Advantages
- Strong antibacterial activity against food poisoning bacteria such as L. monocytogenes, B. cereus, B. brevis, and S. Typhimurium.
- Expected to be safe and low-cost production, because of natural ingredients-derived products such as reducing sugars and L-amino acids.
Technology Overview & Background
Preservatives and shelf-life improving agents such as sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, sodium nitrite and nisin are used for a wide range of foods. On the other hand, since their target and applicable bacterias are completely different, there is still demand for novel and effective antimicrobial substances.
The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction that occurs mainly during the thermal processing of foods. This multiple-step heat-promoting reaction is induced by carbonyl compounds such as reducing sugars, and amines such as amino acids, and the final product is a brown polymer called melanoidin. In this invention, the researchers searched for melanoidins with antimicrobial activity by exhaustively combining various reducing sugars and amino acids among a vast number of substrate combinations. As a result, they found that some Maillard reaction products of xylose and proline or phenylalanine have antimicrobial activity against many types of food poisoning bacteria.
Publication(s)
S. Kukuminato, K. Koyama, S. Koseki, Microbiol. Spectrum (2021) 9(3), e01142–21.
“Antibacterial Properties of Melanoidins Produced from Various Combinations of Maillard Reaction against Pathogenic Bacteria.”
[DOI] https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.01142-21
Patent(s)
PCT/JP2022/037898 (published in Japanese as WO2023/068112 A1)
Researchers & Academic Institution
Shigenobu Koseki, PhD. (Professor, Hokkaido University, Japan), et al.
Further Details
CDA (with Hokkaido Univ.): Available
MTA (with Hokkaido Univ.): Available
Expectations
Tech Manage is now looking for companies to collaborate with the researchers and develop this technology further under the licensing of patent(s) described above.
In addition to disclosing unpublished data, etc., by concluding a CDA with Hokkaido University, we can also consider joint research with the inventors and evaluation studies using melanoidin samples of this invention under a paid MTA agreement. We can also meet with the inventors to discuss the details of the invention. Please feel free to contact us if you have any requests.
Project No. JT-04445