Process for conversion of bananas to sugar syrup
AssigneeU.S. Tech Corporation
InventorsFrancis H. Verhoff, Charles S. Blatteis, Cheryl L. Barrett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process which permits the facile conversion of green bananas to a sugar syrup uses a sequence of steps involving grinding the bananas, heating the bananas, treating the bananas with an alpha amylase to convert the starch granules into lower molecular weight molecules (liquefaction), changing conditions and treating the low molecular weight starch molecules and other substances in the liquefied fluid with the enzymes, amyloglucosidase, pectinase, cellulase, macerase, etc., filtering the resultant fluid to remove the solids, and, if necessary, evaporating the sugar solution to a suitable concentration. Use of elevated pH in each of the enzymatic conversion steps was found to greatly increase the glucose yield.
Claims17
A process for the preparation of sugar from bananas, comprising the steps of:
- (a) grinding bananas under conditions effective to form fine banana solids;
- (b) then liquefying the banana solids at a basic pH by treatment of the solids with an alpha amylase enzyme effective to reduce the length of starch molecules present in the solids;
- and
- (c) then converting starch in the liquefied solids to sugar by treatment of the liquefied solids with an amyloglucosidase enzyme.
A process for the preparation of sugar from bananas, comprising the steps of:
- (a) grinding bananas to form fine banana solids;
- (b) then treating the solids with a macerating enzyme under conditions effective to break down polysaccharides and soften the solids;
- (c) then liquefying the solids by treatment of the solids with an amylase enzyme effective to reduce the length of starch molecules present in the solids;
- and
- (d) converting starch in the liquefied solids to sugar by treatment of the liquefied solids with an amylglucosidase enzyme.
A process for the preparation of sugar from bananas, comprising the steps of:
- (a) grinding bananas under conditions effective to form fine banana solids;
- (b) then liquefying the banana solids by treatment of the solids with an alpha amylase enzyme effective to reduce the length of starch molecules present in the solids;
- and
- (c) then converting starch in the liquefied solids to sugar by treatment of the liquefied solids with an amyloglucosidase enzyme and a mixture of macerating enzymes to the solids to convert non-starch carbohydrates to sugar, wherein the treatment with the amyloglucosidase enzyme is carried out at a temperature in the range of about 30.degree. C. and 70.degree. C. and a pH in the range of about 5.5 to 7.
A process for producing a solid protein-containing composition from bananas, comprising:
- (a) grinding bananas under conditions effective to form fine banana solids;
- (b) then liquefying the banana solids by treatment of the solids with an alpha amylase enzyme effective to reduce the length of starch molecules present in the solids;
- and
- (c) then converting starch in the liquefied solids to sugar by treatment of the liquefied solids with an amyloglucosidase enzyme to obtain a sugar syrup;
- and
- (d) then filtering the sugar syrup to isolate filtered solids therefrom which comprise the solid protein-containing composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.