A process for enabling the production of a particulate composition containing crystalline trehalose dihydrate is provided. Including allowing an -glycosyltrehalose-forming enzyme to act on liquefied starch derived from a microorganism of the genus Arthrobacter and a trehalose-releasing enzyme derived from a microorganism of the genus Arthrobacter along with a starch debranching enzyme and a cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase; allowing glucoamylase to act on the resulting mixture to obtain a saccharide solution containing ,-trehalose; precipitating crystalline ,-trehalose dihydrate from the above saccharide solution; collecting the precipitated crystalline ,-trehalose dihydrate by a centrifuge; and ageing and drying the collected crystals. Cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase derived from a microorganism of the genus Paenibacillus or a mutant enzyme thereof is used to increase the ,-trehalose content in the saccharide solution to over 86.0% by weight, on a dry solid basis, without passing through a fractionation step by column chromatography.

Methods and systems for pretreating lignocellulosic biomass are disclosed. An acid solution between 1% to 1.6% sulfuric acid is applied to the biomass. The biomass is subjected to an elevated temperature to cause the production of xylose, glucose, and furfural. Adjustments to temperature, acid concentration, and time can generate at least 80% or 90% of theoretical xylose, 45% or 50% of the theoretical glucose, and less than 4000 ppm of furfural in the xylose liquor. A portion of the resulting xylose liquor may be separated from the glucan solids. The xylose liquor, still highly acidic, can be recycled to reduce subsequent acid loading requirements. Makeup acid solution is added to the xylose liquor and subsequent biomass to ensure a proper solids to liquids ratio. The biomass is again treated to higher temperatures to yield sugars. The process may be repeated for each subsequent cycle.

The present document describes a system and a process for the extraction of several products from apple peel. There are several unit operations involved including an ultrafiltration unit, concentration unit, and a three stage counter current separator centrifuge wherein water is used as the solvent. The final products that are extracted from apple peel include pectin, syrup, fibers, as well as soluble and dried retenate fractions.

The present invention relates to an energy-efficient process for the treatment of plant biomass, particularly sugar cane, for the production of carbohydrates and ethanol, using physico-chemical and extraction techniques, as well as very simple milling configurations, thereby minimizing energy consumption during extraction of the cane juice. The biomass treated and obtained through this process, when subjected to a fermentation process for the production of ethanol, increases the yield of the process in comparison with that of traditional sugar cane. It can also be used for the production of enzymes, animal feedstuffs, and other useful products.

A process for enabling the production of a particulate composition containing crystalline trehalose dihydrate is provided. Including allowing an -glycosyltrehalose-forming enzyme to act on liquefied starch derived from a microorganism of the genus Arthrobacter and a trehalose-releasing enzyme derived from a microorganism of the genus Arthrobacter along with a starch debranching enzyme and a cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase; allowing glucoamylase to act on the resulting mixture to obtain a saccharide solution containing ,-trehalose; precipitating crystalline ,-trehalose dihydrate from the above saccharide solution; collecting the precipitated crystalline ,-trehalose dihydrate by a centrifuge; and ageing and drying the collected crystals. Cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase derived from a microorganism of the genus Paenibacillus or a mutant enzyme thereof is used to increase the ,-trehalose content in the saccharide solution to over 86.0% by weight, on a dry solid basis, without passing through a fractionation step by column chromatography.

A method for separating sugars, sugar alcohols or a combination thereof by bringing an aqueous solution of sugars, sugar alcohols or a combination thereof into contact with a collection of strong acid cation exchange resin particles, wherein each of the particles comprises from 35 to 85% calcium ions and from 15 to 65% alkali metal ions, as a weight percentage of total metal in the resin particle.

Compositions comprising C5 and C6 monosaccharides and low levels of undesirable impurities, such as compounds containing sulfur, nitrogen, or metals, are disclosed.

Compositions comprising C5 and C6 saccharides of varying degrees of polymerization and low levels of undesirable impurities, such as compounds containing sulfur, nitrogen, or metals, are disclosed.

A process for the recovery of betaine from a raw material consisting essentially of molasses. The process includes a demineralization step, a conversion step and a separation step. In the demineralization step the overall amount of salts in the molasses is brought to a level lying below 2 wt. % (on overall dry matter). In the conversion step the molasses is subjected to the action of a fructan-forming enzyme, to form a fructan-containing molasses (fructan-molasses). Finally in the separation step, the fructan-molasses is subjected to a chromatographic separation, thereby obtaining a betaine-containing fraction. Whereby the demineralization step is executed prior to the separation step and whereby demineralization step may be executed prior to, during, or subsequent to the conversion step. The raw material may alternatively contain or consist essentially of thick juice.

Methods are provided for the conversion of isosorbide to isoidide, wherein the isosorbide contains sorbitan impurities. The impurities in the isosorbide subjected to epimerization are converted to hydrodeoxygenation products. A method for synthesizing isoidide, comprising, providing an isosorbide containing one or more sorbitans; and, epimerizing the isosorbide to form an epimerization product comprising isoidide and hydrodeoxygenation products.