US-12618028-B2 - Fermented and esterified molasses

Abstract

A method for preparing a fermented molasses including at least one glycine betaine ester, the method includes the steps of (1) providing a fermented beet molasses, (2) adding, into this fermented beet molasses, at least one acid in an acid: glycine betaine molar ratio between 1 and 2.2 and (3) esterifying the acidified fermented molasses obtained in the preceding step by mixing with at least one alcohol. Also, a fermented and esterified molasses including betaine esters and the use thereof for improving the surfactant and/or emulsifying properties of a composition.

Inventors

• XAVIER LEBRUN

Assignees

• LESAFFRE ET COMPAGNIE

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20211014

Priority Date

20201015

Claims (5)

1. 1 . A process for the preparation of fermented molasses comprising at least one glycine betaine ester, said process comprising the following stages of: 1) provision of a fermented beet molasses, 2) addition, to said fermented beet molasses, of at least one acid according to an acid/glycine betaine molar ratio of between 1 and 2.2, 3) esterification of the acidified fermented molasses obtained in the preceding stage by mixing with at least one alcohol, and wherein, after the esterification stage 3), a stage of centrifugation and concentration of the supernatant to a dry matter content of from 50% to 80%, and wherein the fermented beet molasses supplied according to the first stage is a fermented and demineralized molasses.
2. 2 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fermented beet molasses is a mixture of fermented beet molasses and fermented cane molasses.
3. 3 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the alcohol is mixed with the acidified fermented molasses according to an alcohol/glycine betaine molar ratio of between 1 and 2.5.
4. 4 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, glycerol, lauryl alcohol (dodecan-1-ol), isoamyl alcohol (3-methylbutan-1-ol), oleyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, fusel alcohols and mixtures thereof.
5. 5 . The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of from ethanol, oleyl alcohol, lauryl alcohol, and mixtures thereof.

Description

FIELD The present invention relates to the field of the sugar industry and particularly concerns a novel fermented molasses, its process of preparation and its use as agent for improving the surfactant and/or emulsifying properties of a composition. BACKGROUND Glycine betaine (C5H11NO2) is a molecule from which can be obtained a multitude of derivatives which find diverse and varied applications, in particular in the field of surfactants. Specifically, glycine betaine, also called trimethylglycine, is an inexpensive natural substance which constitutes a raw material of choice for the preparation of surface-active agents. For example, alkyl betaines or alkyl amido betaines are the most widely used. The document WO 2015/078890 describes compositions of fatty esters of glycine betaine, esters of glycine betaines and of alkyl polyglucosides which include in particular structures of the type of alkyl polyglucosides carrying a cationic group introduced by virtue of a grafting of glycine betaine. The document FR 2 869 913 provides, for example, access routes based on ester or amide of glycine betaine, which are obtained in the form of crude reaction products or by washing the crude reaction products with organic solvents. The document WO 2013/188508 describes compositions containing cationic glycine betaine esters and/or amides. The alkylene betainate methanesulfonates and the betainyl amino alkylene methanesulfonates form part of these esters and of these amides. Glycine betaine esters and amides are used in said compositions of cationic surfactants having antimicrobial activity and are presented as being effective as crude or semi-purified or purified mixtures. The document FR 3 082 52 describes a surfactant composition comprising a glycine betaine amide salt, an alkylammonium salt, a glycine betaine ester salt and glycine betaine. The document FR 3 088 930 describes the use of mixtures comprising glycine betaine esters for improving the surfactant properties of the compositions, said glycine betaine esters being obtained by reaction of glycine betaine with a fatty alcohol. Although a number of glycine betaine derivatives already exist, there remains a need to provide other alternatives which can improve the surfactant and/or emulsifying properties, and in particular green solutions, said to be environmentally friendly, as opposed to the solutions of petrochemical origins far too often employed. More generally, glycine betaine is a byproduct of the sugar industry and is found in sugar beet molasses, of which it represents approximately 5% to 7% by weight of dry matter, with respect to the total weight of dry matter of said beet molasses. As mentioned above, glycine betaine is a raw material of choice for the preparation of surface-active agents. Until now, it has been extracted by manufacturers directly from beet molasses through, for example, chromatographic processes. The glycine betaine thus extracted is concentrated and then used in particular to obtain derivatives, as described above. The document WO 2004/002938 describes, for example, a method of chromatographic fractionation, followed by a nanofiltration, said method thus making it possible to recover at least a fraction enriched in glycine betaine from a starting solution comprising betaine, for example a molasses solution. Molasses is a substance known to a person skilled in the art. It is a coproduct resulting from the manufacture of sugar from beet and cane in sugar factories, or brown sugar in refineries. The process for the manufacture of sugar, whether this is carried out starting from cane or beet, results, after the crystallization stage, in sugar being obtained, on the one hand, and molasses being obtained, on the other hand. Although used to extract glycine betaine, beet molasses is more generally employed for the feeding of animals, mixed with straw or other cellulosic feeds, but also as binder in complete rations for animals, or also to encourage the animal to ingest relatively unpalatable feeds. As an alternative to the feeding of animals, molasses is also used by manufacturers for the production of “noble” products via fermentation processes. This is because, through the fermentation mechanisms available to certain micro-organisms, molasses can serve as substrate and in particular makes it possible to obtain baker's yeast, ethyl alcohol, citric acid, glutamic acid, lysine or also antibiotics. In return, the use of molasses via fermentation processes generates large amounts of liquid fermentation residues. These liquid fermentation residues correspond to “fermented” molasses. Having been depleted in constituents by micro-organisms, fermented molasses is generally regarded as a fermentation residue of little interest, and is mainly upgraded in the field of agriculture as spreading fertilizer. To extract glycine betaine, fermented molasses is not considered as a product of choice by manufacturers because of the large amounts of water necessary