Nakano Vinegar Co., Ltd.

Nikano Vinegar, Co., Ltd.

Mikio Yamada

Hajime Okumura

Koki Yamada

Yoshiya Kawamura

Hiroshi Masai

Yoshinori Tsukamoto

Masahiro Mizuno

Yoshio Kunimatsu

Hirofumi Akano

Takeshi Sato

Yasushi Takahashi

Akira Ohki

Shigeru Maeda

Naho Kato

Shoji Ohmori

Hatagaki Keizo

Keizo Hatagaki

Yoshifumi Ohshima

Atsushi Ishikawa

A BOD analyzer is prepared having a microbe sensor containing an oxygen electrode and a microbe membrane. The microbe membrane is made by immobilizing microorganisms belonging to the genus Klebsiella in the membrane. Specifically, the BOD analyzer has a flow cell equipped with a microbe sensor containing an oxygen electrode and a microbe membrane, and a liquid passage which is connected with an entrance of the flow cell and which is equipped with an outlet. The microbe membrane is made by immobilizing microorganisms belonging to Klebsiella oxytoca 12092 strain in a porous hydrophilic membrane having an average pore size of 0.65-3 .mu.m in diameter by using at least one gelating agent selected from alginic acid or salts thereof, agar, gellan gum, xathane gum, gelatine, carageenan, locust bean gum, methylcellulose, pectin, or pullulan. The BOD analyzer can be used for batch or continuous BOD analysis and enables carrying out BOD analysis in a short period of time.

Klebsella oxytoca ferm BP-I/3616 and immobilization thereof with a

Disclosed are a novel fructosylamine deglycase characterized by the specificity to amadori compounds of catalyzing oxidation of the compounds to produce an .alpha.-ketoaldehyde, an amine derivative and hydrogen peroxide; a method of producing the novel enzyme by cultivating microorganisms belonging to the genus Candida and having an ability of producing the novel enzyme; and a method of quantitative determination of amadori compounds by applying the novel enzyme to a sample containing amadori compounds to measure the amount of the hydrogen peroxide to be formed by the oxidation reaction or measure the amount of the oxygen to be consumed by the reaction to thereby obtain the amount of the amadori compounds from the measured value. The invention provides a novel enzyme characterized by the high specificity to the reaction with amadori compounds, especially that having therein a saccharide moiety as bonded to the .epsilon.-amino group, and also provides a method of producing the enzyme and a method of quantitative determination of amadori compounds with the enzyme. Using the enzyme, quantitative determination of amadori compounds, which is difficult by conventional enzymatic methods, is possible with ease. In particular, in measurement of the amount of a saccharified protein in a sample from a living body, which is an important index substance in diagnosis of diabetes, the enzymatic method of the invention of measuring fructosamine in the sample is hardly influenced by other interfering substances or impurities in the sample, the influence by them having been inevitable in conventional chemical methods. Accurate determination of the amount is possible by the method, and the method is free from the inconvenience of staining the kits and instruments used. For measuring glycohemoglobin, the method displays another characteristic feature that its operation is more simple and needs less labor and time than conventional methods.

Fructosylamine deglycase and a method of producing it

The present invention relates to a BOD analyzer comprising a microbe sensor containing an oxygen electrode and a microbe membrane. The microbe membrane is made by immobilizing microorganisms belonging to the genus Klebsiella in membrane. Specifically, the present invention relates to a BOD analyzer comprising flow cell equipped with a microbe sensor containing an oxygen electrode and a microbe membrane; and a liquid passage which is connected with the entrance of the flow cell and which is equipped with an outlet. The microbe membrane is made by immobilizing microorganisms belonging to Klebsiella oxytoca 12092 strain in a porous hydrophilic membrane having an average pore size of 0.65-3 .mu.m in diameter by using at least one gelating agent selected from the group consisting of alginic acid or salts thereof, agar, gellan gum, xanthane gum, gelatine, carageenan, locust bean gum, methylcellulose, pectin, and pullulan. The present invention also relates to improved methods of analyzing BOD by using the BOD analyzer.

Biochemical oxygen demand analyzer and methods of analysis using

A method and apparatus for producing vinegar by acetic acid fermentation utilizing an automatic alcohol analyzer for measurement of alcohol concentration in a fermenting broth, a feeding apparatus for feeding alcohol solution as raw material to the fermenting broth, and a control computer controllably coupled to the alcohol analyzer and to the feeding apparatus. The alcohol concentration in the fermenting broth is periodically measured by the automatic alcohol analyzer by a direction from the control computer at given intervals over a plurality of cycles of measurement; the control computer calculates a feed rate of alcohol solution as raw material to the fermenting broth so as to control the alcohol concentration in the fermenting broth at a desirable concentration on the basis of a difference between a measured alcohol concentration in the fermenting broth and a desirable alcohol concentration and the alcohol consumption rate calculated during each of the cycles by the control computer; and then the feeding apparatus is operated to control the feed rate of the alcohol solution responsive to a control signal generated by the control computer as a result of the aforementioned calculations, to thereby controllably feed alcohol solution as raw material to the fermenting broth.

