Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for producing crude sialic acid, comprising hydrolysis of a delipidated egg yolk and a method for producing high purity sialic acid, which comprises desalting a solution containing sialic acid obtainable by hydrolyzing a delipidated egg yolk, adsorbing sialic acid to an anion exchange resin and then eluting said sialic acid.The present invention makes it possible to produce and purify sialic acid from delipidated egg yolk on an industrial scale.

Abstract: A solid, storage-stable, germicidal, pre-iodine composition comprises in dry admixture with each other a solid oxy-compound of iodine, a solid reducing agent for the oxy-compound of iodine, and a solid desiccant used in amount sufficient to combine during the storage cycle of the composition with ambient and/or endogenous water. The oxy-compounds of iodine are iodic acid, iodine pentoxide, potassium iodate and sodium iodate. Preferred reducing agents are ascorbic acid, dihydroxy fumaric acid, the thiol sugars and cysteine. A preferred combination desiccant and iodine solvating agent is polyvinyl pyrrollidone having a molecular weight of from 10,000 to 1,000,000.The composition is storage-stable for an indefinite period. Upon the addition of water, the oxy-compound of iodine is reduced to nascent iodine, which, in application, serves its well-known germicidal function.

Abstract: This invention relates to a chemical for protection of plants and removal of plant viruses and its producing method, which is applicable to the prevention of viral disease in the fields of agriculture and horticulture.That is, this invention relates to a chemical for protection of plants and removal of plant viruses which contains a plant virus prevention active substance as its effective ingredient and which was cultivated using a fungus selected from the genus Fomes and was produced in fungi or medium.

Abstract: A process for the production of dextran polymers of controlled average number molecular weight sizes, and molecular weight size distributions via the mixed culture fermentation of Leuconostoc mesenteroides and a constitutive mutant microorganism capable of elaborating the enzyme dextranase, particularly Lipomyces starkeyi ATCC 74054, in the presence of sucrose. The Leuconostoc mesenteroides produces the dextran polymer, and the mutant Lipomyces starkeyi ATCC 74054 concurrently produces dextranase, an enzyme whose activity reduces the size of the dextran polymers and permits their growth or reduction in molecular weight size in direct relation to the temperature and time period regimen imposed as conditions for the reactions.

Abstract: Phosphoric acid derivatives represented by formula (I): ##STR1## wherein X is a halogen and R is --(CH.sub.2).sub.n CH.sub.3 (n=0 to 3), or salts thereof are stable to non-enzymatic hydrolysis and are capable of specifically reacting with acid phosphatase. Therefore, the activity of acid phosphatase in the sample can be determined extremely accurately by reacting said compound with a sample containing acid phosphatase and quantitatively determining the reaction product by colorimetry.

Abstract: A precursor base for use in a bakery dough product comprising an acidic concentrate, at least one type of sugar, yeast, at least one type of flour, non-fat dry milk and at least one type of lactic acid producing bacteria and a process for producing the precursor base are disclosed. The presursor base is useful in a process for producing a precursor slurry (or active ferment concentrate) for use in making a preferment dough mixture for the preparation of the bakery dough product. In addition, processes for preparing the precursor slurry and the preferment dough mixture and an apparatus for producing the preferment dough mixture are disclosed.

Abstract: A 46,000 Dalton thermostable, very acidic protease, which has been named thermopsin, was purified to homogeneity from the culture medium of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius by a five-step procedure including column chromatographies on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B, phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B, Sephadex G-100, MonoQ (FPLC), and gel filtration (HPLC). The enzyme is a single polypeptide chain having proteolytic activity over pH range 0 to 11 at temperatures between 0.degree. C. and 100.degree. C., with maximal activity at approximately pH 2 and 90.degree. C. Antibodies directed against thermopsin have been prepared. Through studies using various aspartic protease inhibitors, thiol and metalloprotease inhibitors, and serine protease inhibitors, it was determined that, although similar to some aspartic proteases, the active site of thermopsin is clearly not identical to that of other aspartic proteases.

Abstract: Enzyme-donor fragments and other unstructured peptides are stabilized against proteolytic degradation by including a mixture of soluble, random-sequence peptides in the assay medium or in the medium in which the enzyme-donor fragment or other peptide is stored.

Abstract: Highly purified derivatives of maltooligosaccharides can be produced at a high yield by reacting, in a mixture of a hydrophilic organic solvent and water, a mixture of maltooligosaccharides or a substance capable of being converted into the maltooligosaccharides upon reaction with an amylase, and an o-glucosyl derivative, with the amylase.The resulting derivatives of maltooligosaccharides are useful as a substrate for the determination of .alpha.-amylase activity in a humor, physiologically active substances, natural dieteic sweetenings, coloring agents and the like.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of a particulate antimicrobial product from the LP system of the lactoperoxidase enzyme/oxygen donor/oxidizable substrate (if needed). The process comprises bonding the lactoperoxidase enzyme to a particulate carrier comprising a polysaccharide nucleus, a first lipidic layer and a second phospholipidic layer in such a manner that the enzyme molecules are inserted into this second layer and/or into the first layer. The product according to the invention is obtained by then conditioning in a non-aqueous medium the aforesaid particulate vector and the molecules of the LP system not integrated into said vector. The process of the invention permits adjusting the diffusability of the product and its mobility as a function of the intended applications, without destruction of the LP system.

