Abstract: The present invention is directed to a novel method and device for removing oxygen from oils. The oils may be in liquid form, such as vegetables oils, etc., in solid form, such as fats, etc. or in some type of intermediate semi-solid form. By removing oxygen from various products containing oils and fats, the present invention is an effective antioxidant for food products, as well as for various industrial and commercial products, such as paints, varnishes, etc. The method comprises the steps of providing an oil containing oxygen and adding to the oil a sufficient amount of an aqueous solution containing oxygen scavenging membrane fragments and a hydrogen donor substance to reduce the oxygen present in the oil to water.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for collecting and processing tissue to produce an endothelial cell product having a vessel for rinsing, draining, digesting and isolating tissue. The vessel has a rinsing and digesting chamber for containing tissue during processing. An inlet in the rinsing and digesting chamber allows entry of rinsing solution and tissue from a liposuction device. A waste chamber in fluid communication with the rinsing and digesting chamber preferably connects with a vacuum source. An isolation chamber is separated from the rinsing and digesting chamber by a screen. An ampule in fluid communication with the isolation chamber includes a pair of ports controlled by valve devices to be selectively in fluid communication with the isolation chamber. After processing, the ampule isolates a pellet of endothelial cells and the valve devices permit the pellet to be in fluid communication with the ports.

Abstract: A method of controlling the population of a first microorganism at a foliar locus by preferentially enhancing the population of a second microorganism at said locus, comprises applying to the locus an amount of a durable selective habitat enhancer which substantially preferentially potentiates growth of said second microorganism with respect to said first microorganism. The durable selective habitat enhancer preferably comprises a substantially water-insoluble, weather resistant polymeric substrate and a binder which increases the durability of the habitat enhancer. The second microorganism can be endogenous to the foliar locus or exogenously applied. Chitin and cellulose are preferred habitat enhancers.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with enzymic triglyceride conversions, wherein more than one enzymic conversion zone and preferably the same number of deacidifications units are applied. The fresh triglyceride feed stock and the compound providing fresh fatty acid moiety are introduced into different parts of the system so that fresh triglyceride is contacted with a mixture of the compound providing fatty acid moiety that is reduced in the amount of fatty acid moiety that should be introduced into the triglyceride.

Abstract: The content of phosphorus-containing components and the iron content of an edible vegetable or animal oil, preferably an oil such as soybean oil which has been wet-refined to remove mucilage, are reduced by enzymatic decomposition by contacting the oil with an aqueous solution of phospholipases A.sub.1, A.sub.2, or B and then separating the aqueous phase from the treated oil.

Abstract: A novel lipase from a newly-discovered strain of Pseudomonas alcaligenes microorganism having (i) an optimum pH for activity of about 10.+-.0.5; (ii) an optimum temperature for activity of about 45.degree. to 55.degree. C.; (iii) an optimum pH for stability of about 7.0.+-.0.5; (iv) a molecular weight as measured by SDS-PAGE of about 3.0.times.10.sup.4 ; and (v) chemical stability for at least a 60 day mean half-life in the presence of a 10 percent solution of polyoxyethylene (23) lauryl ether in 25 millimolar aqueous calcium chloride. Also claimed is a biologically pure culture of the microorganism, and a method for the production of the lipase. Also claimed is a lipase characterized by containing an N-terminal amino acid sequence which is Gly-Leu-Phe-Gly-Pro-Ser-Gly-Tyr-Thr-Lys-Thr-Lys-Tyr-Pro-Ile.

Abstract: A novel lipase from a newly-discovered strain of Pseudomonas alcaligenes microorganism having (i) an optimum pH for activity of about 10.+-.0.5; (ii) an optimum temperature for activity of about 45.degree. to 55.degree. C.; (iii) an optimum pH for stability of about 7.0.+-.0.5; (iv) a molecular weight as measured by SDS-PAGE of about 3.0.times.10.sup.4 ; and (v) chemical stability for at least a 60 day mean half-life in the presence of a 10 percent solution of polyoxyethylene (23) lauryl ether in 25 millimolar aqueous calcium chloride. Also claimed is a biologically pure culture of the microorganism, and a method for the production of the lipase.

Abstract: A method for preparing highly purified phosphatidylinositol comprises the steps of treating a mixed phospholipid with a phospholipase D, then treating the product with an alkali or acidic phosphatase and separating unreated phosphatidylinositol from the reaction mixture. The method makes it possible to isolate phosphatidylinositol useful in various fields in a high purity in the order of 80 to 99%.

Abstract: A novel lipase from a newly-discovered strain of Pseudomonas alcaligenes microorganism having (i) an optimum pH for activity of about 10.+-.0.5; (ii) an optimum temperature for activity of about 45.degree. to 55.degree. C.; (iii) an optimum pH for stability of about 7.0.+-.0.5; (iv) a molecular weight as measured by gel permeation chromotagraphy of about 8.8.times.10.sup.4 ; and (v) chemical stability for at least 30 days in the presence of the surfactants. Also claimed is a biologically pure culture of the microorganism, and a method for the production of the lipase.

Abstract: The composition of stable microbial mixed biocenoses can be controlled by the addition of growth factors and/or inhibitory substances, optionally together with certain nutrients. It is possible in this manner to suppress, e.g. the undesirable formation of bulking sludge in sewage treatment plants or to improve the digestion of food or fodder containing biopolymers in the intestine or rumen.

Abstract: A hollow fiber membrane bioreactor process for continuous selective removal of organic toxicants or other oleophilic solutes present in an aqueous process stream wherein low concentration levels of said toxicant are removed from the aqueous process stream by being extracted and concentrated by the permeably selective hollow fiber membrane and then provided to a microorganism for metabolization into a water soluble metabolite. The water soluble metabolite is prevented from reentering the aqueous process stream and removed from the bioreactor in the aqueous nutrient effluent stream.

