Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
This invention relates to A process for pr~par-
ing food products containing a lactic acid bacteria-fer-
mented produc-t of the useful ingredients of a cereal germ
in high concentrations which are free from the poor palat-
abili*y of cereal germs ascribable to bad smell, tasteand susceptibilit~ to spoilage~
The health-promoting and nutritional values of
lactic acid bacteria-fermented products of milks, that i~,
coagulated milks, ha~e becn recognized for many years, and
a number of suggestions have been made a~ to their produc-
tion. Attempts have also been made to produce such co-
agulated milk~ by utilizin$ cereal $erm~ or extracts
thereo~ The~e prior techniques include, for example, a
method of producing coa~lated mllk by adding a very small
amount of a germ-leached product in an attempt to avold
the inhibltion of the growth of lactic acid bacteria
caused by the deviation of the pH from the optimal range
a~ a re~ult of the formation of lactic acid (Japanese
Patent Publication No. 4156/1930); a method for obtaining
a coagulated milk product by mixing a naturally fermented
product of a mixture con~isting of a rice germ po~er, a
rice koji powder and a low-fat milk, with a separately
prepared coagulated milk (Japanese Patent Publication NQ.
5213,~1932); and a method of cultivating lactic acid bacteria
in milk to which a tiny amount of a rice bran-leached pro-
duct has been added (JApanese Patent Publication No. 26474f65).
The prior su3~estion~ ho~e~er fall to disclose
any technical concept and means of producing lactic acid
bacteria-fermented products of the useful components of
- 2
cereal germs themselves~
It is ~ell known that cereal germs contain good
q~ality proteins, essential fatty acids not synthesizable
within the hu~an body, such as linoleic acid, nicotinic
acid or pantothenic acid, various vitamins such a~ vitamin
Bl, B2, B6, E, F, or H, and minerals such as K, Na, Ca or
Mg, and have a very high nutritional value~ Thus, the
cereal germs are known to be "natural food products"
which contain a well-balanced combination of nutrients
that tend to be deficient in foods and drinks normally
taken by humans, and which exhibit superior actions of,
for example, improving the phy~ical constitution, helping
lon~evity, nourishing the skin, promoting health, and
curing certain diseasesO
In spite of this, there has been suggested no
idea of pro~iding a lactic acid bacteria-fermented food
product of cereal germs themselves or the useful ingredients
extracted therefrom. This is probably becaus~ the ex-
*raction of *he useful ingredients of germs iY an extremel~
difficult operation and the efficiency of extraction is
poor, and their inherent poor edibility and potability
and their susceptibility to spoilage have been against
an incentive to attempts at producing feasible fermented
products of cereal germs for human consumption. In fact,
in the prior suggestions cited above, the underlying
technical concept was merely to utilize a tiny amount
of extracted ingredients of germ~ for promoting the lactic
acid bacteria-fermentation of milk components to produce
coagulated milk.
Our extensi~e lnvestigations in an attempt to
provide lactic acid bacteria-fermented products of the
extrac*ed ingredients of cereal germs themselves have led
to the discovery that a food product containin~ a lac*ic
acid bacteria-fermented produc-t of a cereal germ ~.~rhich
has ~uperior edibility and potability can be obtained by
inoculating lactic acid bacteria in a culture madium
consi~ting of, as a main ingredient, a water extract of
a cereal germ, and cultivating the bacteriaO We have also
found that a better quality food product con-talning a
lactic acid bacteria~fermented product of a cereal germ
can be obtained by inoculatin~ lactic acid bacteria in a
culture medium composed of, as a main ingredient, a water
extract of a cereal germ which is obtained by hot water
extraction of the cereal ~erm in the presence of a starch
hydrolase (the extraction method previously ~uggested by
our copending Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No.
