Patents by Inventor Akira Tsubokura
Akira Tsubokura has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8999664Abstract: The present invention provides a salmon flesh color improving method and a salmon flesh color improving feed which are usable for producing a salmon having a mild reddish orange flesh color close to the flesh color of wild fish, and a salmon and fish flesh thereof produced by such a flesh color improving method. The present invention also provides a method for producing a salmon having a mild reddish orange flesh color, comprising cultivating the salmon with a feed comprising a carotenoid colorant mixed therein, the carotenoid colorant comprising at least astaxanthin, phoenicoxanthin, canthaxanthin and adonixanthin.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 2007Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: JX Nippon Oil & Energy CorporationInventors: Kazuaki Hirasawa, Akira Tsubokura, Hisashi Yoneda
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Patent number: 8993282Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a carotenoid, which comprises culturing a carotenoid-producing bacterium in an amino acid-supplemented medium, and collecting the carotenoid from the resulting cultured product, wherein the amino acid is at least one selected, from the group consisting of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, glutamine, asparagine, alanine, glycine, serine, threonine, arginine, tyrosine, proline, phenylalanine and leucine, and salts thereof.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2009Date of Patent: March 31, 2015Assignee: JX Nippon Oil & Energy CorporationInventors: Kazuaki Hirasawa, Akira Tsubokura, Hiroshi Satou, Tetsuhisa Yata
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Patent number: 8853460Abstract: The present invention provides a method for collecting a carotenoid from a culture of a carotenoid-producing bacterium at high yield. Specifically, the present invention provides a method for separating a carotenoid comprising a step of precipitating a concentrate containing the carotenoid from a culture of a carotenoid-producing bacterium under acidic conditions; and a method for producing a carotenoid comprising the steps of precipitating a concentrate containing the carotenoid from a culture of a carotenoid-producing bacterium under acidic conditions and collecting the carotenoid from the obtained precipitate.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2010Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: JX Nippon Oil & Energy CorporationInventors: Kazuaki Hirasawa, Akira Tsubokura
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Publication number: 20120059192Abstract: The present invention provides a method for collecting a carotenoid from a culture of a carotenoid-producing bacterium at high yield. Specifically, the present invention provides a method for separating a carotenoid comprising a step of precipitating a concentrate containing the carotenoid from a culture of a carotenoid-producing bacterium under acidic conditions; and a method for producing a carotenoid comprising the steps of precipitating a concentrate containing the carotenoid from a culture of a carotenoid-producing bacterium under acidic conditions and collecting the carotenoid from the obtained precipitate.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2010Publication date: March 8, 2012Applicant: JX Nippon Oil & Energy CorporationInventors: Kazuaki Hirasawa, Akira Tsubokura
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Patent number: 8097761Abstract: A method for producing a composition containing carotenoid at a content of 80% or greater, characterized in performing extraction on a culture of a microorganism, a concentrate of the culture, or a dried substance thereof with at least one selected from the group consisting of lower alcohols, water-containing lower alcohols, lower dialkylketones and ethers; and then washing a precipitate, obtained by concentrating the extract solution, with at least one selected from the group consisting of lower alcohols, water-containing lower alcohols, hydrocarbon-based solvents and lower dialkylketones; and food, a pharmaceutical composition or a cosmetic substance comprising the carotenoid-containing composition.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2007Date of Patent: January 17, 2012Assignee: JX Nippon Oil & Energy CorporationInventors: Tomoyuki Ishizaki, Satoru Ishikawa, Akira Tsubokura, Kazuaki Hirasawa
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Publication number: 20110262981Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a carotenoid, which comprises culturing a carotenoid-producing bacterium in an amino acid-supplemented medium, and collecting the carotenoid from the resulting cultured product, wherein the amino acid is at least one selected, from the group consisting of glutamic acid, aspartic acid, glutamine, asparagine, alanine, glycine, serine, threonine, arginine, tyrosine, proline, phenylalanine and leucine, and salts thereofType: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2009Publication date: October 27, 2011Applicant: JX NIPPON OIL & ENERGY CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuaki Hirasawa, Akira Tsubokura, Hiroshi Satou, Tetsuhisa Yata
