Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Preparations characterized by special physical form – Food or edible as carrier for pharmaceutical
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-12
2003-03-04
Page, Thurman K. (Department: 1615)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Preparations characterized by special physical form
Food or edible as carrier for pharmaceutical
C424S400000, C424S441000, C424S484000, C424S488000, C424S489000, C426S074000, C426S573000, C426S615000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06528085
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a use of a composition. In particular, the present invention relates to a use of a pectin composition.
Pectin is an important commodity in today's industry. For example, it can be used in the food industry as a thickening or gelling agent, such as in the preparation of jams or fruit systems for yoghurt.
Pectin is a structural polysaccharide commonly found in the form of protopectin in plant cell walls. The backbone of pectin comprises &agr;-1-4 linked galacturonic acid residues which are interrupted with a small number of 1,2 linked &agr;-L-rhamnose units. In addition, pectin comprises highly branched regions with an almost alternating rhamno-galacturonan chain. These highly branched regions also contain other sugar units (such as D-galactose, L-arabinose and xylose) attached by glycosidic linkages to the C3 or C4 atoms of the rhamnose units or the C2 or C3 atoms of the galacturonic acid units. The long chains of &agr;-1-4 linked galacturonic acid residues are commonly referred to as “smooth” regions, whereas the highly branched regions are commonly referred to as the “hairy regions”.
Some of the carboxyl groups of the galacturonic residues are esterified (e.g. the carboxyl groups are methylated). Typically esterification of the carboxyl groups occurs after polymerisation of the galacturonic acid residues. However, it is extremely rare for all of the carboxyl groups to be esterified (e.g. methylated). Usually, the degree of esterification will vary from 0-90%. If more than 50% of the carboxyl groups are esterified then the resultant pectin is referred to as a “high ester pectin” (“HE pectin” for short) or a “high methoxyl pectin”. If less than 50% of the carboxyl groups are esterified then the resultant pectin is referred to as a “low ester pectin” (“LE pectin” for short) or a “low methoxyl pectin”. If 50% of the carboxyl groups are esterified then the resultant pectin is referred to as a “medium ester pectin” (“ME pectin” for short) or a “medium methoxyl pectin”. If the pectin does not contain any—or only a few—esterified groups it is usually referred to as pectic acid.
LE pectins have for a long time been used in yoghurt fruit as a stabilising agent to ensure a certain yield stress and consequently uniform distribution of fruit without giving a too high viscosity. However, LE pectins tend to form a gel and any gelation should be avoided.
Gelation is detrimental to the appearance of many food products and may also result in undesirable organoleptic properties. Gelation of a product may also prohibit the pumping of that product. Pumping is a widely used method for manipulating products during manufacture and application, and consequently pumpability is a demand in many applications, e.g. yoghurt fruit application.
The prior art has attempted to overcome the above problems. The prior art has provided “pregelled” systems which although they may overcome some of the above problems, produce a product which is grainy with a dull appearance. Furthermore, such pregelled products has a strong tendency to syneresis.
The present invention aims to overcome the problems of the prior art.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided use of a pectin composition to prepare an aqueous composition having high yield stress characteristics without substantial gelation, wherein the pectin composition comprises at least a population of pectin that is calcium sensitive; wherein the pectin composition is capable of imparting high yield stress characteristics to an aqueous composition without causing substantial gelation of the aqueous composition.
The present invention is advantageous in that it may provide an aqueous composition which is smooth and shiny in appearance without exhibiting syneresis, in contrast to the pre-gelled systems of the prior art.
The term “pectin” includes fractions of pectin, one or more compounds from the class of compounds known as pectins, and derivatives thereof.
The term “derivatives thereof” includes derivatised pectin and degraded pectin (such as partially degraded pectin) and modified pectin.
The term “population of pectin that is calcium sensitive” means a population of pectin which has a calcium sensitivity index (CF) not equal to 1. A Protocol for determining calcium sensitivity may be found on page 57 of WO-A-97/03574 (the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference). For ease of reference, this Protocol is recited at the end of the Examples section (infra) as Protocol I.
Preferably, the population of pectin has a CF of greater than 1.2. More preferably, the population of pectin has a CF of greater than 5. Yet more preferably, the population of pectin has a CF of greater than 15.
Preferably, the pectin composition has a CF of greater than 1.2. More preferably, the pectin composition has a CF of greater than 5. Yet more preferably, the pectin composition has a CF of greater than 15.
In the present specification, by the term “having a high yield stress” it is meant that the yield stress of the aqueous composition as measured in accordance with the Protocol II is at least 1.0 Pa. Protocol II is recited at the end of the Examples section (infra).
Preferably, the yield stress of the aqueous composition is greater than 3.0 Pa. Yet more preferably, the yield stress of the aqueous composition is greater above 5.0 Pa.
In the present specification, by the term “without substantial gelation” it is meant that the maximum viscosity of a standardised aqueous composition measured in accordance with the Protocol III is no greater than 500 Pa. Protocol III is recited at the end of the Examples section (infra).
Preferably, the pectin composition is capable of imparting a high degree of shear thinning to an aqueous composition. A high degree of shear thinning is an important theological characteristic in liquid and semi-liquid systems to facilitate pumping and to secure a good non-sticky mouthfeel.
The degree of thixotropy of the aqueous composition may be varied from application to application. If stabilisation of suspended particles is required, the aqueous composition is preferably able to build up structure after shearing with low thixotropy. If a degree of flow after shearing is required, a degree of thixotropy is desirable and may be provided by the pectin composition. The pectin composition may be used in accordance with the present invention to control the above rheological characteristics. This control may be achieved by controlling, among other things, the degree of esterification (% DE), the proportion of the pectin composition which is calcium sensitive (% CSP), the calcium sensitivity of the calcium sensitive population of pectin (CS), the molecular weight of the pectin composition and/or the concentration of calcium in the aqueous composition.
Degree of thixotropy, shear thinning and shear reversibility may be evaluated by performing a flow curve experiment in accordance with Protocol IV. Protocol IV is recited at the end of the Examples section (infra).
Preferably, the aqueous composition has a low viscosity at a shear rate of 0.1 s
−1
.
In the present specification, by the term “low viscosity” it is meant that the viscosity at a shear rate of 0.1 s
−1
, measured in accordance with Protocol IV, is less than 100 Pa.s, preferably less than 80 Pa.s.
Thus, in a second aspect the present invention provides use of a pectin composition to prepare an aqueous composition having high yield stress characteristics and a low viscosity at a shear rate of 0.1 s
−1
, wherein the pectin composition comprises at least a population of pectin that is calcium sensitive; wherein the pectin composition is capable of imparting to an aqueous composition high yield stress characteristics and a low viscosity at a shear rate of 0.1 s
−1
.
The calcium sensitive pectin population can comprise any one or more of a low ester pectin, a medium ester pectin or a high ester pectin. Preferably, the calcium sensitive pectin population comprises a high ester pectin. Preferably, the calcium sensitive pectin
Groven Stig
Madsen Finn
Danisco A/S
Evans Charesse
Frommer Lawrence & Haug
Kowalski Thomas J.
Page Thurman K.
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