36375J73), and cultivating the bacteria therein~
Japanese Patent Publication No~ 26474J65 cited
above states that the promotion of the gro~th of lactic
acid bacteria by the method disclosed tnerein is due to
the suitable concentration of milk or a low-fat powdery
milk, and the suitable amount and temperature of the
leached product of defatted rice bran added thereto, and
also to the synergistic effect of ba~es, vita~ins, and
traces of metals present in the leached product; and
teaches a method of cultivating ].actic acid bacteria
wherein the addition of 0.4 to 0.60~ of the leached product
to a 20 to 22~,b milk solution is essentialO In contrast,
-- 4 --
we have found that by fermenting the extracted ingredients of a cereal germ
or the germ itself in the presence of lactic acid bacteria using a culture
medium containing the extract of the germ or the germ itself and without
requiring the presence of milk, an excellent increase of bacterial population
can be achieved, and contrary to the expected unfittability of cereal germs
for human comsumption, the process of this invention can afford a lactic acid
bacteria-fermented cereal germ product having superior edibility and potability.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a process
for preparing with commercial advantage food products containing a lactic acid
bacteria-fermented product of the useful components of a cereal germ or the
- germ itself which have superior edibility and potability and exhibit superior
actions of, for example, improving the physical constitution, helping longe-
vity, nourishing the skin, promoting health, and curing certain diseases, the
process comprising cultivating lactic acid bacteria in a culture medium con-
taining the germ itself or germ extract as a main ingredient.
Many other objects and advantages of the present invention will
become apparent from the following description.
The present invention provides a process for preparing a lactic acid
bacteria-fermented food product of a cereal germ, which comprises inoculating
a culture medium containing an aqueous extract of a cereal germ as a main ingre-
dient with lactic acid bacteria, said extract being present in an amount of at
least about 25% by volume based on the volume of the culture medium and said
extract having a solid content of at least about 2% based on its own weight,
and then cultivating the lactic acid bacteria therein to produce the lactic
acid bacteria-fermented product.
The culture medium used in the process of this invention consists
mainly of a water extract of a cereal germ. The content of the extract is
usually at least about 25% by volume, preferably at least about 35% by
volume, more preferably at least about 50% by volume,
-5-
~3~
based on the volume of the culture mediumO Preferab
the extract has a solid content of at least about 2%~
more preferably at least about S%, especially preferably
at least about 10~, based on its o~-Tn lreight.
The extraction of cereal germs is carried out
with hot water preferably at a temperature of at least
60 C~ and up to the boiling point of the extraction
system. The amount of water as an extractant and the
extracting temperature can be varied suitably according9
for example, to the type, form or grain size of the germ.
For exa~ple, in the case of a whea-t germ powder~ an
a~eous slurry prepared by adding about 10 liters of
~ater to about 1 Kg of the powder is heated at about
90C. for about 30 minutes, lightl~ boiled for about 2
to 3 minutes, ar.d then subjected to a liquid-solid sepa-
rating means using, for example, a filter cloth to afford
an extract ~ith a so~s content of about 3.5 to 4,~. If
the extracting tempera*ure is too low, the concentration
of the extracted components decreases, and too high ex-
tracting temperatures make the extracting and separating
procedures dif-ficultD Hence, it is desirable to choose
moderate extracting temperatures. The extracting operation
may be performed in a single or a multiplicity of stages,
and there is no particular restriction in this regard.
The germs of cereals, such as rice and wheat,
can be utilized either as such or after being defatted.
The extractin$ water, if desired, may contain a sucrose
fatty acid ester, a sorbitan fatty acid ester, or an
emulsifying agent or surface active agent whose intake
f~
into the body is permissible. The form of the starting germ is neither
restricted, and may be a powder, coarsely pulverized product, or flattened
product.
The concentration of the extracted components can be increased by
extracting the germ with hot water in the presence of a starch hydrolase
~enzyme number 3.2). The starch hydrolase is well known, and commercially
available. Examples of such enzymes are ~-anylase, malt amylase, diastase,
Takadiastase, (enzyme numbers 3.2.1.1;3.2.1.2) and gluco-anylase. ~Enzyme
3.2.1.4) furthermore, in the process of this invention, the starch hydrolase
(enzyme number 3.2) may be used in conjunction with cellulases (enzyme number
3.2.1.4) or proteases ~enzyme numbers 3.4,3.4.21.14, 3.4.21.15~. The use
of amylases ~enzyme number 3.2) containing proteases is preferred because it
will result in the increased contents of vitamins B or nicotinic acid in the
fermented product of this invention, and improve the stability of the pro-
teinaceous components of the final product (by inhibiting the separation of
the proteinaceous components).
