PURPOSE: To enable industrial production of a cello-oligosaccharide in high yield by reacting a cellulosic substance with a readily available and marketed cellulase in the presence of gluconolactone and/or gluconic acid.
CONSTITUTION: Reaction is carried out in an aqueous suspension state containing gluconolactone and/or gluconic acid, a readily available marketed cellulase formulation and a main raw material such as a delignified and powdered cellulosic substance. After completing the enzymic reaction, unreacted residues are then removed by centrifugation and filtration through diatomaceous earth, etc., to provide a clear solution. Deionizing reaction with an ion exchange resin is subsequently carried out and the resultant solution is concentrated under reduced pressure and cooled to afford crystals of a cello-oligosaccharide. Thereby, the cellooligosaccharide can be produced even by using the normally readily available and marketed cellulase formulation without requiring a special cellulase. No equipment such as an ultrafiltration reactor is especially required and the aforementioned method is extremely effective in industrial production of the cello-oligosaccharide such as a short reaction time.
HIKAWA KENJI
NAKATANI SENTARO
MIYA TOYOFUMI
HINO TADAYUKI
