Inulin composition and method of purifying inulin
AssigneeSensus B.V.
InventorsBartholomeus Mattheus de Roode, Margaretha Johanna de Wit, Johan van den Bergh, Max Cornelis Adrianus Maria Michielsen
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for purifying an aqueous liquid comprising inulin, in particular chicory root inulin, and one or more impurities, said method comprising filtration of said aqueous liquid employing a nanofiltration membrane having a molecular weight cut-off value of less than 2 kDa, without employing ion-exchange treatment. The invention further relates to the inulin composition obtainable by the method and to inulin compositions which comprise low concentrations of impurities while comprising significant amounts of short-chain (low DP) inulin.
Claims21
A method for purifying an aqueous liquid comprising inulin, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing an aqueous liquid comprising:
- inulin, wherein more than 5 wt. % (by weight of inulin) of the inulin has a DP within the range of 3-5, said inulin comprising GpyFn inulins with a terminal glucose, wherein the GpyFn inulins have a chain length distribution wherein every DP within the range of 3-60 is present in an amount of at least 0.1%;
- lactucins in an amount of more than 0.1 wt. % (by weight of inulin);
- sugars in an amount of more than 3 wt. % (by weight of inulin);
- more than 3 wt. % (by weight of inulin) of minerals;
- and
- more than 3 wt. % (by weight of inulin) of organic acids;
- b) subjecting the aqueous liquid of step a) to a nanofiltration step employing a nanofiltration membrane having a molecular weight cut-off value of less than 2 kDa;
- and
- c) collecting the retentate of nanofiltration step b) comprising:
- inulin, wherein more than 2% (by weight of inulin) of the inulin has a DP within the range of 3-5, said inulin comprising GpyFn inulins with a terminal glucose, wherein the GpyFn inulins have a chain length distribution wherein every DP within the range of 3-60 is present in an amount of at least 0.1%;
- less than 0.1 wt. % (by weight of inulin) of lactucins;
- less than 3 wt. % (by weight of inulin) of sugars;
- less than 20 wt. % (by weight of inulin) of FpyFn;
- more than 0.1 wt. % (by weight of inulin) of minerals;
- and
- more than 0.1 wt. % (by weight of inulin) of organic acids,
- wherein the method does not comprise an ion-exchange treatment.
Inulin composition which comprises:
- inulin, wherein more than 2% of the inulin has a DP within the range of 3-5, said inulin comprising GpyFn inulins with a terminal glucose, wherein the GpyFn has a chain length distribution wherein every DP within the range of 3-60 is present in an amount of at least 0.1%;
- less than 0.1 wt. % (by weight of inulin) of lactucins;
- less than 3 wt. % (by weight of inulin) of sugars;
- less than 20 wt. % (by weight of inulin) of FpyFn;
- more than 0.1 wt. % (by weight of inulin) of minerals;
- and
- more than 0.1 wt. % (by weight of inulin) of organic acids.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.