The amount of the starch hydrolase ~enzyme number 3.2) differs
according to the action, properties and enzymatic unit of the enzyme agent
used, and also the properties and quality of the starting cereal germ. In
many cases, amounts of about 0.1 to 5.0% weight based on the starting
germ are sufficient. For example, in the case of a powdery enzyme preparation
of 5000 units/g, its amount may be about 0.2 to 0.5% by weight.
The details of the hot water extraction in the presence of a starch
hydrolase ~enzyme number 3.2) are described in Japanese Laid Open Patent
Publication No. 36375/73 cited hereinabove, and are omitted in this application.
As stated hereinabove, the extracting tempeTa-
ture is preferably from about 6QC. to the boiling point
of the extraction system. The extracting temperature
may be changed stepwise during the extraction operation,
or maintained substantially constant during the entire
extracting period. When a protease Cenzyme numbers 3.4,
3.4.21.14,3.4.21.15); and containing amylase (enzyme
number 3.2) is used, the extraction is preferably carried
out preliminary at room temperature to about 45C., and
then at the above-specified temperature.
The amount of the extracting water is not res-
tricted in particular, and for exampleJ it is at least
2 parts by ueight, for example, 2 to 10 parts by weight,
per part by weight of the starting cereal germ.
The type of the extracting t~mk or the method
of he~ting can be fre01y changed, and any types of the
tank and heating method which make hot-water extraction
possible can be employed.
If desired, the extraction can be carried out
at elevated pressures. Prior to extraction, the starting
cereal germ may, if desired~ be washed with water, or
pasteurized with a suitable disinfectant such as hypo-
chlorous acid. If further desired, the starting germ
slurry or suspension may be blanched at a desired stage,
for example, during its transfer or extraction. Stirring
may be employed in the extracting operation, and the heat-
ing may be carried out by steaming. ~r the starting cereal
germ may be packed in a column, and the extractant passed
through the column to extract the useul components of the
germ. The extraction operation can be performed either
- 8 -
cont~nuously or batchwiseO
The extracting time is neither restricted, and
can be varied suitably according9 for example, to the
method of extraction and the extracting conditions.
Usually, a period of about 1~2 to about 3 hours is suf-
ficientO
Af-ter the extraction, the liquid is separated
from the solld, and the extract is collectedO Any con-
ventional li~uicl-solid separating procedures can be used
for the separationO If desired, the li~uid-solid-sepa-
ration and filtration can be facilitated by using an
organic or inorganic precipitating agentO In the sepa-
rating procedure, filtration aids or precipitants, ~uch as
diatomaceous ~,~rth,terra abla or poly(sodium acrylate)
can be utili3ed. The resulting water extract can be used
either directly or after being concentrated by kno1~ con-
centrating means which do not subs1tantially cause thermal
chan~es to the product. Or it may be powdered by known
drying means lrhich do not substantially cause thermal
chan$es to the product, and re-dissolved to the desired
concentration. The powderization can be carried out by
concentration or drying at reduced pressure and low tem-
peratures, preferably by spray-drying at room temperature
or under heat, or lyophilization.
A culture medium containing the resulting water-
extract of cereal germ as a main ingredient is used in
the process of this ~nvention. If desired, the culture
medium may further contain minor amounts of culture
medium components and~or potable and edible components.
The amounts of these secondary components should not be
such that ~ill decrease the amounts o-f the useful com-
ponents of the lrater-ex-tract of the cereal ~erm to very
small ones as is the case ~ith the conventional production
of coagulated milkn Examples 0~ these additives include
animal proteins such as milks, concentrated milks, low-
fat milks~ or whey; vegetable protein-containing materials
such as soybean milk, juices of cereal lea~es, or dried
products of the cereal leaf ~uices; carboh~drates such as
starch and sugars; egg shells; and ~east extract~, edible
plant extracts, malt extract, and fruit juices.