Abstract: A method for processing glyceride fats and oils which comprises the steps of subjecting a mixture of a glyceride fat or oil and a monohydric alcohol fatty acid ester to an enzymatic ester interchange reaction; distilling the reaction mixture of the ester interchange reaction to separate a distillate from a processed glyceride fat or oil to recover the latter; subjecting the distillate to an esterification reaction to lower its acid value; and recycling the distillate for use as a starting material for the ester interchange reaction.

Abstract: A method for preparing phosphatidylinositol from a vegetable matter comprises homogenization thereof in a water-salt solution with a molar concentration of from 0.005 to 1 M at a pH within the range of from 5.0 to 11.0. The homogenizate is centrifugated at a gravity acceleration value of 3,000-30,000 g or filtered on a filter with a pore size of 3-50 .mu.m to separate the cell-free water-salt phase containing particles of the protein-phosphatidylinositol complex which are separated by means of alkaline or neutral proteases or by way of gel-chromatography or ultrafiltration. From the separated particles of the protein-phosphatidylinositol complex the product is extracted with methanol or with distilled water.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for preparing an ester from an alcohol and fatty acid (glyceride) by enzyme-catalyzed conversion, in which a fatty acid (glyceride) and alcohol are contacted with lipase and the alcohol is added at such a rate that the alcohol concentration in the reaction mixture is kept below a molar ratio of 0.5 moles of alcohol per mole of fatty acid/acyl group, preferably below 0.25. The alcohol is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alcohol, preferably a monohydric alcohol. The fatty acid is a C.sub.2 -C.sub.24 fatty acid, preferably a C.sub.10 -C.sub.24 fatty acid. Preferably, water of reaction is removed while esterification progresses.

Abstract: A method of heterogeneous reaction is described, comprising reacting a water-soluble component and an oil-soluble component dispersed in the water-soluble component or an aqueous medium containing the same. This dispersion is attained by passing the oil-soluble component through the micropores of a hydrophilic material as it is introduced into the aqueous medium. This hydrophilic material can be shaped into a desired form such as a membrane and a fabric. The flow rate, reaction rate and conversion are easy to control in the present method since the particle size of the oil-soluble component can be appropriately controlled. Furthermore, the present method does not need any stirring power nor an emulsification operation, and thus is advantageous from an economic standpoint.

Abstract: An aqueous suspension of micro-organism cells containing a 3-hydroxybutyrate polymer are subjected to a proteolytic enzyme digestion and/or a surfactant digestion in order to solubilise cell material other than the 3-hydroxybutyrate polymer.Prior to, or during the digestion, but before any proteolytic enzyme digestion step, the suspension is heated to at least 80.degree. C. to denature nucleic acids which otherwise hinder separation of the 3-hydroxybutyrate polymer containing residue from the suspension.

Abstract: Organic compounds susceptible to hydrolysis are prepared by reaction in a water-immiscible organic liquid in contact with an enzyme activated with water to catalyze the reaction and desiccant means to lower the water activity of the dispersion from which the reaction products are recovered. The enzyme may be a lipase to catalyze an interesterification process and the desiccant means may be immersed in the dispersion to remove water in the liquid phase or in the headspace above the dispersion to remove water vapor.

Abstract: J-1 which is a strain of cyanobacteria is used to form and excrete a material useful as an emulsifying agent for forming emulsions of hydrocarbons and oils in liquids such as water.Method of separating and culturing the cyanobacteria under conditions necessary to achieve a maximum formation and excretion of the emulsifying agent into solution.Method of purifying and separating excreted as well as intracellular material from cyanobacteria.Method of removing stains with a material excreted by cyanobacteria, and particularly strain J-1.Method of effecting the secondary recovery of petroleum through the use of a material excreted by cyanobacteria, and particularly strain J-1.Extracellular polymeric material which is greater than 200,000 Daltons in molecular weight, and contains sugar, fatty acid, and protein moieties, and amide, carboxylic and amino groups.

Abstract: Lysophosphatidic acid and the physiologically compatible salts thereof possess particularly advantageous properties as emulsifiers for use in foodstuffs and in particular exhibit unexpectedly good results when used in a process for making dough, for use in the production of farinaceous products, in which a wheat flour is mixed with 0.01 to 2.0% by weight (based on the weight of wheat flour) of lysophosphatidic acid or a physiologically compatible salt thereof.The emulsifiers of the invention comprise a mixture of phospholipids, the mixture comprising lysophosphatidic acid or a physiologically compatible salt thereof in an amount of at least 30 mol %. The emulsifiers may be prepared by treating a mixture of phospholipids with phospholipase D and phospholipase A.

Abstract: In a method of the modification of a fat or oil wherein a mixture (mixture A) containing a glyceride-type fat or oil to be modified (material A) and a fatty acid or a nonglyceride-type ester thereof (material B) is selectively transesterified in the presence of a catalyst having a selective transesterification activity (catalyst A); the resulting fat or oil (resultant A), fatty acid or nonglyceride-type ester thereof (resultant B) and catalyst are recovered from the reaction mixture; and then a hard butter is produced from the resultant A, the improvement comprises hydrogenating a part or all of the resultant B and reusing the hydrogenated product as a part of the mixture A.

Abstract: It has been discovered that phosphatides contain certain carbohydrates which adversely affect their functional properties. By hydrolyzing such carbohydrates with an effective amount of carbohydrase, the physical and functional properties of such phosphatides are significantly improved. In the manufacture of lecithin, wet gums enzymatically treated with carbohydrases dehydrate more rapidly into a low moisture lecithin product. The enzymatic treatment also fluidizes phosphatide compositions and stabilizes the compositions against solidification.