Kemin Consumer Care, L.c.

Hal G Fallert

Robert Stomp

Fayad Z Sheabar

Rod Ausich

George Mather

Brent Davieson

A method for assaying the proteinase inhibitor content of tissue of a plant. The proteinase inhibitor and other protein products are extracted from the plant tissue by preparing a mixture of solvent and comminuted plant tissue to form a solid fraction and a liquid fraction which contains the proteinase inhibitor and other protein products. The liquid fraction is heated to a temperature and for a time period sufficient to denature at least some of the other protein products without substantially denaturing the proteinase inhibitor. The denatured, undesired protein products are removed by centrifugation or filtering to prepare a clarified extract solution. The amount of proteinase inhibitor inhibitor in the clan ed extract is measured. If the assay is used in the selection of plant tissues for use in the extraction of proteinase inhibitor, plant tissues with a proteinase inhibitor content less than a pre-selected standard are rejected.

Raw material selection and analysis for the isolation of proteinase inhibitor II from whole potatoes

The present invention provides a method for the extraction of a proteinase inhibitor from plant tissue. The extraction of the proteinase inhibitor begins with the addition of an alcohol-free, aqueous solution of an organic acid and a salt to plant tissue. The extraction solution and plant tissue are comminuted to reduce the average particle size of the plant tissue to improve extraction efficiencies. A weight ratio of between about 1:1 and about 1:10 extraction solution to plant tissue is used. In extracting proteinase inhibitor II from potato tubers, the extraction solution utilizes formic acid and sodium chloride, and the average particle size is reduced to between about 100 and 1500 microns. The process has been demonstrated to be cost-effective and provide high yields of the target proteinase inhibitor on commercial scales.

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West Des Moines, IA, United States of America

Hal G Fallert