In the process of this invention, lactic acid
bacteria are inoculated in the culture medium described
above, and cultivated thereO The culture medium is heat-
s*erilized in a customar~ manner, and a starter resultingfrom the cultivation of lactic acid bacteria9 for example,
Lactobacillus ul~aricus in a culture medium o~ low-fat milk
is ad~ed to the culture medium having a so~d~ concentra*ion
of about 10 to ?.0% by weight, for example, in an amount of
about 2 to 10% based on the volume of the culture medium.
The lactobacilli inoculated are cultivated at a suitable
cultivating temperature of, say, about 38 to 40 C. Other
kno~n and available lactic acid bacteria include~ for
example, ~actobacillus acidoPhilus, Streptococcus lactis,
.. .. ~ .. , . ~ . . _
and ~ coccus thermophilus.
__
Especially favorable results are obtain~d in the
process of this invention by utilizing an extract obtained
by extracting a cereal germ with hot lrater in the presence
~ y~e ~b~
of a starch h~drolas~, as a main ingredient of the culture
-- LO --
&~
mediumO The bacterial population increases exceeclingly
in this embodiment as compared with the case of using
an extract obtained in the absence of the enzyme~ We
assume that this method of extraction results in a strik-
ing increase in the amount of the e~tract and permitsa ~ery easy extracting operation, and that the addition
(e~z~fne ~b~3~
of the starch hydrolase~leacds to the formation of sugars
~hich are required for lactic acicl fermentation using
lactic acid bacteria, and also substances which promote
*he growth of lactic acid bacteria can be extraeted to
a higher extent.
The food pro~lucts obtai:ned by the proeess of
this invention containing a laetic acid bacteria-ferment~d
product of a cereal germ exhibit superior edibility and
potability in the form as proclueed~ If desired, they may
be mixed ~ith additives such as flavoring substances,
s~eetenings, conventionAl coa~ulated milks, essences such
as vanilla, orange or lemon essences,refined sugar, glu-
lose, bee honey, stareh syrup, or licorice extract to pro-
vide special food products containing lactic acid bacteria-
fermented cereal germs. ~urthermore, the food products
can he dried by customary means under conditions which do
not substantially cause thermal changes to the products,
for example, by clrying at reduced pressure and low tem-
peratures, preferably spray-drying at room temperature
of under heat, or ~y lyophylizingO The dried products
are taken as such or used as fortifying n~tritive additives
-to a broad range of food productsO
Thus, according to the present invention, there
-- 11 --
can bP provided a fermented product o an extract of
the components of a cereal germ or a dried product there-
of, which contains useful ingredients in many varieties
and amounts which can be used in a wide variety of food
products and health-promoting or pharmaceutical compo-
sitions. The fermented products and dried products there-
of can also be used as animal or poultry feeds or feed
additives, or as therapeutic or prophylactic agents for
animals, or for promoting growth or egg laying.
I0 The following Examples illustrate the process of
this invention in greater detail.
ample 1
(a~ 1 Kg of a wheat germ was placed in a 20-liter
stainless steel con~ainer, and 10 liters of water was
added. The mixture was lightly stirred to form a sus-
pension of the germ. The suspension was heated at about
90C. for 40 minutes and finally boiled for 2 to 3 minutes,
then allowed to stand, and filtered to extract hot water-
soluble components. The resid~e was lightly squeezed,
and combined with the filtrate obtained to afford 7 liters
of a yellowish milky white liquor haYing a solids concent-
ration of about 3% by weight. The liquor was concentrated
at reduced pressure to af~ord 1.3 liters of a germ ex-
tract (A) having a solids concentration of 15%.
