Processes for the preparation of amylase inhibitor

Abstract

A process for the preparation of an amylase inhibitor is disclosed which comprises the steps of: (a) extracting wheat, wheat flour or wheat gluten with water, a dilute acid, a dilute alkali or an aqueous alcohol to produce a solution containing the amylase inhibitor; (b) adding a polysaccharide to said solution to form an insoluble complex of the amylase inhibitor with the polysaccharide and separating the insoluble complex from the solution; (c) dissolving or dispersing said complex in a solution, then separating the polysaccharide from the solution to collect a solution containing the amylase inhibitor; and (d) treating the collected solution with a cation exchanger to recover the amylase inhibitor from fractions that have not been adsorbed on the cation exchanger. The amylase inhibitors produced by the above process possess a high amylase inhibitory activity but substantially no trypsin inhibitory activity, and are useful in the prophylaxis and treatment of diseases such as hyperglycemia, diabetes, hyperlipemia, arteriosclerosis and obesity.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.