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  Inulin products with improved nutritional propertiesUSPTO Application #: 20070042992Title: Inulin products with improved nutritional properties Abstract: The invention relates to novel inulin products and compositions thereof, to their manufacture, to their use for modifying and modulating the bacterial flora and the fermentation pattern of inulin in the large intestine of humans, mammals or other vertebrates, to their use for providing improved inulin-associated nutritional effects/benefits, as well as to their use for the manufacture of consumer products and compositions for providing said effects/benefits in healthy, disfunctioned and diseased humans, mammals and other vertebrates. The novel inulin products consist of a particular mixture of an easily fermentable inulin (EFI) component and a hardly fermentable inulin (HFI) component. The nutritional effects/benefits include dietary fibre effects, improved mineral absorption, particularly calcium and magnesium, bone mineral density increase, reduction of bone mineral density loss, modulation of lipid metabolism, stimulation of the immune system, and anti-cancer effects. The novel inulin products are particularly suitable for the manufacture of a composition or a medicament for preventing, for postponing and/or for treating osteoporosis in humans, particularly in post-menopausal women and elderly people. (end of abstract) Agent: Hayes, Soloway P.C. - Tucson, AZ, US Inventors: Anne Frippiat, Jan Van Loo, Georges Smits USPTO Applicaton #: 20070042992 - Class: 514054000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Drug, Bio-affecting And Body Treating Compositions, Designated Organic Active Ingredient Containing (doai), O-glycoside, Polysaccharide The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070042992. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to novel inulin products and compositions thereof, to their manufacture and to their use for modifying and modulating the bacterial flora composition and the fermentation pattern of inulin in the large intestine of humans, mammals and other vertebrates, to their use for providing improved inulin-associated nutritional effects/benefits, and to their use for the manufacture of a composition, a consumer product, a pharmaceutical or a medicament for providing said effects/benefits in humans, mammals and other vertebrates. PRIOR ART AND TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND [0002] Inulin is a fructan-type carbohydrate, consisting mostly of fructose units, which occurs in many plants as a reserve carbohydrate. Inulin can be produced by certain bacteria and can also be enzymatically produced in vitro from sucrose. Inulin naturally occurs as a polydisperse mixture of carbohydrate molecules which are essentially composed of fructosyl units forming chains in which the fructosyl units are mainly or exclusively linked to one another by a .beta.(2,1) bound. The mainly linear chains are possibly bearing one or more side chains essentially composed of fructosyl units, thus forming branched inulin molecules with a fructosyl-fructosyl linkage at the branching point commonly formed by a fructosyl-fructosyl .beta.(2,6) bound. Inulin molecules from plant origin mostly contain one terminal glucosyl unit. Accordingly, inulin molecules can be represented by the formula GFn or Fm wherein G represents a terminal glucosyl unit, F represents a fructosyl unit and n and m represent the number of fructosyl units linked to one another through a .beta.(2,1) and/or a .beta.(2,6) bound. The number n+1, respectively m, indicates the degree of polymerisation (DP) of the inulin molecule. Inulin is further characterised by its (number) average degree of polymerisation, represented by ({overscore (DP)}). This is the value which corresponds to the total number of saccharide units (G and F units) in a given inulin sample divided by the total number of inulin molecules in said sample, without taking into account the monosaccharides glucose (G) and fructose (F) and the disaccharide sucrose (GF) which are possibly present in the sample. The average degree of polymerisation ({overscore (DP)}) is commonly determined by the method described by De Leenheer et al. (1). [0003] Native inulin from plant sources (i.e. the inulin as present in the plant) appears as a polydisperse mixture of mainly linear polysaccharide chains with a (DP) ranging from 2 to about 100, whereas inulin molecules from bacterial origin, which commonly are branched ones, usually have much higher (DP) values, even up to about 115.000. Plant inulin has a ({overscore (DP)}) which largely depends on the plant source and on the harvest, storage and processing conditions. Natural (or standard