~) 1 Kg of a wheat germ was placed in a 20-liter
stainless steel container, and 10 liters of water was
added. 5 g of ~-amylase (enzyme numbers 3.2.1.1,3.2.1.2)
(Kleistase, a prodwct of Yamato Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha,
containing protease) was added. The ~-amylase (enzyme
numbers 3.2.1.1,3.2.1.2) used had 7500 enzyme units (one
enzyme unit
- 12 -
p~
is defined as the activity of 1 g of the enzyme which
acts on 10 ml of a 1% solution of starch and reduces
the iodine color reaction degree of the starch by 1%
by reaction at 40 CD for 1 minute). The mixture l~aS
thoroughly dispersed ~ith stirring, and graclually heated
from room tamperature, maintained at about 30 to 40C.
for 40 minutes, further heated and maintained at ahout
75Co for 40 minutes, and finally boiled mildly for ?.
to 3 minutes The product was treated in the same way
as in (a) ahove to afforcl 7~5 liters of a fermentation
liquorO The filtrate hacl a solids concentration of about
4%. The liquor was concentrated at reduced pressure to
afford 109 liters of a germ extract (B) having a solids
concentration of 15%~
15 (c) One liter each of the germ extracts (A) ancl (B)
obtained in (a) and (b) above ~as placed in a 1.5-liter
pre-sterili~ed three-necked glass flask, and sea~ed by
a cotton stopper. It was sterili~ed in a ~ustomary manner
in an autoclave, and allowed to cool to form a culture
medium having a pH of about 6.50
60 ml of a starter resulting from the cultiva-
tion of Lactobacillus bul~aricus was adcled to each of the
culture media ohtained, and cultivated at 38 to 40 C. for
?4, 48, 72 ancl 94 hours, respectivelyO About 10 cc of each
f the fermentecl products ~as sampled at the end of each
fermentation period, and the bacterial population (the
number of active :Lacto~acillus cel:ls) was measured.
For comparison, the same fermentation a* above
~as performed using 1 liter of a culture medium (15% by
weight concentration) obtaine~ by adding 1400 ml of
~ater to 210 g of low-fat milkO
The resul.ts are sho~^m in Ta~le 1.
_ ~ cr~
~rl O O O O
~ ~ ~ x x x
~ ~ ~,
O _~ ~ ~ .
~ ~ o ~ ~
~ ~ ~ ~ o ~ ~
o _ ~ . o
ra~o~ CO U~ CO O ~
~_ ~
_ 8 ~ ~ a
~1 0 O O O O h t'
~ ~rl ~ I r l
'5~ ~ X X X X
~ ~ o ~ ~ rl;
~ ,_~ a) o ~ ~
a) ~ a ~ ~
~ ~ ~ C~ .~
~ ;r ~ ~ ~ ~ o a~ ~
X ~
'~ ~ O ~ ~ O
c~ ,s~
h 0 K X X ~ 0 h 0 o
~ ~ a` _I co ~1
,_ 0 0 O C~
. h ~ o o ~D ~ ~ ~I
X . _ ~ h
c~~ oo ~
. ,_ CO ~ ~ o .r o ~Z
. ~, O ~1 ~1 ,i .~
_ . _ . O
$ r~ h
s:~ ~ ;; ~ CO CU ;t
a) o c~ ;~ 1~ O`
h o ~
. ~ _
The fermentation liquors obtained by fermenting
for 72 hours were each analyzed for Vitamins Bl9 B2, B6,
F and H, nicotinic acid, and calcium. The results are
shown in Table 2 below.
Table 2
SubstancesExtract CA)Extract ~B)
~ .
Yitamin Bl0.50 mg% 0.61 mg% 0.1 mg%
Vitamin B20.28 mg% 0.32 mg% 0.15 mg~
Vitamin B6184.0 ~g% 202.0 ~g% 52 ~g%
Vitamin F10.5 mg% 13.6 mg% 1.2 mg%
Vitamin H11.2 mg% 15.4 mg% 2.2 mg%
(biotin)
Nicotinic acid 61.0 mg% 78.0 mg% 41.5 mg%
Calcium 0.2 mg% 0.28 ~8~ 0.01 mg%
~ rom the examples shown in Tables 1 and 2, it is
seen that the lactic acid bacteria-fermented products of
cereal germs are far superior to the coagulated milks in
accordance with the conventional technical concept.