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Publication number: 20100319077Abstract: The present invention provides a salmon flesh color improving method and a salmon flesh color improving feed which are usable for producing a salmon having a mild reddish orange flesh color close to the flesh color of wild fish, and a salmon and fish flesh thereof produced by such a flesh color improving method. The present invention also provides a method for producing a salmon having a mild reddish orange flesh color, comprising cultivating the salmon with a feed comprising a carotenoid colorant mixed therein, the carotenoid colorant comprising at least astaxanthin, phoenicoxanthin, canthaxanthin and adonixanthin.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2007Publication date: December 16, 2010Applicant: Nippon Oil CorporationInventors: Kazuaki Hirasawa, Akira Tsubokura, Hisashi Yoneda
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Publication number: 20100174118Abstract: A method for producing a composition containing carotenoid at a content of 80% or greater, characterized in performing extraction on a culture of a microorganism, a concentrate of the culture, or a dried substance thereof with at least one selected from the group consisting of lower alcohols, water-containing lower alcohols, lower dialkylketones and ethers; and then washing a precipitate, obtained by concentrating the extract solution, with at least one selected from the group consisting of lower alcohols, water-containing lower alcohols, hydrocarbon-based solvents and lower dialkylketones; and food, a pharmaceutical composition or a cosmetic substance comprising the carotenoid-containing composition.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2007Publication date: July 8, 2010Applicants: Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation, Nippon Oil CorporationInventors: Tomoyuki Ishizaki, Satoru Ishikawa, Akira Tsubokura, Kazuaki Hirazawa
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Patent number: 7745170Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing zeaxanthin, ?-carotene, or lycopene, comprising inducing mutation in a carotenoid-producing microorganism in which the base sequence of DNA corresponding to 16S ribosomal RNA is substantially homologous to the base sequence described in SEQ ID NO: 1; screening for a mutant strain having a high product proportion of zeaxanthin, ?-carotene, or lycopene to the whole production amount of carotenoids to provide a microorganism producing zeaxanthin, ?-carotene, or lycopene; culturing the mutant microorganism; and harvesting zeaxanthin, ?-carotene, lycopene or a carotenoid mixture containing the same from the resultant culture.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2004Date of Patent: June 29, 2010Assignee: Nippon Oil CorporationInventors: Akira Tsubokura, Hisashi Yoneda, Kazuaki Hirasawa
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Publication number: 20070105189Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing zeaxanthin, ?-carotene, or lycopene, comprising inducing mutation in a carotenoid-producing microorganism in which the base sequence of DNA corresponding to 16S ribosomal RNA is substantially homologous to the base sequence described in SEQ ID NO: 1; screening for a mutant strain having a high product proportion of zeaxanthin, ?-carotene, or lycopene to the whole production amount of carotenoids to provide a microorganism producing zeaxanthin, ?-carotene, or lycopene; culturing the mutant microorganism; and harvesting zeaxanthin, ?-carotene, lycopene or a carotenoid mixture containing the same from the resultant culture.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2004Publication date: May 10, 2007Applicant: NIPPON OIL CORPORATIONInventors: Akira Tsubokura, Hisashi Yoneda, Kazuaki Hirasawa
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Publication number: 20060121556Abstract: This invention provides a method for producing cantlhaxanithin, which is inexpensive, stably provided, and highly safe. This method comprises steps of: inducing mutation in astaxanthin-producing microorganisms in which the nucleotide sequence of DNA corresponding to its 16S ribosomal RNA is substantially homologous to the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1; obtaining canthaxanthin-producing microorganisms by selecting a mutant having a higher ratio of canthaxanthin produced (% by mass) relative to the total amount of carotenoid produced than that of a parent strain; and recovering canthaxanthin or a carotenoid mixture comprising canthaxanthin from the culture product of the canthaxanthin-producing microorganisms.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 7, 2003Publication date: June 8, 2006Applicant: NIPPON OIL CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuaki Hirasawa, Akira Tsubokura, Haruyoshi Mizuta
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Patent number: 6825002Abstract: The present invention provides a method for changing production ratios of carotenoid compounds in a process of microbiological production of a plurality of carotenoid compounds. By controlling the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the culture during cultivation, production ratios of carotenoid compounds such as astaxanthin, adonixanthin, &bgr;-carotene, echinenone, canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin, &bgr;-cryptoxanthin, 3-hydroxyechinenone, asteroidenone and adonirubin, are changed.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2002Date of Patent: November 30, 2004Assignee: Nippon Mitsubishi Oil CorporationInventors: Akira Tsubokura, Haruyoshi Mizuta