grade) inulin indicates herein inulin which has been extracted from plant sources, purified and isolated, without applying a treatment for reducing or increasing its ({overscore (DP)}) and it usually has a ({overscore (DP)}) which is about 1 unit lower than the ({overscore (DP)}) of the corresponding native inulin. [0004] Inulin molecules with a low degree of polymerisation, usually defined as a (DP)<10, are named inulo-oligosaccharide(s), fructo-oligosaccharide(s) or oligofructose. These terms, including linear and branched inulin of (DP)<10, are commonly, also herein, used interchangeably. Oligofructose is also termed herein short-chain inulin. [0005] Inulin is commonly manufactured from plant sources, mainly from roots of Chicory (Cichorium intybus), but also from tubers of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) and from the pina (head) of the Blue Agave plant, in which inulin can be present in concentrations up to about 20 wt % on fresh plant material (hereinafter wt % means per cent by weight). Inulin can be readily extracted from said plant parts and purified according to conventional techniques. [0006] Natural inulin from chicory, respectively from J. artichoke, commonly appears as a polydisperse mixture of slightly branched chains (typically chains with less than 2 per cent, respectively less than 1 per cent, branching) with a (DP) ranging from 2 to about 70, respectively from 2 to about 40. Natural (standard grade) chicory inulin has a ({overscore (DP)}) of about 10 and natural (standard grade) inulin from J. artichoke has a ({overscore (DP)}) of about 6. [0007] Natural inulin from agave appears as a polydisperse mixture of highly branched chains with a ({overscore (DP)}) commonly ranging from about 14 to about 17. [0008] At industrial scale, chicory inulin is conventionally obtained by extraction of shredded chicory roots with hot water yielding a crude inulin solution which is subsequently purified by depuration (treatment with lime followed by carbonatation and filtration) and by refining (involving treatment over ion-exchangers, treatment with active carbon and filtration). Standard grade inulin is then commonly obtained from the purified and refined solution by spray-drying. Optionally, monomeric and dimeric saccharides are removed from the purified and refined solution (e.g. by column chromatographic separation as described in EP 0670 850) to yield via spray-drying an inulin grade with a standard ({overscore (DP)}) of about 10 which is about free of monomeric and dimeric saccharides. Optionally the purified and refined solution can be fractionated to remove monomeric and dimeric saccharides as well as oligofructose (e.g. by directed crystallisation as described in EP 0 769 026) and the fractionated inulin is then isolated in particulate form by spray-drying. Depending on the manufacturing process, chicory inulin with a ({overscore (DP)}) ranging from about 10 (standard grade) to about 30, and even more, can be obtained. [0009] Similarly, agave inulin can be obtained at industrial scale by squeezing, or extracting with water, shredded heads or pulp from Blue Agave, followed by conventional purification, refining and isolation of the inulin e.g. via spray-drying. [0010] Inulin, including linear and branched inulin, with a ({overscore (DP)}).gtoreq.20 is termed herein long-chain inulin, whereas linear and branched inulin with a ({overscore (DP)}) from 10 to <20 is termed herein medium-chain inulin. [0011] Inulin from chicory is for example commercially available as RAFTILINE.RTM. from ORAFTI (Tienen, Belgium) in various grades. Typical grades are RAFTILINE.RTM. ST (with a ({overscore (DP)}) of about 10 and containing in total about 8% by weight glucose, fructose and sucrose) and RAFRILINE.RTM. HP (with a ({overscore (DP)}) of at least 20, commonly with a ({overscore (DP)}) of about 23 to about 25, and virtually free of glucose, fructose and sucrose). [0012] Agave inulin is commercially available, for example industrial grade agave inulin as GAVEDIET.RTM. PR with a ({overscore (DP)}) of 14-16 and containing in total about 5% by weight of glucose and fructose, from Industrias Colibri Azul S.A. de C.V., Mexico. [0013] Oligofructose can be obtained according to techniques which are known in the art, including enzymatic in vitro synthesis from sucrose, as for example described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,810, and partial hydrolysis of inulin, as for example described in EP 0 917 588. [0014] Oligofructose prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis of chicory inulin is commercially available in various grades, for example as RAFTILOSE.RTM. from ORAFTI (Tienen, Belgium), e.g. RAFTILOSE.RTM. L95 (liquid form) or RAFTILOSE.RTM. P95 (powder