# US 7,608,436 B2 · Process for producing saccharide oligomers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,608,436 B2 - Document ID: US7608436B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/339,306 - Filed: 2006-01-25 - Published: 2007-07-26 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2006-01-25 - Assignees: Tate & Lyle Ingredients Americas LLC - Inventors: Michael D. Harrison; James C. Purdue; Penelope A. Patton; Andrew J. Hoffman; James M. Gaddy; Chi-Li Liu; Robert V. Schanefelt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7608436B2 ## CPC - C12P 19/04: Polysaccharides, i.e. compounds containing more than five saccharide radicals attached to each other by glycosidic bonds - 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)} ## Abstract A process for preparing saccharide oligomers uses an aqueous feed composition that comprises at least one monosaccharide or linear saccharide oligomer, and has a solids concentration of at least about 70% by weight. The feed composition is heated to a temperature of at least about 40° C., and is contacted with at least one catalyst that accelerates the rate of cleavage or formation of glucosyl bonds, such as enzyme or acid, for a time sufficient to cause formation of non-linear saccharide oligomers. A product composition is produced that contains a higher concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers than linear saccharide oligomers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for preparing saccharide oligomers, comprising: heating an aqueous feed composition that comprises at least one monosaccharide or linear saccharide oligomer, and that has a solids concentration of at least about 70% by weight, to a temperature of at least about 40° C.; and contacting the feed composition with at least one catalyst that accelerates the rate of cleavage or formation of glucosyl bonds for a time sufficient to cause formation of non-linear saccharide oligomers, wherein a product composition is produced that contains a higher concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers than linear saccharide oligomers; wherein the product composition comprises non-linear saccharide oligomers having a degree of polymerization of at least three in a concentration of at least about 20% by weight on a dry solids basis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the aqueous feed composition comprises at least one monosaccharide and at least one linear saccharide oligomer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the aqueous feed composition is a dextrose syrup, a corn syrup, or a solution of maltodextrin. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein at least about 50% by weight on a dry solids basis of the product composition is slowly digestible. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the feed composition is contacted with the at least one catalyst for at least about five hours. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the feed composition is contacted with the at least one catalyst for about 15-100 hours. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the at least one catalyst is an enzyme that accelerates the rate of cleavage or formation of glucosyl bonds. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7, wherein the enzyme accelerates the rate of cleavage of alpha 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, or 1-6 glucosyl bonds to form dextrose residues. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7, wherein the enzyme is a glucoamylase enzyme composition. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7, wherein the amount of enzyme is about 0.5-2.5% by volume of the feed composition. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7, wherein the feed composition is maintained at about 55-75° C. during the contacting with the enzyme. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The process of claim 11, wherein the feed composition is maintained at about 60-65° C. during the contacting with the enzyme. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7, wherein the feed composition is contacted with the enzyme for about 20-100 hours prior to inactivation of the enzyme. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The process of claim 13, wherein the feed composition is contacted with the enzyme for about 50-100 hours prior to inactivation of the enzyme. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the at least one catalyst is an acid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, wherein the acid is hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, wherein acid is added to the feed composition in an amount sufficient to make the pH of the feed composition no greater than about 4. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, wherein acid is added to the feed composition in an amount sufficient to make the pH of the feed composition about 1.0-2.5. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, wherein the feed composition has a solids concentration of about 70-90% and is maintained at a temperature of about 70-90° C. during the contacting with the acid. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, wherein the solids concentration of the feed composition is at least about 80% by weight, the acid is added to the feed composition in an amount sufficient to make the pH of the composition about 1.8, and the feed composition is maintained at a temperature of at least about 80° C. for about 4-24 hours after it is contacted with the acid. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The process of claim 15, wherein the solids concentration of the feed composition is about 90-100% by weight, and the feed composition is maintained at a temperature of at least about 149° C. for about 0.1-15 minutes after it is contacted with the acid. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The process of claim 21, wherein the acid comprises a combination of phosphoric and hydrochloric acid. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the feed composition comprises at least about 75% solids by weight. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The process of claim 23, wherein the feed composition comprises about 75-90% solids by weight. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the product composition comprises non-linear saccharide oligomers having a degree of polymerization of at least three in a concentration of at least about 25% by weight on a dry solids basis. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The process of claim 25, wherein the product composition comprises non-linear saccharide oligomers having a degree of polymerization of at least three in a concentration of at least about 30% by weight on a dry solids basis. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The process of claim 26, wherein the product composition comprises non-linear saccharide oligomers having a degree of polymerization of at least three in a concentration of at least about 50% by weight on a dry solids basis. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the concentration of non-linear saccharide oligomers in the product composition is at least twice as high as the concentration of linear saccharide oligomers. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the product composition comprises a minor amount of residual monosaccharides, and wherein the process further comprises removing at least some residual monosaccharides from the product composition by membrane filtration, chromatographic fractionation, or digestion via fermentation. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the at least one catalyst that accelerates the rate of cleavage or formation of glucosyl bonds is enzyme, and the product composition is subsequently contacted with an acid that accelerates the rate of cleavage or formation of glucosyl bonds. ### Claim 31 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, wherein the at least one catalyst that accelerates the rate of cleavage or formation of glucosyl bonds is acid, and the product composition is subsequently contacted with an enzyme that accelerates the rate of cleavage or formation of glucosyl bonds. ### Claim 32 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising hydrogenating the product composition. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The process of claim 32, wherein the hydrogenating decolorizes the product composition but does not substantially change its dextrose equivalence. ### Claim 34 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1, further comprising hydrolyzing a maltodextrin to form a hydrolyzed saccharide solution and concentrating the hydrolyzed saccharide solution to at least about 70% dry solids to form the feed composition. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The process of claim 34, wherein the concentrating and the contacting of the feed composition with the at least one catalyst occur simultaneously. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The process of claim 35, wherein the concentrating occurs prior to the contacting of the feed composition with the at least one catalyst.