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Patent number: 6706278Abstract: This invention provides a pigment-containing substance for feed additives consisting of a microorganism culture precipitate which contains a high concentration of carotenoid compounds. This pigment-containing substance for feed additives is resistant to oxygen, light and so on, and can be stably conserved for a long time period.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2001Date of Patent: March 16, 2004Assignee: Nippon Mitsubishi Oil CorporationInventors: Akira Tsubokura, Hisashi Yoneda, Haruyoshi Mizuta
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Publication number: 20030044886Abstract: The present invention provides a method for changing production ratios of carotenoid compounds in a process of microbiological production of a plurality of carotenoid compounds. By controlling the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the culture during cultivation, production ratios of carotenoid compounds such as astaxanthin, adonixanthin, &bgr;-carotene, echinenone, canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin, &bgr;-cryptoxanthin, 3-hydroxyechinenone, asteroidenone and adonirubin, are changed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2002Publication date: March 6, 2003Inventors: Akira Tsubokura, Haruyoshi Mizuta
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Patent number: 5858761Abstract: Bacterium belonging to a new genus, and a process for production of carotenoid pigment selected from the group consisting of astaxanthin, adonixanthin, .beta.-carotene, echinenone, canthaxanthin and zeaxanthin, comprising the steps of culturing a bacterium capable of producing at least one of the carotenoid pigments, and recovering an individual carotenoid pigments.The producer bacterium belongs to new genus.According to the present process various carotenoids can be produced in an industrial scale. By the present process (3S, 3'S)-astaxanthin can be produced in an almost 100% purity.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 1996Date of Patent: January 12, 1999Assignee: Nippon Oil Company, Ltd.Inventors: Akira Tsubokura, Hisashi Yoneda, Mikihiro Takaki, Takashi Kiyota
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Patent number: 5607839Abstract: Bacterium belonging to a new genus, and a process for production of carotenoid pigment selected from the group consisting of astaxanthin, adonixanthin, .beta.-carotene, echinenone, canthaxanthin and zeaxanthin, comprising the steps of culturing a bacterium capable of producing at least one of the carotenoid pigments, and recovering an individual carotenoid pigments.The producer bacterium belongs to new genus.According to the present process various carotenoids can be produced in an industrial scale. By the present process (3S, 3'S)-astaxanthin can be produced in an almost 100% purity.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 1994Date of Patent: March 4, 1997Assignee: Nippon Oil Company, Ltd.Inventors: Akira Tsubokura, Hisashi Yoneda, Mikihiro Takaki, Takashi Kiyota
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Patent number: 5591343Abstract: A process for extraction of a carotenoid compound from bacterial cells containing the carotenoid compound comprising the step of bringing the bacterial cells into contact with supercritical fluid so as to extract the carotenoid compound from the cells. The process provides carotenoid compounds which can be safely used as feed additives and food additives.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 1995Date of Patent: January 7, 1997Assignee: Nippon Oil Co., Ltd.Inventors: Motomitsu Kitaoka, Akira Tsubokura, Takashi Kiyota
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Patent number: 5565357Abstract: A process for production of canthaxanthin comprising the steps of culturing a microorganism capable of producing canthaxanthin and belonging to the genus Corynebacterium, such as Corynebacterium sp. SQH 348 (FERM BP-4284), and recovering canthaxanthin from the culture.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 1995Date of Patent: October 15, 1996Assignee: Nippon Oil Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akira Tsubokura, Hisashi Yoneda, Mikihiro Takaki, Takashi Kiyota
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Patent number: 5496709Abstract: A process for production of canthaxanthin comprising the steps of culturing a microorganism capable of producing canthaxanthin and belonging to the genus Corynebacterium, such as Corynebacterium sp. SQH 348 (FERM BP-4284), and recovering canthaxanthin from the culture.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 1994Date of Patent: March 5, 1996Assignee: Nippon Oil Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akira Tsubokura, Hisashi Yoneda, Mikihiro Takai, Takashi Kiyota
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Patent number: 5229281Abstract: A process for the production of an optically active 3-methyladipic acid represented by the formula (I): ##STR1## wherein the symbol * represents an asymmetric carbon atom, comprising the steps of culturing a microorganism belonging to the genus Candida and capable of producing the optically active 3-methyladipic acid in a medium containing squalene, to produce an optically active 3-methyladipic acid; and recovering the optically active 3-methyladipic acid from the cultured product.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 1991Date of Patent: July 20, 1993Assignee: Nippon Oil Co., Ltd.Inventors: Akira Tsubokura, Hisashi Yoneda, Takashi Kiyota