# US 4,396,715 A · Production of gamma-lactone rich flavor additives by pityrosporum species cultured on lipid rich substrates

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- Number: US 4,396,715 A
- Document ID: US4396715A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/205,637
- Filed: 1980-11-10
- Granted: 1983-08-02
- Earliest claimed: 1979-04-04
- Assignees: The Simon Greenberg Foundation
- Inventors: John N. Labows, Jr.; Guy Webster; Kenneth McGinley
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4396715A

## CPC

- C12P 17/04: containing a five-membered hetero ring, e.g. griseofulvin {, vitamin C}
- A23L 27/24: prepared by fermentation
- C11B 9/02: Recovery or refining of essential oils from raw materials
- C12P 7/04: acyclic
- C12P 7/24: containing a carbonyl group
- Y10S 435/911: using fungi
- C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)}
- A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)
- C11B: PRODUCING, e.g. BY PRESSING RAW MATERIALS OR BY EXTRACTION FROM WASTE MATERIALS, REFINING OR PRESERVING FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES, e.g. LANOLIN, FATTY OILS OR WAXES; ESSENTIAL OILS; PERFUMES (drying-oils C09F)
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

Novel odor-flavor materials and methods for producting the same are disclosed comprising a mixture of various gamma-lactones. In the preferred embodiment, a member of the genus Pityrosporum is cultured on a culture medium and is stimulated to produce a gamma-lactone containing flavor-fragrance mixture through its incubation with a lipid rich precursor. The preferred species for use in producing these gamma-lactone containing materials are P. canis, P. pachydermatis, P. orbiculare and P. ovale. The preferred lipid-rich materials include triolein, sebum, lecithin, oleic acid, and SAB with human sebum, and Tween-80. The resulting gamma-lactone rich products comprise the following lactones: gamma-hexa, gamma-hepta, gamma-octa, gamma-nona, gamma-deca, gamma-undeca, and in the case of P. canis, gamma-dodecalactone. The resultant flavor-fragrance product is all natural, exhibiting extremely pleasing taste and/or flavor characteristics.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of making a flavor-fragrance product having a gamma-lactone component comprising octa-, nona- and deca-lactones, which product is substantially free of gamma-undecalactone, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a substantially sterile Littman agar culture medium;
(b) combining with said culture medium lipid rich precursor-stimulant means for stimulating production of gamma-lactone flavor-fragrance products during succeeding incubation; and
(c) incubating said medium combined with said lipid rich precursor-stimulant means with a biologically active inoculant consisting essentially of at least one member of the genus Pityrosporum, said member being P. ovale.

### Claim 2

A method of making flavor-fragrance product having a gamma-lactone component comprising nona- and deca-lactones, which product is substantially free of gamma-undecalactone, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a substantially sterile SAB-dextrose containing Tween;
(b) combining with said culture medium lipid rich precursor-stimulant means for stimulating production of gamma-lactone flavor-fragrance products during succeeding incubation; and
(c) incubating said medium combined with said lipid rich precursor-stimulant means with a biologically active inoculant consisting essentially of at least one member of the genus Pityrosporum, said member being P. ovale.

### Claim 3

A method of making a flavor-fragrance product having a gamma-lactone component comprising octa- and nona-lactones, which product is substantially free of gamma-undecalactone, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a substantially sterile yeast nitrogen base and agar culture medium;
(b) combining with said culture medium a lipid rich precursor-stimulant means for stimulating production of gamma-lactone flavor-fragrance products during succeeding incubation, said precursor-stimulant means being oleic acid; and
(c) incubating said medium combined with said lipid rich precursor-stimulant means with a biologically active inoculant consisting essentially of at least one member of the genus Pityrosporum, said member being P. ovale.