Abstract: There is provided use of a conversion agent to prepare from a food material a foodstuff comprising at least one functional ingredient, wherein the at least one functional ingredient has been generated from at least one constituent of the food material by the conversion agent.

Abstract: There is provided a process for the prevention and/or reduction of Maillard reaction in a foodstuff containing (i) a protein, a peptide or an amino acid and (ii) a reducing sugar, the process comprising contacting the foodstuff with an enzyme capable of oxidising a reducing group of the sugar.

Abstract: A process of enzymatic degumming edible oils, comprising treating edible oil with a lipid acyltransferase so as to transfer an acyl group from a major part of the phospholipid to one or more acyl acceptors, wherein the acyl acceptor may be any compound comprising a hydroxyl group. In one embodiment preferably the acyl acceptor is water and in another embodiment preferably the acyl acceptor is one or more sterols and/or stanols. When the acyl acceptor is a stanol and/or sterol, one or more sterol esters and/or stanol esters are produced.

Abstract: There is provided use of a conversion agent to prepare from a food material a foodstuff comprising at least one functional ingredient, wherein the at least one functional ingredient has been generated from at least one constituent of the food material by the conversion agent.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a variant lipid acyltransferase enzyme by selecting a parent enzyme which is a lipid acyltransferase enzyme having the amino acid sequence motif GDSX, modifying one or more amino acids to produce a variant lipid acyltransferase, testing the variant lipid acyltransferase for activity on a galactolipid substrate, a phospholipid substrate and/or a triglyceride substrate, selecting a variant enzyme with an enhanced activity towards galactolipids compared with the parent enzyme, and/or preparing a quantity of the variant enzyme. In some embodiments, the variant lipid acyltransferase enzyme may include the amino acid sequence motif GDSX, wherein X is one or more of the following amino acid residues L, A, V, I, F, Y, X, Q, T N, M or S, and wherein the variant enzyme has one or more amino acid modifications compared with a parent sequence.

Abstract: A fungal wild-type lipolytic enzyme having a higher ratio of activity on polar lipids compared with triglycerides, wherein the enzyme preferably has a phospholipid:triglyceride activity ratio of at least 4. Preferably, the lipolytic enzyme according to the present invention has a glycolipid:triglyceride hydrolyzing activity ratio of at least 1.5. In one embodiment, the fungal lipolytic enzyme according to the present invention comprises an amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID No. 2 or SEQ ID No. 4 or SEQ ID No. 6 or an amino acid sequence which has at least 90% identity thereto. The present invention further encompasses a nucleic acid encoding a fungal lipolytic enzyme, which nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of: (a) a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide shown in SEQ ID No. 3, SEQ ID No. 5 or SEQ ID No. 7; (b) a nucleic acid which is related to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID No. 3, SEQ ID No. 5 or SEQ ID No.

Abstract: A method for the in situ production of an emulsifier in a foodstuff, wherein a lipid acyltransferase is added to the foodstuff. Preferably the emulsifier is produced without an increase or without a substantial increase in the free fatty acid content of the foodstuff. Preferably, the lipid acyltransferase is one which is capable of transferring an acyl group from a lipid to one or more of the following acyl acceptors: a sterol, a stanol, a carbohydrate, a protein or a sub-unit thereof, glycerol. Preferably, in addition to an emulsifier one or more of a stanol ester or a stanol ester or a protein ester or a carbohydrate ester or a diglyceride or a monoglyceride may be produced. One or more of these may function as an additional emulsifier.

Abstract: There is provided use of a conversion agent to prepare from a food material a foodstuff comprising at least one functional ingredient, wherein the at least one functional ingredient has been generated from at least one constituent of the food material by the conversion agent.

Abstract: A method for the in situ production of an emulsifier in a foodstuff, wherein a lipid acyltransferase is added to the foodstuff. Preferably the emulsifier is produced without an increase or without a substantial increase in the free fatty acid content of the foodstuff. Preferably, the lipid acyltransferase is one which is capable of transferring an acyl group from a lipid to one or more of the following acyl acceptors: a sterol, a stanol, a carbohydrate, a protein or a sub-unit thereof, glycerol. Preferably, in addition to an emulsifier one or more of a stanol ester or a stanol ester or a protein ester or a carbohydrate ester or a diglyceride or a monoglyceride may be produced. One or more of these may function as an additional emulsifier.

Abstract: A method for the in situ production of an emulsifier in a foodstuff, wherein a lipid acyltransferase is added to the foodstuff. Preferably the emulsifier is produced without an increase or without a substantial increase in the free fatty acid content of the foodstuff. Preferably, the lipid acyltransferase is one which is capable of transferring an acyl group from a lipid to one or more of the following acyl acceptors: a sterol, a stanol, a carbohydrate, a protein or a sub-unit thereof, glycerol. Preferably, in addition to an emulsifier one or more of a stanol ester or a stanol ester or a protein ester or a carbohydrate ester or a diglyceride or a monoglyceride may be produced. One or more of these may function as an additional emulsifier.

Abstract: A method of improving the rheological properties of a flour dough and the quality of the finished product made from such a dough, comprising adding an effective amount of an oxidoreductase capable of oxidizing maltose, in particular a hexose oxidase, e.g. isolated from an algal species such as Iridophycus flaccidum, Chondrus crispus or Euthora cristata and a dough improving composition comprising the oxidoreductase.

