Agency:

Agricultural Research Service

June 17, 1998

The invention involves a new enzyme, alternanase, which can be used to make thin compositions or fractions of the carbohydrate alternan. Alternan, which is made from cane or beet sugar, can be used as a bulking agent or as a partial substitute for gum arabic. The enzyme discovered in the invention essentially cut alternan molecules into fragments that can be used to thin alternan and develop compositions with reduced viscosity and increased solubility, enhancing alternan’s functional properties for use as bulking agents and extenders in foods and cosmetics. The invention also involves a way to isolate alternanase- producing bacteria from soil such as those from the Bacillus family. It is envisioned in the invention that commercial formulations of alternanase can be prepared directly from liquid culture medium.

Greg Cote	Herbert L. Wyckoff
Biopolymer Research	(Same address as first inventor)
Peoria, Illinois 61614
(309) 681-6319
Peter Biely
(Same address as first inventor)

Industry Keywords:

biotechnology, bacteria, enzymes, polysaccharide, alternan, cosmetics, bulking agents, gum arabic, extenders, sugar, viscosity