form), both with a content of about 95% oligofructose (% is wt % on total carbohydrates) with a (DP) from 2 to 9, typically with a (DP) mainly from 2 to 7, a ({overscore (DP)}) of about 4.5, and containing about 5% in total (% is wt % on total carbohydrates) of glucose, fructose and sucrose, and RAFTILOSE.RTM. L85, liquid form with a content of about 85% oligofructose (% is wt % on total carbohydrates) with a (DP) from 2 to 9, typically a (DP) mainly from 2 to 7, a ({overscore (DP)}) of about 3.5, and containing about 15%, maximally 20% in total (% is wt % on total carbohydrates) of glucose, fructose and sucrose. [0015] Unless otherwise specified, the term inulin used herein refers to linear as well as branched inulin, and includes inulin molecules with a (DP)<20 as well as inulin molecules with a ({overscore (DP)}).gtoreq.20. [0016] In the food and feed industry, oligofructose is widely used as a low-calorie partial or complete replacement for sugar, providing sweetness, body and mouthfeel, whereas inulin of a ({overscore (DP)}) of at least about 10, preferably of at least 20, is utilised (i) as a partial or complete low-calorie replacement for sugar in combination or not with one or more high intensity sweeteners, providing body and mouthfeel, (ii) as a texture improver, and (iii) as a low-calorie replacement for fat. The use of inulin as fat replacer results from the fact that inulin can form with water a particle gel with a stable, homogeneous, creamy structure with excellent organoleptic properties. [0017] Inulin molecules with a (DP).gtoreq.10 as well as oligofructose molecules with a (DP)<10, are not hydrolysed by human digestive enzymes. Accordingly, these molecules pass the upper part of the digestive tract and the small intestine unaltered (Ellegard et al. (2)) and reach almost quantitatively the large intestine where they are fermented by specific intestinal bacteria (Roberfroid et al. (3)). As a result thereof, inulin and oligofructose present highly interesting nutritional properties. [0018] Firstly, inulin and oligofructose are considered as dietary fibres. They reach the large intestine unaltered, thus providing carbon energy to the microflora in the large intestine. In this manner, inulin and oligofructose are stimulating the growth of gut bacteria in the large intestine which has a beneficial effect on the gut function, including a bulking effect (i.e. increase of the bacterial biomass) which in turn results in an increased stool weight, an increased stool frequency and a relief of constipation (Roberfroid (4)). [0019] Furthermore, it has been found that inulin and oligofructose have a strong bifidogenic effect because inulin and oligofructose selectively stimulate the growth and metabolic activity of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. Besides, while the counts of intestinal Bifidobacteria are significantly increased by the oral intake of inulin or oligofructose, a concomitant significant reduction of the counts of undesirable or pathogenic bacteria, such as e.g. Clostridia and Escherichia, in the large intestine has been observed (Gibson et al. (5) and Wang (6)). The intake of inulin and oligofructose thus largely modifies and modulates the gut flora by selectively increasing colonisation of the large intestine by beneficial bacterial species, typically Bifidobacteria, while suppressing the growth of undesirable bacterial species, which in turn results in favourable prophylactic and therapeutic effects on intestinal disorders of the host [0020] In vivo experiments with healthy volunteers showed inulin (RAFTILINE.RTM. ST) and oligofructose (RAFTILOSE.RTM. P95) to be bifidogenic to the same extent (Gibson et al. (7)), while in vitro experiments revealed that inulin ((DP).gtoreq.10) is fermented in the large intestine about twice as slowly as oligofructose ((DP)<10) (Roberfroid et al. (3)). [0021] From these observations it follows that oligofructose is almost completely fermented in the proximal part of the large intestine, i.e. the ascendent part, whereas inulin is likely to reach to a more or lesser extent also more distal parts of the large intestine, i.e. the transversal and descendent parts, where it is fermented. [0022] In vitro tests revealed that agave inulin is about as easily fermented as oligofructose. Accordingly, it is assumed that agave inulin is also almost completely fermented in the proximal part of the large intestine of humans and mammals. Continue reading... Full patent description for Inulin products with improved nutritional properties Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Inulin products with improved nutritional properties patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. 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