Agriculture and Agri-food Canada

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada As Represented by the Minister of Agriculture

Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada As Represented by the Ministerof Agriculture and Agri-food Canada

Neil D Westcott

Martin J Reaney

Martin J T Reaney

David Paton

Alister D Muir

Heather Ray

Tara C McIntosh

Margaret Y Gruber

Peter R Chang

Sean Jones

Debbie P Anderson

Ya-Dong Liu

The invention provides a process for producing polysaccharide gum comprising extracting a plant material with an aqueous solvent to produce a polysaccharide gum-containing extract; contacting the extract with at least one proteolytic enzyme to at least partially digest proteins in the extract; adding an organic solvent to the extract to precipitate the polysaccharide gum; and collecting the precipitated polysaccharide gum.

Process for producing polysaccharide gum

The present invention provides the use of a regulatory gene Lc and encoded protein to alter the biosynthesis and accumulation of flavonoids including anthocyanins and condensed tannins in plants and plant tissues, particularly in alfalfa, white clover, and other forage legumes which are similar in lacking native condensed tannin accumulation in leaves. The identification of the effects of this gene in alfalfa provide a mechanism for altering flavonoid, anthocyanin and condensed tannin production in forage legumes and allows one to alter such levels to produce a variety of benefits in the field of agriculture, animal farming and food technology in general.

Regulation of flavonoid expression in alfalfa using maize regulatory genes

Methods for sequential saponification and quantitative isomerization of glyceride oils containing interrupted double bond systems, with alkali in a polyether alcohol solvent to yield soaps with conjugated double bond systems are disclosed. The novel properties of the polyether alcohols allow the removal of water added with the alkali by boiling. The preferred embodiment uses a vegetable oil rich in linoleic acid such as sunflower or safflower oil, potassium hydroxide, phosphoric acid to neutralize the soaps. The reaction forms equal quantities of 9Z,11E-octadecadienoic acid and 10E,12Z-octadecadienoic acids.

Method for commercial preparation of preferred isomeric forms of ester free conjugated fatty acids with solvents systems containing polyether alcohol solvents

Methods for simultaneous saponification and quantitative isomerization of glyceride oils containing interrupted double bond systems, with alkali in water to yield soaps with conjugated double bond systems are disclosed. Novel methods of hydrolysis of the soap product with acid to form fatty acid-water emulsions and the breaking of those emulsions are also disclosed. The preferred embodiment uses a vegetable oil rich in linoleic acid such as sunflower or safflower oil, potassium hydroxide, phosphoric acid to neutralize the soaps, and an emulsion breaking compound which can include ethanol or other monohydric alcohol, tannins (either hydrolysable or condensed tannin) or polyethylene glycol. The reaction forms positional and geometric isomers of conjugated linoleic acid and the preferred isomer mixture is controlled by a combination of agitation, precisely controlled heating and rapid initiation and termination of the reaction. The reaction product composition may be enriched by crystallization.

Method for commercial preparation of conjugated linoleic acid

A substanially pure chemically bound complex is derived from flax containing secoisolariciresinol diglucoside, cinnamic acid glycosides and hydroxy methyl glutaric acid. The complex is obtained by preparing an aqueous aliphatic alcoholic extract from flax and subjecting this aqueous extract to ultrafiltration whereby low molecular weight species remain with a filtrate and higher molecular weight species comprising the separated complex are retained.

Complex containing lignan, phenolic and aliphatic substances from flax and process for preparing

A process is described for extracting lignans from flaxseed which comprises contacting a substantially oil-free flaxseed meal with an aliphatic alcohol solvent, e.g. a mixture of methanol or ethanol with water, to extract lignans into the alcohol solvent and separating residual solids from the lignan-rich alcohol solvent. The lignan-rich alcohol solvent is concentrated by removing solvent therefrom and the lignan concentrate obtained is subjected to a base-catalyzed hydrolysis to liberate lignans therefrom in a non-complexed form. Thereafter, the hydrolyzed concentrate is subjected to either a liquid/liquid partition, e.g. by an ethyl acetate/water system, or anion exchange to further enrich the lignans and the lignan-enriched solution thus obtained is subjected to chromatographic separation to isolate lignans at a purity of greater than 90 percent. The lignan, secoisolariciresinol diglucoside, was found in amounts of up to 20 mg per gram of defatted flaxseed.

Growing community of inventors

Saskatoon, Canada

Neil D Westcott