Bayer Aktiengesellschaft

Peter Egerer

Gunter Schmidt-Kastner

Wulf Crueger

Wilfried Haese

Hermann Perrey

Christian Golker

The present invention relates to a continuous process for the enzymatic preparation of isomaltulose. A periplasmatic sucrose-mutase is produced by fermentation of microorganisms which form sucrose-mutase. The cell-free crude enzyme extract is prepared by digestion of the cells and by cross-flow microfiltration. In a single-stage, simultaneous purification and immobilization of the sucrose-mutase from the cell-free crude extract conditioned by diafiltration is obtained by selective bonding to an anionizable carrier matrix. Direct conversion of sucrose into isomaltulose is produced by the sucrose-mutase bonded to the anionizable carrier matrix, preferably in cartridge or cartouche form.

Continuous process for the enzymatic preparation of isomaltulose

Biological material such as microorganisms is immobilized by polymerizing in the presence of the biological material a readily soluble polyetherpolyol having some hydroxyl groups esterified with acrylic and/or methacrylic acid and remaining hydroxyl groups reacted with an isocyanate group-containing derivative of an unsaturated carboxylic acid or a polyfunctional isocyanate. Preferably, the isocyanate derivative of an unsaturated carboxylic acid is isocyanatoethyl acrylate, isocyanatoethyl methacrylate of 4-isocyanato-3-methyl-2-butyl-acrylate and the polyfunctional isocyanate is a diisocyanate or polyisocyanate. Beads can be produced by forming droplets in a water-immiscible medium and polymerizing. Polymerization can be carried out under inert gas in the presence of radical initiators or by irradiation with actinic light.

Immobilization of biological material within a polymer matrix

When immobilizing cells and/or enzymes by contact with tannin, epihalohydrin/polyamine copolymer and glutaraldehyde, immobilizing is carried out in the presence of a primary amine. The primary amine is preferably sulfuric acid mono-(2-aminoethyl)-ester, 2-aminoethanol, glycine or tris-(hydroxymethyl)-amino methane. The resulting immobilized cells and/or enzymes retain a higher proportion of their original activity.

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Wuppertal, Germany

Peter Egerer