Exam~le 2
10 liters of water was added to 1 kg of a wheat
germ ~a product of Nissin Seifun Kabushiki Kaisha)l and
5 g of ~-amylase (enzyme numbers 3.2.1.1J3.2.1.2)
(Kleistase, a product of Yamato Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha)
was added. The mixture was sufficiently stirred, and gradual-
ly heated at 75 to 80C. for 40 minutes, followed by gentle
boiling for 2 to 3 minutes. The product was filtered by means
of a filter cloth, and the residue was lightly squeezed to
orm 7.S liters of a filtrate. l`he
- 16 -
fi]trate obtained had an extra~t concentration of 4% and
a pH of 605. The filtrate was concentrated at reduced
pressure to afford al~out 1.9 liters of a germ extract
having an extract concentration of 15Qbo The extract was
then placed in a 5-liter pre-sterilizecl three-necked flask
and sealed by a cotton stopper. It was sterilized in a
customary manner in an autoclave, and cooled rapidly to
about 38 C0 200 ml of a starter resulting from the culti-
vation of Lactobacil:Lus ~ was added to the result-
ing culture mediumO The mixture ~ras well shaken, andp]aced in an incubator at 3~ to 40C.
Fermentation
time Acidity
~hours) (%)_ _pH
?.4 1.0 3O7
~8 103 3.6
7? 104 3u5
After a lapse of 72 hours, the fermentation liquor
was withdra~n, and 3.3 Kg of granular sugar was added, and
the mixture was heated to 60Co Then, a solution of 17 g
of a sucrose fatty acid ester (DIC-Ester-140, a product of
DaiiChi Kogyo Seiyaku Kabushiki Eaisha) in a small amount
of water was added. The mixture was treated in a homo-
genizer to form a ]ight yellow gray homogeneous syrup.
Example 3
100 liters of water was added to 10 ICg of a
wheat germ, and the mixture was heated at al~out 90Co for
al~out 30 minutes to extract hot water-soluble components~
The mixture was boiled for 2 to 3 minutes, and filtered
1~f~d~ r~1arK - 17 -
through a cloth ba$. The residue was lightly squeezed
to afford about 70 liters of a filtrate li~Thich was yellow
in color and somewhat opalescentO The ex*ract content
of the filtrate was about 3h. The filtrate was con-
centrated at reduced pressure to afford 16 liters of agerm extract having an extract concentration of 1?~.
5 S of lactose was adcIed, and the mixture was maintained
at about 90 CO for about 30 minutes to sterilize it, and
then cooled rapi~ly to 40Co One liter of a starter re-
sulting from the cultivation of Lactobacillus bulgericuswas acldecl, and the mixture was stirredO
Then7 the mixture was maintained at 37 to 40 C.
to perform lactic acid fermentation~
Fermentation
time Acidity
(hours) (,S) pTI
___ ._ _
24 1.4 3~5
48 1.6 3 5
7~ 1.7 3.5
ExAmple IL
10 Liters of water was added to 1 ICg of a rice
germ (~ product of Kanemi Yushi ~abushiki Kaisha) and the
mixture was dispersed with stirring. The mixture was
heated at about ~0C. for 30 minutes, then boiled :lightly
for 2 to 3 minutes, and filtered through a gauze tc afford
fi . 3 liters of a filtrate having an extract concentration of
3% and a pll of 6.6. The filtrate was concentratecl at
reducecd pressure to afford about 1.6 liters of a rice germ
extract with an extract concentration of 12~. 7 Liters
_ :L8 -
of a 12% solution of low~fat po~rdery milk was added, and
the mixture was sterilizecl a-t about 90 C0 for about 30
minutesO The mixture was cooled to afford a culture
medi~ for lactic acid fermentationn ~30 ml of a starter
resulting from the cultivation of Lactobaclllus ~
was added to the eulture meclium. The culture medium was
maintainecd at 38 to 40 C~ to perform the lactic acid fer-
mentationO
Bacterial population
Fermentation per cubic centimeter
time Acidity of the fermentation
(hours) (~) E~i _ liquor
105 3-5 207 x 109
4~ 1076 3-5 2.8 x 109
7~. 1.95 30~ ?~3 x 109
The fermentation liquor witlldra~n after a lapse
of 72 hours was treated in a homogenizer to form a homo-
geneous turbid liquor, and lo 5 rK~ of granular sugar, 1.0 Kg
~^~ of starcl-l syrup, 18 g of a sucrose fatty acid ester (DK~-140,
a produet of Daiichi Kogyo Seiyaku Kabushiki ~caisha)~ and
a small amount of an orange flavor were aclded, and the
mixture was again homogeni~ed by a homogenizer.