Apparatus for automatically controlling the feed rate of alcohol

A method for measuring the alcohol concentration of an acetic acid fermentation broth which comprises (a) forming a sample gas containing volatile components present in the acetic acid fermentation broth, the volatile componentscomprising alcohol and acetic acid; (b) passing the sample gas through an absorption column packed with a material which binds acetic acid whereby the acetic acid is absorbed on the material; (c) passing the sample gas which has passed through the absorption column to a gas sensor for measuring the alcohol content of the gas by outputting an electrical signal which correlates to the alcohol content of the sample gas; and (d) determining the alcohol content of the sample gas in response to the electrical output signal from the gas sensor. The invention also provides a method of forming the sample gas by passing a sample of the fermentation broth through a water-repellent gas permeable tube mounted in a hollow cell and passing a carrier gas through the hollow cell whereby volatile components from the fermentation broth inside of the tube diffuse through the gas permeable tube wall and are intermixed with the carrier gas to form the sample gas containing the volatile components.

Method for a measurement of alcohol concentration in acetic acid

A method and apparatus for producing vinegar by acetic acid fermentation utilizing an automatic alcohol analyzer for measurement of alcohol concentration in a fermenting broth, a feeding apparatus for feeding alcohol solution as raw material to the fermenting broth, and a control computer controllably coupled to the alcohol analyzer and to the feeding apparatus. The alcohol concentration in the fermenting broth is periodically measured by the automatic alcohol analyzer by a direction from the control computer at given intervals over a plurality of cycles of measurement; the control computer calculates a feed rate of alcohol solution as raw material to the fermenting broth so as to control the alcohol concentration in the fermenting broth at a desirable concentration on the basis of a difference between a measured alcohol concentration in the fermenting broth and a desirable alcohol concentration and the alcohol consumption rate calculated during each of the cycles by the control computer; and then the feeding apparatus is operated to control the feed rate of the alcohol solution responsive to a control signal generated by the control computer as a result of the aforementioned calculations, to thereby controllably feed alcohol solution as raw material to the fermenting broth. Alternatively, the control computer calculates a feed rate of alcohol solution as raw material to the fermenting broth so as to control the alcohol concentration in the fermenting broth at a predetermined desirable concentration according to acetic acid concentration on the basis of increasing rate of acetic acid concentration, acetic acid concentration and total concentration in the fermenting broth which are calculated by the control computer every cycle over a number of cycles at given intervals, the acetic acid concentration and total concentration being determined at a set point in an appropriate period during fermentation.

Method for automatically controlling feed rate of alcohol solution as

Vinegar having an acetic acid concentration higher than 20 percent weight by volume is produced in a submerged fermentation by maintaining the temperature of a fermenting broth at 27.degree.-32.degree. C. until the acetic acid concentration of the fermenting broth (after the initiation of fermentation) reaches 12-15 percent weight by volume. Then the temperature of the fermenting broth is lowered by 0.5.degree. C. to 2.degree. C. Fermentation is continued at the lower temperature until the concentration of acetic acid increases by between 0.05 to 2 percent weight by volume. At this time, the temperature is again reduced by from 0.5.degree. C. to 2.degree. C. The fermentation is continued, with subsequent temperature reductions of from 0.5.degree. C. to 2.degree. C. each time that the concentration of acetic acid in the fermentation broth increases by 0.05 to 2 percent weight by volume over the highest concentration found in the course of the fermentation at the preceeding temperature stage, until the desired concentration of acetic acid is obtained. However, at no time is the temperature of the fermenting broth allowed to fall below 20.degree. C.

Process for the production of vinegar with high acetic acid concentration

A finished vinegar having an acetic acid concentration higher than 20 percent weight by volume is produced by repeating a fermentation cycle wherein a broth is fermented at 27.degree.-32.degree. C. in a 1st submerged fermentation tank by a continuous batch process, and, when the acetic acid concentration of the fermenting broth reaches 12-15 percent weight by volume, the large part of the fermenting broth in the 1st fermentation tank is withdrawn and charged in a 2nd submerged fermentation tank. The 1st fermentation tank is recharged with a mash and the fermentation of the fermenting broth in the 2nd tank is continued under aeration while lowering the temperature of the fermenting broth in such manner that the final fermentation temperature does not fall below 18.degree. C. and the lowering temperature does not become higher than the temperature once lowered.

Vinegar having an acetic acid concentration higher than 18 percent weight by volume is produced in a submerged fermentation by maintaining the temperature of the fermenting broth after the initiation of the fermentation at 27.degree.-32.degree. C. until the acetic concentration of the fermenting broth reaches 12-15 percent weight by volume and thereafter maintaining the temperature of the fermenting broth at 18.degree.-24.degree. C.

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Handa, Japan

Mikio Yamada