuts, wheat, rice, potatoes, cassavas, legumes, camelina seeds, mustard seeds, germ meal, corn gluten meal, distillery/brewery by-products, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 22 , produced by a process comprising:
 a) cooking plant material at above room temperature to form a mash;   b) optionally adding one or more enzymes to the mash;   c) inoculating the mash with at the least one microbe, which at least one microbe converts sugars in the mash into proteins and exopolysaccharides;   d) separating solids from liquids in the inoculated mash via hydrodynamic force; and   f) drying said separated solids.   
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one microbe is selected from the group consisting of  Aureobasidium pullulans, Sclerotium glucanicum, Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Ralstonia eutropha, Rhodospirillum rubrum, Kluyveromyces  spp,  Pichia  spp,  Trichoderma reesei, Pleurotus ostreatus, Rhizopus  spp, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The composition of  claim 23 , wherein the plant material is from soybeans in the form of soy flakes or soy meal. 
     
     
         26 . The composition of  claim 23 , wherein the composition is formulated as a feed, and wherein the feed comprises the dried solids treated with phytase. 
     
     
         27 . The composition of  claim 23 , wherein the plant material is from distiller's dried grain with solubles (DDGS). 
     
     
         28 . A feed or foodstuff comprising the composition of  claim 21 . 
     
     
         29 . The feed or foodstuff of  claim 28 , wherein said feed comprises up to about 35% to about 45% of said composition by weight. 
     
     
         30 . The feed or foodstuff of  claim 28 , wherein said composition is a complete replacement for animal-protein in a feed or a foodstuff. 
     
     
         31 . The feed of  claim 30 , wherein said feed is formulated for fish, crustaceans, cattle, poultry, swine, goats, sheep, cats, dogs, horses and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         32 . The feed of  claim 28 , wherein the foodstuff is formulated for humans. 
     
     
         33 . The composition of  claim 25 , wherein the soybean is non-GM. 
     
     
         34 . The feed of  claim 28 , wherein said feed or foodstuff comprises a composition containing up to 80% by weight of said non-animal based protein concentrate and up to 20% by weight of a mixture containing one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of lysine, methionine, lipids, biotin, choline, niacin, ascorbic acid, inositol, pantothenic acid, folic acid, pyridoxine, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, manganese, aluminum, iodine, cobalt, zinc, iron, selenium, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         35 . A method of producing a non-animal based protein concentrate comprising:
 a. optionally milling plant material;   b. cooking said plant material at above room temperature to form a mash and transferring the mash to a biorector;   b. optionally adding one or more enzymes to the mash in the bioreactor;   c. inoculating the mash with at least one microbe, which microbe converts released sugars into proteins and exopolysaccharides;   d. separating solids from liquids in the mash via hydrodynamic force; and   e. drying said separated solids and evaporating the separated liquids.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the one or more enzymes are selected from the group consisting of phytase, endo-xylanase and β-xylosidase, glycoside hydrolase, β-glucosidases, hemicellulase activities, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising: mixing the extruded materials with water to achieve a solid loading rate of at least about 5% in the bioreactor; and optionally, autoclaving and cooling the cooked plant material. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 reducing the temperature of the enzyme treated mash to between about 30° C. to about 37° C.,   optionally aerating the inoculated mash at about 0.05 L/L/min to about 0.5 L/L/min; and   incubating the mash until utilization of sugars by the at least one microbe ceases.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising combining the solids from the evaporated liquid with the dried solids. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the plant material is non-GM. 
     
     
         41 . A composition produced by the method of  claim 35 . 
     
     
         42 . A composition containing up to 80% by weight of said non-animal based protein concentrate comprising at least 55% protein content by weight, exopolysaccharides and oligosaccharides in an amount of between about 0.00 g/100 g to about 0.24 g/100 g on a dry matter basis and up to 20% by weight of a mixture containing one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of amino acids, lipids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         43 . A microbially converted composition comprising soy protein, wherein the composition contains at least 60% protein content, exopolysaccharides, and a microbe selected from the group consisting of  Aureobasidium pullulans, Sclerotium glucanicum, Sphingomonas paucimobilis, Ralstonia eutropha, Rhodospirillum rubrum, Kluyveromyces  spp,  Pichia  spp,  Trichoderma reesei, Pleurotus ostreatus, Rhizopus  spp and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         44 . The composition of  claim 42 , wherein the oligosaccharide is stachyose or raffinose. 
     
     
         45 . The composition of  claim 43 , wherein the microbe is  Aureobasidium pullulans.    
     
     
         46 . The composition of  claim 43 , wherein the composition improves a performance characteristic of a feed containing said composition compared to equivalent feed comprising an untreated soy-based protein concentrate, wherein said performance characteristic is weight gain, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio, feed conversion ratio, total consumption, Fulton's condition factor, or a combination thereof.