# US 7,309,773 B2 · Process for preparation of flax protein isolate > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,309,773 B2 - Document ID: US7309773B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/902,102 - Filed: 2004-07-30 - Published: 2005-03-17 - Granted: 2007-12-18 - Earliest claimed: 2003-08-01 - Assignees: Burcon Nutrascience (MB) Corp. - Inventors: Brent E. Green; Radka Milanova; James Logie - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7309773B2 ## CPC - C07K 14/415: from plants - A23J 1/14: from leguminous or other vegetable seeds; from press-cake or oil-bearing seeds - A23J 3/14: Vegetable proteins - A23K 20/147: Polymeric derivatives, e.g. peptides or proteins - A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs - C07K: PEPTIDES (peptides in foodstuffs A23; obtaining protein compositions for foodstuffs, working-up proteins for foodstuffs A23J; preparations for medicinal purposes A61K; peptides containing beta-lactam rings C07D; cyclic dipeptides not having in their molecule any other peptide link than those which form their ring, e.g. piperazine-2,5-diones, C07D; ergot alkaloids of the cyclic peptide type C07D519/02; macromolecular compounds having statistically distributed amino acid units in their molecules, i.e. when the preparation does not provide for a specific; but for a random sequence of the amino acid units, homopolyamides and block copolyamides derived from amino acids C08G69/00; macromolecular products derived from proteins C08H1/00; preparation of glue or gelatine C09H; single cell proteins, enzymes C12N; genetic engineering processes for obtaining peptides C12N15/00; compositions for measuring or testing processes involving enzymes C12Q; investigation or analysis of biological material G01N33/00) - A23J: PROTEIN COMPOSITIONS FOR FOODSTUFFS; WORKING-UP PROTEINS FOR FOODSTUFFS; PHOSPHATIDE COMPOSITIONS FOR FOODSTUFFS - A23K: FODDER - A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION ## Abstract Flax protein isolates are obtained in a procedure in which flax oil seeds are initially extracted to remove mucilage therefrom prior to crushing to recover the oil and produce a meal. The flax protein meal then is processed to recover a flax protein isolate therefrom. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process of preparig a flax protein isolate having a protein content of at least about 90 weight percent, as determined by Kjeldahl nitrogen times 6.25, which comprises: initially extracting flax oil seeds to remove mucilage therefrom using a mildly-alkaline aqueous solution of an alkaline material, crushing the extracted oil seeds to recover oil and leave a meal, and processing the meal to recover a flax protein isolate therefrom by: solubilizing protein in said flax oil seed meal by extracting using an aqueous sodium chloride solution having an ionic strength of at least about 0.10 M at a pH of about 5 to about 7 to provide an aqueous protein solution having a concentration of about 5 to about 40 g/L, concentrating the aqueous protein solution while maintaining the ionic strength substantially constant to a concentration of at least about 150 g/L by a selective membrane technique, diluting the concentrated protein solution with water having a temperature of less than about 15° C. to form protein micelles, and collecting and recovering said protein micelles as a protein micellar mass of flax protein isolate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein said mildly-alkaline solution has a pH of about 7.5 to about 9. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2 wherein said initial extraction of oil seeds to remove mucilage therefrom is effected by an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 which is effected at a temperature of about 30° to about 70° C. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2 which is effected at a temperature of about 50° C. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 which is effected at a seed to solution ratio of about 1:1 to about 1:20. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2 which is effected at a seed to solution ratio of about 1:5 to about 1:10. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the aqueous solution has a concentration of about 0.2 to about 0.7 M of mildly-alkaline material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 which is effected by stirring the oil seed in the aqueous solution for about 15 to about 60 minutes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The process of claim 2 which is effected by stirring the oil seed in the aqueous solution for about 30 to about 60 minutes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein there are multiple extractions of the oil seed until no further mucilage is extracted from the oil seeds. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein said mildly-alkaline material is sodium bicarbonate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein said initial extraction of oil seeds to remove mucilage therefrom is effected by stirring the oil seeds for about 15 to about 60 minutes in an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate having a pH of about 6.0 to about 7.5 at a temperature of about 30° to about 70° C. and at a seed to solution ratio of about 1:1 to about 1:20. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 wherein said aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate has a concentration of about 0.2 to about 0.7M said oil seeds to solution ratio is about 1:5 to about 1:10 and the stirring is effected from about 30 to about 60 minutes, and multiple extractions of the oil seed are effected until no further mucilage is extracted from the oil seeds. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13 which is carried out using an about 0.5 M aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate having a concentration of about 0.5 M at about 50° C. and at a seed to solution ratio of about 1:10. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the protein micellar mass is dried. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein residual liquid from the recovering of the protein micellar mass is processed to recover additional quantities of flax protein isolate.