Abstract: The invention encompasses the use of a lipolytic enzyme obtainable from one of the following genera: Streptomyces, Corynebacterium and Thermobifida in various methods and uses, wherein the lipolytic enzyme hydrolyzes a glycolipid or a phospholipid or transfers an acyl group from a glycolipid or phospholipids to an acyl acceptor. The present invention also relates to a lipolytic enzyme that hydrolyzes at least a galactolipid or transfers an acyl group from a galactolipid to one or more acyl acceptor substrates, wherein the enzyme is obtainable from Corynebacterium species.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the production of a variant lipid acyltransferase comprising the steps of: (i) selecting a parent enzyme which is a lipid acyltranserase enzyme; (ii) modifying one or more amino acids to produce a variant lipid acyltransferase; (iii) testing the activity of the variant lipid acyltransferase on a galactolipid and/or phospholipid and/or triglyceride substrate; (iv) selecting a variant enzyme with enhanced activity towards galactolipids compared with the parent enzyme; (v) providing a Bacillus licheniformis cell; (vi) transforming the Bacillus licheniformis cell with a heterologous nucleotide sequence encoding said variant lipid acyltransferase; and (iii) expressing said variant lipid acyltransferase in the cell under the control of a promoter sequence. The variant lipid acyltransferase can undergo post-translations modification, truncation and/or clipping, i.e., to remove a signal peptide.

Abstract: The invention encompasses the use of a lipolytic enzyme obtainable from one of the following genera: Streptomyces, Corynebacterium and Thermobifida in various methods and uses, wherein the lipolytic enzyme hydrolyzes a glycolipid or a phospholipid or transfers an acyl group from a glycolipid or phospholipids to an acyl acceptor. The present invention also relates to a lipolytic enzyme that hydrolyzes at least a galactolipid or transfers an acyl group from a galactolipid to one or more acyl acceptor substrates, wherein the enzyme is obtainable from Corynebacterium species.

Abstract: A method of producing one or more of a carbohydrate ester, a protein ester, a protein subunit ester or a hydroxyl acid ester, which method comprises admixing an acyl donor, an acyl acceptor and water to produce a high water environment comprising 5-98% water, wherein said acyl donor is a lipid substrate selected from one or more of the group consisting of a phospholipid, a lysophospholipid, a triacylglyceride, a diglyceride, a glycolipid or a lysoglycolipid and said acyl acceptor is selected from one ore more of the group consisting of a carbohydrate, a protein, a protein subunit, or a hydroxyl acid; and contacting the admixture with a lipid acyltransferase, such that said lipid acyl transferase catalyses one or both of the following reactions: alcoholysis or transesterification.

Abstract: A method for the in situ production of an emulsifier in a foodstuff, wherein a lipid acyltransferase is added to the foodstuff. Preferably the emulsifier is produced without an increase or without a substantial increase in the free fatty acid content of the foodstuff. Preferably, the lipid acyltransferase is one which is capable of transferring an acyl group from a lipid to one or more of the following acyl acceptors: a sterol, a stanol, a carbohydrate, a protein or a sub-unit thereof, glycerol. Preferably, in addition to an emulsifier one or more of a stanol ester or a stanol ester or a protein ester or a carbohydrate ester or a diglyceride or a monoglyceride may be produced. One or more of these may function as an addition emulsifier.

Abstract: The use of a lipid acyltransferase in the manufacture of UHT milk for improving the stability, particularly the long term stability, and/or improving the perceptible sensory difference and/or improving smell and/or taste and/or for reducing the cholesterol content and/or for eliminating or reducing creaming of the UHT milk for reducing the cholesterol content in the UHT milk. A method of producing UHT milk, wherein method comprises admixing a lipid acyltransferase and milk (including a step of processing the milk to make it a UHT milk). Preferably said lipid acyltranferase is a polypeptide having lipid acyltransferase activity which polypeptide is obtained by expression of the nucleotide sequence shown as SEQ ID No. 49 or a nucleotide sequence which as has 70% or more identity therewith; and/or is obtained by expression of a nucleic acid which hybridises under medium stringency conditions to a nucleic probe comprising the nucleotide sequence shown as SEQ ID No.

Abstract: There is provided use of a conversion agent to prepare from a food material a foodstuff comprising at least one functional ingredient, wherein the at least one functional ingredient has been generated from at least one constituent of the food material by the conversion agent.

Abstract: The present application provides a method of reducing and/or removing diglyceride from an edible oil, comprising admixing an edible oil with an acyl acceptor substrate and a diglyceride: glycerol acyltransferase, wherein the diglyceride:glycerol acyltransferase is characterized as an enzyme which in an edible oil is capable of transferring an acyl group from a diglyceride to glycerol. The diglyceride:glycerol acyltransferase can comprise the amino acid sequence motif GDSX. The present invention also relates to the use of a diglyceride:glycerol acyltransferase in the manufacture of an edible oil, for reducing and/or removing diglyceride from said edible oil and to the use of said enzyme in the manufacture of a foodstuff comprising an edible oil for improving the crystallization properties of said foodstuff.

Abstract: There is provided use of a conversion agent to prepare from a food material a foodstuff comprising at least one functional ingredient, wherein the at least one functional ingredient has been generated from at least one constituent of the food material by the conversion agent.