Glucosamine and method of making glucosamine from microbial biomass

Abstract

Glucosamine suitable for human or animal consumption is disclosed. The glucosamine is derived from microbial biomass containing chitin. Suitable starting materials include substantially uniform microbial fungal sources, such as fungal sources derived from Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Mucor sp. and combinations thereof. Methods of producing glucosamine by acid hydrolysis of fermented fungal biomass are also disclosed.

1. A glucosamine containing material suitable for human or animal consumption, the glucosamine derived from fermented microbial biomass. 
     
     
       2. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 1 , wherein the glucosamine has an ash content below 2 percent. 
     
     
       3. The glucosanine containing material of  claim 1 , wherein the glucosamine has a heavy metal content below 20 parts per million. 
     
     
       4. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 1 , wherein the glucosamine is formed by acid hydrolysis of the fermented microbial biomass. 
     
     
       5. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 4 , wherein the glucosamine is formed by acid hydrolysis of microbial biomass by treating the microbial biomass with acid for greater than 4 hours. 
     
     
       6. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 4 , wherein the glucosamine is formed by acid hydrolysis of microbial biomass by treating the biomass with acid for greater than 8 hours. 
     
     
       7. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 4 , wherein the glucosamine is formed by acid hydrolysis of microbial biomass by treating the biomass with a 5 to 25 percent strong acid solution. 
     
     
       8. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 4 , wherein the glucosamine is formed by acid hydrolysis of microbial biomass by treating the biomass with a 5 to 25 percent strong acid solution for greater than 4 hours. 
     
     
       9. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 1 , wherein the glucosamine has a positive 69 to 74 degree specific rotation when the glucosamine is in the form of a hydrochloride salt. 
     
     
       10. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 1 , wherein the microbial biomass has a yield of greater than 50 percent of total chitin content of the biomass starting material. 
     
     
       11. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 1 , wherein the glucosamine containing material contains less than 5 percent glucose. 
     
     
       12. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 1 , wherein the glucosamine containing material is greater than 98 percent pure based upon dry weight. 
     
     
       13. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 12 , wherein the glucosamine containing material comprises glucosamine alone, or glucosamine mixed with additional ingredients. 
     
     
       14. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 1 , wherein a 20 percent by weight aqueous solution of the glucosamine has an American Public Health Association color of less than 50. 
     
     
       15. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 1 , wherein the glucosamine is derived from substantially uniform microbial fungal sources. 
     
     
       16. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 15 , wherein the glucosamine is derived from  Aspergillus  sp.,  Penicillium  sp.,  Mucor  sp. and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       17. The glucosamine containing material of  claim 15 , wherein the glucosamine is derived from species of filamentous fungi having greater than 10 chitin percent by total cell weight. 
     
     
       18. A method of obtaining glucosamine from microbial biomass, the method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing chitin-containing biomass;  
 (b) reacting the chitin-containing biomass in an acidic solution with an acid concentration of greater than 5 percent at a reaction temperature greater than 80° C. for a reaction period of at least 4 hours to convert chitin in the biomass to glucosamine; and  
 (c) separating the glucosamine from the acidic solution.  
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of separating the glucosamine comprises crystallization of the glucosamine from the acidic solution. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the acid solution has an acid concentration of 5 to 25 percent. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the acid solution has an acid concentration of 5 to 50 percent. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the reaction temperature is above 80° C. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the reaction period is from 4 to 25 hours. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the glucosamine containing material has a yield of greater than 50 percent of total chitin content of the chitin-containing biomass and contains less than 5 percent glucose. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the glucosamine containing material contains less than 5 percent soluble sugars. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the glucosamine containing material is greater than 98 percent glucosamine based upon dry weight. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the glucosamine is derived from  Aspergillus  sp.,  Penicillium  sp.,  Mucor  sp. and combinations thereof.