Abstract: A new strain Lactobacillus sp. KPB-176, which does not possess strict selectivity for specific media and which involves no reduction in the productivity of polysaccharides even during subculture, was isolated from kefir grains. When this new strain is cultured on a medium containing milk whey and casamino acid or when on a medium containing carbohydrate and yeast extract, capsular polysaccharides are produced in high yields.

Abstract: Fatty acid esters of methyl glycosides are prepared by reacting a fatty acid or ester with a methyl glycoside in the presence of an enzyme catalyst, in particular a lipase. The resulting fatty acid esters are preferably monoesters.The methyl glycoside fatty acid esters may be used as surface-active agents in cleaning compositions or personal care products.

Abstract: A newly discovered lignin peroxidase enzyme is provided. The enzyme is obtained from a bacterial source and is capable of degrading the lignin portion of lignocellulose in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The enzyme is extracellular, oxidative, inducible by lignin, larch wood xylan, or related substrates and capable of attacking certain lignin substructure chemical bonds that are not degradable by fungal lignin peroxidases.

Abstract: This invention provides a cytotoxin composition that inhibits mitochondrial respiration and causes cytostasis in cells, independent of nitric oxide. The invention comprises a conditioned supernatant derived from macrophage cell line (EA13.5) that inhibits mitochondrial respiration and causes cytostasis in cells. More particularly, the invention comprises a macrophage cytotoxin obtained from conditioned supernatant collected from cultured EA13.5 cell. This macrophage cytotoxin (1) inhibits mitochondrial respiration, (2) causes cytostasis independent of L-arginine derived nitric oxide, (3) is a weakly acidic (pI of about 7.5 to 8.0) glycoprotein (as determined by binding to lentil lectin sepharose). The invention also discloses a method for producing an L-arginine-derived nitric oxide-independent macrophage cytotoxin by culturing EA13.5 cells, adding IFN-.gamma.

Abstract: Antibacterially active compositions are prepared from a proteolytic enzymatic digestate of glycopeptides obtained from a protein isolate enriched with soya glycoprotein 7S or with bean glycoprotein II. The glycopeptide digestate is treated with endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase H to obtain oligosaccharide compositions which then also may be treated with exo-.alpha.-mannosidase to obtain further oligosaccharide compositions.

Abstract: Avermectin compounds are glycosylated the 4' and 4"-positions by adding the avermectin compounds to the fermentation medium of Saccharapolyspora erythrea. The outer oleandrose sugar group of the avermectin compound is glycosylated with a glycosyl moiety, specifically a glucose group. In addition, other changes are effected in the avermectin moiety such as selective hydroxylation, epimerization at the 2-carbon and migration of the .DELTA. 3-double bond to a .DELTA. 2-position.

Abstract: A stabilized proteolytic solution has been developed which can be used to treat selected cells, especially red blood cells. A preferred stabilized solution of the invention comprises about 0.1% to about 0.3% ficin in a citrate-buffered saline solution containing mannitol, L-cysteine, dithiothrietol in an active concentration of less than about 10 mM, and EDTA. A kit for qualitatively identifying unexpected blood group antibodies comprising a series of untreated and ficin-treated red blood cells, a stabilized ficin reagent, a red blood cell diluent and an enzyme control is also provided.

Abstract: A partially deacylated gellan gum which forms elastic gels having low brittleness, and a process for its preparation.

Abstract: A composition, test device and method of determining the presence or concentration of ketone bodies, and specifically D-.beta.-hydroxybutyrate, in a test sample are disclosed. The test device includes a test pad comprising a suitable carrier matrix incorporating an indicator reagent composition capable of interacting with D-.beta.-hydroxybutyrate to produce a detectable or measurable response. In addition, a new and improved indicator reagent composition, comprising a) an indicator dye that is responsive to thiols, such as a substituted isobenzothiazolone, Ellman's reagent or a derivative of Ellman's reagent; b) D-.beta.-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase; c) lipoamide dehydrogenase; d) D,L-lipoamide; and e) nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is incorporated into the carrier matrix to provide an accurate and sensitive assay of a test sample for D-.beta.-hydroxybutyrate (DHBA) in particular, and for ketone bodies in general.

Abstract: A precursor base for use in a bakery dough product comprising an acidic concentrate, at least one type of sugar, yeast, at least one type of flour, non-fat dry milk and at least one type of lactic acid producing bacteria and a process for producing the precursor base are disclosed. The precursor base is useful in a process for producing a precursor slurry (or active ferment concentrate) for use in making a preferment dough mixture for the preparation of the bakery dough product. In addition, processes for preparing the precursor slurry and the preferment dough mixture and an apparatus for producing the preferment dough mixture are disclosed.