The resulting syrup ~as used as an original es-
sence fcr active lactobacilli-containing drinksO
~en thi6 product was maintained in a refrigerator
at 10 C~ for 4 days, the number of lactohacil:Li contained
was 3.8 million'ml.
Example 5
10 Liters of water l~as added to 1 ICg of a wheat
germ (a product of Nissin Seifun Kabushiki Kaisha) 7 and
- 19 -
f~ a /l ~
5 g of ~amylase Cenzyme numbers 3.2.1.1,3.2.1.2) (Kleistase,
a product of Yamato Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha~ was added and
dispersed with stirring. The dispersion was gradually heat-
ed, and maintained at 75 to 80C. for 40 minutes. It was
again heated, and finally boiled gently for 2 to 3 minutes.
The product was filtered to afford 7.4 liters of a filtrate
having an extract concentration of 4.8% and a pH of 6.7.
The filtrate was concentrated at reduced pressure to afford
2.7 liters of a concentrated liquor having an extract con-
centration of 12%. The concentrated liquor obtained was
sterilized, and 2000 ml of the sterilized liquor was mixed
with 800 ml of a 12% solution of low-fat powdery milk, and
100 ml of a starter resulting from the cultivation of
Lactobacillus bulgaricus was added to the mixture to per-
form lactic acid fermentation. After a lapse of 48 hours,
the fermentation liquor had an acidity of 2.2%, and after
a lapse of 72 hours, it had an acidity of 2.6% and a pH
of 3.3. It was homogenized by a homogeni7er, and 4.0 Kg of
granular sugar was mixed. The mixture was homogenized, and
sterilized at 70C. for 15 minutes to afford 5.2 liters
of an original essence for lactobacilli-fermented drinks.
Example 6
10 Liters of water was added to 1 Kg of a wheat
germ ~a product of Nissin Seifun Kabushiki Kaisha), and
2.5 g of commercially available ~-amylase (Kleistase, a
product of Yamato Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha) was added. The
mixture was gradually heated, and finally boiled gently
for 2 to 3 minutes. The product was cooled to about 55 C.,
and 2.5 g of glucoamylase (enzyme number 3.2.1.3)
~Sumizyme, a product of
- 20 -
Shin Nippon Kagaku I~abushiki Kaisha) was added. The
mixture l~a~ stirred, maintained at about 55C. for 5
hours, again heated, and gently boiled for ? to 3 hoursO
The mixture lJaS filtered through a gallZe to afford 709
liters of a filtrateO The filtrate was concentrated
at reduced pressure to af-ford 2~5 liters of a concent-
rated liquor having an extract concentration of 15%o The
liquor was sterilized, and cooled by the method already
described hereinabove, and 120 ml of a starter resulting
from the cultivation of Lactobacillus bulgaricus ~.~as added
to perform ~actic acid fermentationO After a lapse of
7?. hours, the fermentation liquor had an acidity of 203,b,
and a pH of 304 and contained 206 x 109'ml of active
lactobacilli. loO Kg of granular sugar and ~00 g of
starch syrup ~Jere dissolvecl in about 1 liter of waterO
The solution l~aS boiled~ coolecl, and admixed with steri-
lized water to adjust the amount of the mixture to 2.5
liters. The resultin~ mixture was addecl to the fermentation
product, and sufficiently emulsified 'co afford an original
essence for lactobacilli-containing drinksO This was
diluted to about 20 5 times the original volume to form
a lactobacillus-fermented drinkO l~len it l~as stored for
one month at about 5 C., it contained l o O x 109,/ml Or
active cells.
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