Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Fermentation processes – Of isolated seed – bean or nut – or material derived therefrom
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-09
2003-12-30
Hendricks, Keith (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Fermentation processes
Of isolated seed, bean or nut, or material derived therefrom
C426S052000, C426S634000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06669971
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to Natto improved the C/N balance (ratio of carbohydrate and protein) suitable for advancing fermentation of
Bacillus subtilis
Natto ideally, especially to Natto having improved the quality, increased the functional ingredient, softened the hardness to produce viscously, good taste and texture, and high enzyme activity and productivity of Vitamin K
2
and the like.
BACKGROUND ART
Natto is fermented soybean that is a traditional Japanese staple, which is an ideal food wherein nutrient in soybean is made well digestible, Vitamin B
2
and K
2
, and various functional enzyme such as nattokinase are produced owing to the working of
Bacillus subtilis
Natto. However, the quality of Natto are influenced so much by the raw materials of soybean, especially particles size of soybean has become smaller due to the consumer's preferences recently, and then the sugar contents of soybean are insufficient comparing with full maturity.
On manufacturing Natto in conventional manner, raw materials of soybean only are steeped in water, boiled with steam, and then
Bacillus subtilis
Natto is inoculated thereunto to be fermented. In this process of fermentation, the protein of soybean are decomposed into peptide and amino acid, and polypeptide of glutamic acid and fructose are polymerized to form &ggr;-polyglutamic acid (&ggr;-PGA) as viscous substance characteristic in Natto. Also, nattokinase is produced in the process, which is noticed as having the function of dissolving thrombus.
Nattokinase is one of protease and has the function to dissolve fibrin in thrombus. This enzyme is characteristic function of
Bacillus subtilis
Natto, and it is said cerebral thrombosis may be prevented by having Natto.
Next, it is noticed function of vitamin K
2
as a bonding agent to put calcium on to the human bone by the action of osteocalcin. Calcium is one of the most important minerals from young to old age person, and lack of calcium has a bad influence on forming skeletal structure, especially it may cause osteoporosis to persons of middle or advanced aged female.
Further, active protease exists in Natto, which promotes digestion of protein foods. Furthermore, it is expected that ingested
Bacillus subtilis
Natto stimulates vermiculation of intestines to improve Intestinal Flora together with
Lactobacillus bifidus
, and also expected to prevent food poisoning thanks to Antibiotics of Dipicolinic Acid produced by
Bacillus subtilis
Natto.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
However, soybean of raw materials of conventional Natto tend to use smaller particle sizes due to consumer's taste, and accordingly those sugar contents are low in most cases. If the fermentation is advanced and sugar contents go low, autolysis is promoted and it causes stink of ammonia other than the essential smell of Natto to harm the commercial value. And as time goes on, tyrosine (one of the amino acid insoluble in water) is formed to spoil the texture.
In order to resolve the above-mentioned problems, the applicant noticed to add grains containing sugar and vegetable fiber rich and selected Barley since the ratio of soluble to insoluble fiber is 1 vs. 1 and this ratio is suitable for human health, and further noticed Yam which is used for grated yam soup and compatible with Barley. Yam is rich nutritious and it is said as “foods of eternal youth and longevity” from ancient days. The special viscous substance of Yam is formed with combination of cellulose mannon and protein, which has functions of accelerating absorption of protein and preventing from accumulation of cholesterol.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Barley and Yam Natto according to the present invention comprises “Soybean”, “Barley” and “Yam” as ingredients which has peculiar valuable component respectively. These three ingredients are mixed adding
Bacillus subtilis
Natto and fermentated to obtain a Natto wherein the valuable components are increased greatly. This is the very work by microorganism and synthetic substance cannot attain. It's a marvelous mystery of microorganism.
This Barley Yam Natto has distinctive characters which are strong viscousness and almost odorless, and also it has high enzymatic activity by Nattokinase and Protease et al., and contains large amount of Vitamin K
2
(see Table 2). It is good to eat without regard to the characteristics of nations, regional differences or ages thanks to the valuable functionality and odorless.
Also, tyrosine appears so late on this Barley Yam Natto compared with conventional Natto. Tyrosine was not appeared within three weeks preservation in a refrigerator. Further, denaturation due to freezing is less than conventional Natto, and accordingly it is suitable for long-distance transportation such as export.
The present invention will be described more in detail from the following example.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5283059 (1994-02-01), Suzuki et al.
patent: 02-119758 (1990-05-01), None
patent: 2001-136927 (2001-05-01), None
Kato Keitaro
Koyama Shigeru
Tejima Eizo
Hendricks Keith
Ooyama Tofu Co., LTD
Rader Fishman & Grauer
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