Production and use of compositions comprising high concentrations of vitamin B12 activity
AssigneeGist-Brocades N.V.
InventorHendrik Louis Bijl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a process for the preparation of a composition comprising natural vitamin B12, wherein said process comprises the steps of: a) obtaining microbial cells containing natural vitamin B12, b) causing opening of the microbial cells such that at least part of the soluble content of the cells comprising vitamin B12 is released in a liquid in which the cells are contained, c) separating the opened cells and the liquid comprising the vitamin B12, d) preparing a mixture of the vitamin B12 and at least a part of the opened cells, wherein the mixture has a vitamin B12 concentration on dry matter in excess of 0.1% (w/w).
Claims10
A composition comprising natural vitamin B12 in an amount ranging from about 0.1% by weight to about 10% by weight based on the dry matter content of said composition, wherein said composition is obtained by a process comprising:
- (a) culturing microbial cells capable of producing natural vitamin B12 under conditions such that said cells produce natural vitamin B12 intracellularly;
- (b) disrupting the outer membrane of said cells such that said natural vitamin B12 is released from said cells into the medium in which the cells are cultured to produce a liquid phase containing the natural vitamin B12 and a solid phase;
- (c) separating the liquid phase from the solid phase to obtain a preparation containing natural vitamin B12;
- and
- (d) recombining portion of the solid phase with the liquid phase, the solid phase comprising at least a part of the disrupted cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.